Batavia Board modifies superintendent discipline decision, directs president to notify parents

The Batavia City School District Board of Education on Monday voted to modify the superintendent's disciplinary decision in an appeal and authorized the board president to notify the student's parents.

The board convened an appeal on a disciplinary matter and reviewed the superintendent's hearing record and the parent's appeal letter before taking action. A board member moved to "affirm, reverse, or modify" the superintendent's decision; after debate the motion was amended to a modification and passed by voice vote. The board then voted to authorize the board president to communicate the board's decision to the parents.

Board members did not read a roll-call vote into the public record; the meeting transcript records the vote as "All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay." The board also directed that the form of the modification be communicated administratively to the family.

The board handled the appeal under the district's standard appeal procedures and moved immediately afterward into the public portion of the meeting. No detail about the underlying disciplinary incident or the specific modification to the superintendent's sanction was disclosed in open session.

Because the board discussed and acted on the appeal in public session, and then authorized the board president to communicate with the parents, the district will notify the family through the board president as approved.

The board later entered executive session to discuss student-discipline matters among other confidential personnel topics; that session was not reopened to the public.

Votes at a glance: The motion to modify the superintendent's decision passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded on the transcript. The separate motion to authorize the board president to communicate the decision to the parents also passed by voice vote.