Parent alleges teacher grabbed child; board criticized grievance response

A parent told the Caswell County Board of Education on June 1 that she filed a grievance after a video showed a second-grade teacher grabbing her child and that the district’s response did not reflect the alleged assault.

April Alex said she followed the superintendent’s instructions to file a grievance and that the district’s remedy was limited to a short apology letter from the teacher and a separate directive banning her father from South Elementary. Alex said she had asked staff to change the language of the grievance response to include the assault allegation, but that the board’s attorney advised against altering the letter; she said she was told to seek legal counsel if she wanted the response changed.

"You all watched the same exact video as I did and saw the teacher grab my daughter," Alex told the board. She said the replacement apology she received was one sentence and did not acknowledge what she described as the teacher's misconduct.

Why it matters: The comment raised allegations of staff physical misconduct involving a young child and questions about whether the district's grievance process produced a substantive, transparent remedy. Parents in the public-comment period said they deserve clearer outcomes and documentation when they file formal grievances.

Board response and next steps: Board members heard the complaint during public comment and did not make a formal ruling in the public session; the board previously discussed a staff-created parent/student appeal form intended to create clearer documentation for grievances and directed staff to return with a finalized form for the next reading. The parent asked the board to rewrite the grievance response and apology to reflect the alleged assault.

Speakers quoted in this article are listed as public commenters in the meeting roster.