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Parents press district on bullying and enforcement; staff point to principal and student services for follow-up
Summary
At a Putnam County parent engagement meeting, parents described a pre-K child being bullied by an older student and said school reports produced 'nothing was done about it.' District officials urged contact with the school principal and the student services director for investigation and follow-up.
During the question-and-answer portion of a Putnam County parent engagement meeting, a parent recounted that her pre-K child had been bullied by a fifth grader and said attempts to resolve the situation through school channels produced no action.
"I reached out to the school, reached out to everything I could. Nothing was done about it," the parent said, later asking, "If y'all have certain policies like you're stating, why aren't they being enforced?"
Superintendent Rick Sernsey responded that the parent should speak to the school principal, Miss Brady, and that the student services director, Diana Drew, would review the situation. "If you have a specific question, you need to talk to Miss Brady... Miss Drew would be happy to review the situation," Sernsey said. Staff reiterated that investigations are required when concerns are raised and that the district has policies and a code of conduct intended to address bullying.
Another attendee asked whether the district plans to change or strengthen its bullying policy; Sernsey said the district already has a strict policy and advised parents with specific concerns to contact the principal and student services staff for case review. Michelle Michael, the parent family engagement coordinator, offered to take contact information and help coordinate follow-up with teachers or coaches and to route resources from the district's Family Resource Center as needed.
One parent said she had a meeting scheduled the following Thursday to seek clarity; district staff emphasized the investigative process and the role of school-level and student-services staff in resolving individual incidents. The meeting did not produce a formal policy vote or district-wide commitment for policy change during the session.
The account in this article is based on parent statements and district staff responses recorded at the meeting; it does not adjudicate the specific incident or determine whether earlier school-level actions met policy requirements.
