At the meeting a parent, April Perkins, addressed the Danville School District 118 Board of Education and urged the district to reexamine a grievance she filed alleging bullying and discrimination that she says affected her son.

Perkins told the board she filed a written complaint on Oct. 15, 2024 and did not receive a response until June 2, 2025 — "that's almost eight months," she said, and she cited board policy 2-2-60, the district's uniform grievance policy, which she said requires investigations be completed within 35 days. "That's two failures by the district right there," Perkins said. She said the response she received did not adequately address the family's concerns.

Perkins described a series of incidents she said included repeated derogatory names, physical bullying and threats that affected her son's mental health. She said her son started to self-harm and that the family withdrew their children from Mark Dimond Elementary School. "This has never been about money," Perkins said, "but after all my family has experienced ... we are due compensation." She called for a thorough investigation, better reporting processes, cultural-bias training for staff and measures to ensure equitable discipline.

Perkins identified school staff she said should be held accountable, including Principal Stacey Sollars and a staff member she named as "Miss Coy." She also urged the district to make the complaint process more accessible, including for families without easy computer access and for people who are visually impaired. Perkins said her review of district discipline data suggested racial disparities and urged the board to address that through policy and training.

The board did not take an immediate, public action to reopen or reassign the complaint during the meeting. Perkins said she had retained an attorney and asked the board for a transparent, empathetic investigation and accountability measures.