Parent tells Pickerington Local board her son was struck on playground; superintendent promises follow-up

During public comment, parent Elizabeth Curry said her son was involved in an April 8 playground altercation in which he was pushed to the ground and struck multiple times, causing a nosebleed. Curry told the board she believes the incident was intentional, that the school nurse recorded the report and placed it in an administrator's mailbox, and that administrators did not review or notify her the same day.

"This was not an accidental injury... the report was placed in administrator's mailbox and was not reviewed until the following day," Curry said. She asked the district to review how student-on-student physical aggression is handled, to set clear expectations for same-day parent notification and to implement accountability measures to ensure incidents are addressed promptly.

Superintendent Charlie Smialek said he had spoken with Curry earlier that day and described the conversation as "pretty productive." He agreed with many of the concerns she raised and said he had action steps, including meeting with a supervising administrator the following day and promising to be in touch by Friday with follow-up. "I promise to get back to you, and I will get back to you," Smialek said.

Board members and administrators did not make a decision during the meeting; Curry requested a formal review of incident-handling and same-day notification protocols. The transcript shows Smialek committed to follow-up and additional administrative review but contains no written timeline for any policy change.

The remarks illustrate parental concern about timely communication and supervision; the board did not take immediate formal action on policy but the superintendent’s commitment creates an administrative follow-up task for staff.