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Parent accuses superintendent of manipulating bullying data; superintendent explains state reporting rules
Summary
A public commenter accused Superintendent Isaac Seaver of manipulating bullying reports; Superintendent Seaver responded that Ohio law defines bullying narrowly and described how confirmed incidents are reported and handled, naming harassment coordinators and noting privacy limits on discussing individual student discipline.
At the Lebanon Board of Education meeting Oct. 21, parent Juan Gonzalez used the public-comment period to allege that Superintendent Isaac Seaver and district staff were manipulating bullying statistics and failing to act on incidents.
Gonzalez, who identified himself as the father of Juliana Gonzales, said the district’s published count of bullying incidents at the high school was "0" and described multiple social-media posts and parental accounts he said documented bullying, physical assaults and, in one case, a concussion. He told the board: "I'm gonna prove to everybody how you are a liar and a manipulator," and said he would return with more information at future meetings.
Superintendent Isaac Seaver responded during the meeting’s reports by citing Ohio law’s narrow definition of bullying: the conduct must be one-directional, persistent, pervasive and cause substantial disruption to a child’s education before it is recorded as a confirmed bullying incident. He said the district investigates reports, disciplines when appropriate (including out-of-school suspension for physical assaults where warranted), and that the district’s public reporting reflects only confirmed incidents meeting the statutory threshold. "Bullying has a very specific definition ... it has to be one directional ... persistent and pervasive," Seaver said.
Seaver also identified the district harassment coordinators who handle building-level investigations as Krista Foley and Brian Dalton and explained that federal student-privacy rules (FERPA) prevent staff from publicly discussing disciplinary details involving other students. He said the district will consider changing how it shares aggregate reporting after recent questions and suggested placing the issue on a future agenda for an update.
The meeting record shows the exchange remained a public dispute: Gonzalez made public allegations about individual incidents and district handling; district leadership rebutted with a legal explanation of reporting criteria and a promise to review reporting formats, but did not provide case-level details because of privacy rules. The board did not take formal action on the allegations at the meeting.
