Parents urge external safety audit after alleged incidents at Prairie Park Elementary

At the May 27 public-comment period, a parent and community member identified in the transcript as Dr. Courtney urged the Lawrence Public Schools Board of Education to commission an external, independent audit of district policies and procedures for preventing sexual assault and harassment.

Courtney said that some families had decided not to return children to district schools because they did not feel safe and characterized ongoing communication as lacking transparency. She told the board that two alleged sexual offenders had been present in elementary schools in the past two years and asked why the district does not require FBI background checks for all candidates (noting the district’s current practice of conducting FBI checks only for applicants who have not lived in Kansas for the past 10 years).

Courtney asked the district to provide a user-friendly, public-facing information resource with timely updates about investigative and remedial steps the district is taking. She said she had emailed questions to the board and superintendent and offered to collaborate on what that web resource might include.

Courtney also reported a conversation with an ethics director at a professional association who said the individual named (Mr. Ridley in Courtney’s remarks) remained "a member in good standing" of that organization; she suggested an ethics report to the association could be an appropriate step and said an external audit would help protect future students.

The board did not commit to an external audit during the meeting. Board members acknowledged the concern and the need for follow-up; commenters requested specific answers about background-check practices, the district’s prior review documentation and a timeline for public updates.