Parents tell Caswell school board their children’s special-education needs were delayed, allege staff misconduct

Kelsey Bernett and Megan Bridges used the board’s public-comment period on March 9 to describe prolonged problems in Caswell County Schools’ EC (Exceptional Children) program at Oakwood Elementary, including what they said were missed special-education assessments and a substitute teacher’s allegedly aggressive behavior toward students.

Bernett, who identified herself as an Oakwood parent, said her son has attended Oakwood since pre-K and that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team only ordered a functional behavior assessment (FBA) and behavior intervention plan (BIP) after a manifestation meeting last school year. “The director admitted to me in an IEP meeting in October that an FBA and BIP should have been conducted when he transitioned out of kindergarten. He’s in third grade now,” Bernett said, adding that the existing BIP is “not working” and that requested ABA services were delayed for months.

Bernett told the board she requested an ABA provider beginning August 2025, that a team meeting with the director did not occur until October, and that staff told parents bids for ABA providers would be presented to the board in February but were not shown until the March 9 meeting. She said data requested for evaluating the current FBA/BIP were not provided, and she asked the board to “hold the director accountable” for both the delay and what she described as the director’s rude attitude toward families and advocates.

Bridges, who identified herself as a Caswell resident, substitute teacher and parent of an EC first grader, described seeing regression in her child’s skills after the classroom lost a certified teacher and said the replacement long-term substitute displayed repeated aggressive behavior. “I witnessed this teacher’s behavior — screaming at students behind closed doors, her yanking students in the hallways, and being aggressive with them in the car rider line,” Bridges told the board. She said staff had told her the substitute had previously been removed from a classroom for aggression but later was placed in another classroom where the conduct continued.

Board members followed both speakers with questions about who had directed staff not to speak with board members, when the moves of children and teachers occurred, and whether required documentation was in students’ records. Superintendent Stokes and other staff confirmed the speakers’ concerns were being heard and that staff would follow up; at the March hearing, the board did not take any formal personnel action in public session.

Why this matters: Parents who allege delays in statutorily required special-education procedures raise both legal and immediate instructional concerns for children receiving EC services. Bernett explicitly referenced IDEA requirements when arguing that a required FBA/BIP was delayed, and Bridges’ account alleges student safety and supervision problems in a special-education setting.

What the board asked for next: The speakers sought accountability and concrete timelines for completing assessments and deciding the ABA bid. Board members pressed staff for more information during the meeting and requested follow-up; the public record shows no immediate vote or public discipline tied to these comments on March 9.

Sources and attribution: All direct quotes and descriptions above come from the March 9, 2026 public-comment segments (Kelsey Bernett, SEG 258–342; Megan Bridges, SEG 345–491).