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Parent urges South Pasadena Unified to place daughter after alleging district failed to report abuse
Summary
A parent told the board Nov. 4 that the district failed to follow board policies requiring referral of suspected child abuse to county social services or law enforcement and asked that her daughter be given a suitable placement in the district.
Megan Kiser, a parent, told the South Pasadena Unified School District Board during public comment on Nov. 4 that district staff did not report an allegation that her daughter was shown private parts by a peer, and that a subsequent district email was hostile.
Kiser read from an interview her daughter gave to a district staff member in May 2024, saying her daughter declined recess because “he was showing her his private parts.” She cited board policy 5141.4 and said the district had a responsibility to report suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect. "On 11/12/2024, this board agreed with the principal and former superintendent that her words did not need to be reported and were not considered suspected abuse," Kiser said, and she stated that the district did not refer the allegation to the County Department of Social Services or law enforcement.
Kiser also cited board policy 1312.3 (complaint referral) and board policy 5000 (the board’s statement about providing a safe and supportive environment), saying those policies were not followed in her daughter's case. She told trustees that her daughter, Hope, has not been in a placement in the district since the start of the school year and asked the board to provide Hope a spot in South Pasadena Unified.
The remarks were made as public comment; no formal board action was recorded in open session in response to Kiser’s statements during the meeting. The transcript reflects Kiser’s allegations and her request to the board; the board did not announce any immediate personnel or investigative actions during the hearing.
Because Kiser described alleged procedural violations, the board or district staff may have internal obligations (including mandated-reporter procedures and referral to the appropriate agencies) that are separate from the public comment record. The transcript does not show whether the district took additional steps beyond the public meeting to investigate or refer the matter.
