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Parent tells Newton County board she faced retaliation while advocating for sons in special education
Summary
A parent told the board she believes district staff mischaracterized her advocacy as hostility, alleged a false bus report and said an outside advocate was silenced after district contact; the district reminded the meeting that personnel matters are protected in executive session.
A Newton County parent used the public-participation period on Jan. 6 to allege that district staff mischaracterized her advocacy on behalf of her sons and retaliated against her and an outside advocate.
Speaking as the mother of Bentley and Blake Logan, the commenter said her sons were placed in special-education classrooms where they should not have been, which she said caused regression and emotional stress. She said she followed district procedures to seek help, documented interactions, filed requests and contacted appropriate authorities, but she said district staff nonetheless labeled her advocacy as hostile and retaliated.
The parent described two specific incidents: an alleged false report by a school bus driver accusing her of improperly handling her child’s harness, and the sudden disappearance of an outside advocate she named in the audience — who she said told her the district had contacted the advocate’s employer and that the advocate had been effectively silenced.
The speaker said she had filed open-records requests and indicated willingness to pursue legal remedies, stating she would continue to press the district until her children were treated 'as respected members of this community.'
A board member (speaker 5) responded during the public-comment period to clarify legal limits: personnel matters are protected under law and naming district employees may be addressed only in executive session to protect privacy.
The board did not take immediate action in public session on the allegations; the comment was recorded during the public-participation portion of the meeting.
