Riverview parents urge district to bring in external trauma counselors after staff arrest

Melanie Taylor, a Riverview parent, told the Silver Lake J1 School District board that the school remains a "triggering environment" seven weeks after a former staff member's arrest and urged the district to bring in external, objective trauma counselors for students and staff.

Taylor said the school's counseling team is strong but that staff who were colleagues of the defendant cannot be the primary source of emotional support. "We need trauma counseling without attachment, and we need it available here at school," she said, adding that young children are hearing and repeating details and that silencing them risks implying shame.

Ashton Whiting, a parent who followed Taylor, told the board the impact "will be permanent, but the damage could be lessened," and suggested funding avenues including the school's insurance, government grants or pro-bono resources. "We are willing to look in creative funding efforts if needed," Whiting said.

Board members acknowledged the comments and the director said she had already discussed options with staff, noting that prior offers of in-school staff strategies had been made. The board did not vote on a funding commitment at the meeting; directors and trustees said they would continue to explore options and follow up with additional information.

The board's public-comment rules limited speakers to three minutes and did not allow back-and-forth during the comment period. The next steps identified during the meeting included the director following up with staff and reporting back to the board on potential external counseling arrangements and funding paths.