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Parent complains of "rude, curt" interactions with Luther Elementary principal; district to follow up
Summary
A parent told the board his family had multiple unreturned emails and two unpleasant in-person interactions with Luther Elementary’s new principal and said he feared retaliation against his special‑education son; the superintendent asked HR to follow up the next day.
Richard Von Collin, a parent and speaker at public comment, told the Cypress School District Board that he and his spouse had experienced four unsatisfactory interactions with Luther Elementary’s new principal, Ms. Helen Chung. He said two early emails received no reply and two in-person encounters during registration and a separate visit left the family feeling dismissed.
"She was rude, curt, and dismissive during the interaction," Von Collin said, describing the encounter as brief but upsetting given that his son is a special‑education student. He said a follow-up announcement from the principal addressing parking-lot safety did appear after one of the contacts, but he said the tone of direct interactions has caused him to worry about retaliation and a negative impact on his child (SEG 539-597, SEG 579-626).
When the board acknowledged the public comment card, Superintendent Lawson said the district would assign HR staff to follow up. "I'll ask Mrs. Moore and Lawrence to follow-up with a parent tomorrow," the superintendent said (SEG 636-641). Trustees did not take formal action at the meeting beyond directing staff to follow up.
The board has not announced any personnel action in response to the comment; district staff said they would investigate the reported communications and respond to the parent.
