Parents accuse district leadership of misrepresenting investigation into staff misconduct; call for accountability

At the Scott County Board of Education meeting on March 26, multiple parents and community members accused district leadership of misrepresenting the results of an internal investigation into allegations involving a staff member identified in public comment as "Woods," and urged the board to hold Superintendent Billy Parker accountable.

A parent who said they had reviewed the district's records told the board multiple students and a staff member made reports on Nov. 18 and Nov. 19. "This is not 1 claim, that is a pattern," the parent said, and added that the district's own investigation found "partially substantiated misconduct." The same speaker criticized subsequent public statements, saying, "When leadership communicates something that does not match the facts, that doesn't just impact the case, it impacts trust in this entire system." (Parent; first speaking at SEG 118.)

Another parent who reviewed open records urged the board to act and said the superintendent had not reported the allegations to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board within the statutory window. "We're coming up on 150 days, and you have yet to fulfill your statutory duty to report Woods to the EPSB," the parent said, and asked the board to "hold Billy Parker accountable" and "vote favorably for Parker's removal." (Parent; first speaking at SEG 217.)

Several parents described excerpts from student reports that, according to public comment, included references to drinking, inappropriate remarks, whispering, and touching in class. One parent, who said her daughter is on a 504 plan and must use alternate hallways to avoid the staff member, called the routing punitive and said forcing a child with a disability to walk extra distances "can be considered psychological abuse, emotional abuse, or a form of disability discrimination." (Parent who read records; first speaking at SEG 315.)

Lindsay Lewis, who identified herself as a parent of four, said two students had come forward and that the adult in question had earlier been removed from a coaching position after separate allegations. "The question is why were safeguards not in place from the beginning?" she said, urging the district to act with "heightened caution." (Lindsay Lewis; SEG 444.)

At least one commenter framed the issue as a legal as well as a moral one. A parent who said they had consulted litigation counsel told the board that the parents of victims intend to pursue civil litigation against the district for "failing to protect their children from Woods" and for the trauma they say students suffered; that speaker also raised possible retaliation and civil-rights complaints to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. (Parent; SEG 217.)

Board members and staff declined to respond to the substance of public comment during the period, saying the meeting rules limited back-and-forth discussion during public comment. The chair closed the public-comment period after asking everyone to remain civil. (Chair; SEG 715.)

Why it matters: Commenters alleged multiple student reports, a staff corroborating report and incomplete disclosure in the district's public statements, and they linked the handling of the matter to potential legal exposure and to community trust in district leadership. Parents asked the board for specific accountability steps, including reporting to the EPSB and, in some cases, consideration of Superintendent Billy Parker's removal.

What the board did next: The board continued with its agenda, approved routine consent items, and later moved into closed session under KRS 61.810(1)(f) to discuss student-discipline matters. After the closed session, a board member moved to expel the students discussed in closed session for one calendar year with educational services to be determined by the superintendent; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. (Motion: SEG 1493—1504; vote: SEG 1501—1504.)

The board did not announce further personnel actions or disciplinary details in open session. Community members in the meeting called for clearer public statements from the district and for formal reporting to the EPSB and other authorities.