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Parents tell Coatesville Area SD board bullying, special-education failures persist
Summary
At a Coatesville Area School District board meeting, several parents and an advocate used the public-comment period to allege ongoing student bullying, failures to provide IEP accommodations and alleged FERPA violations, and asked the board for clearer communication and accountability.
At the Coatesville Area School District board meeting, multiple parents and an advocate used the public-comment period to press the board for stronger responses to bullying and alleged failures in special-education services.
"You denied my student with disabilities access to educational opportunities," said Crystal Hunt during the public-comment period, describing a week her child has been out of school and requesting an Individualized Education Program meeting. Hunt alleged ongoing bullying and harassment, said the family had experienced retaliation for filing complaints, and said staff had failed to provide assistive technology and had, in her view, violated FERPA.
Betty Cooper, who said she has four children in the district since 2014, described a recent attack on her 13-year-old daughter and urged the board to adopt a stricter bullying policy. A student who spoke with Cooper recounted being assaulted, missing several days of school and feeling unsafe returning to class.
Community advocate Laurie Shannon Bailey backed the parents' calls for better communication and accountability, saying many families do not understand safety plans or how those plans relate to IEPs. "Every student with an IEP should know what a safety plan is," Bailey said, urging the district to ensure families receive clear information and support.
Board members did not announce any immediate remedial action during the meeting. Earlier in the agenda staff had clarified public-comment procedures and the board noted it values public input while explaining that members cannot discuss non-agenda items during the meeting. Several speakers said they will follow up by email and asked the board to investigate the complaints; the board president said staff would pass along requests and provide updates at a future meeting.
The public-comment exchange concluded with the board thanking speakers for raising concerns. No formal vote or personnel action on the complaints was recorded during this meeting; several items on personnel and confidential matters were acted on in executive session or via separate motions during the meeting.
The board adjourned after the remaining agenda items were completed and announced future committee and board meeting dates at which parents said they would seek follow-up.
