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Parent says he pulled daughter from New Lothrop, alleges prolonged bullying and staff misconduct
Summary
At the Aug. 19 New Lothrop Board meeting, parent and booster Jim Sovis said he removed his sophomore daughter from the district, alleging repeated bullying and that staff assurances to correct the behavior were false; he offered documents and asked to meet in closed session; the board took no formal action on the complaint at the meeting.
A parent told the New Lothrop Board of Education on Aug. 19 that he had withdrawn his sophomore daughter from the district after what he described as prolonged bullying and staff misconduct.
Jim Sovis, a 10-year member of the Athletic Boosters and relative of district alumni, said he raised specific incidents with multiple staff members and an administrator but that promised corrections did not occur. "I was given assurances that things would be corrected by the staff, but it quickly became apparent that I was lied to," Sovis said, according to public comment recorded at the board's meeting in the high school library.
Sovis said the situation affected his daughter's mental health, writing in remarks that she struggled with depression and was "singled out and, in my opinion, mentally abused by a staff member." He said he decided to move her out of district when the situation worsened and that several other parents had told him their children were unhappy but could not transfer for logistical reasons. He offered to provide copies of meeting notes and other documents to the board and offered to meet in closed session to speak more openly.
Board minutes do not record a response from the board or administration to Sovis's statements at the time of the public comment. Another attendee, Amanda Elston, asked a separate question during public comment about the evening end time for latchkey services; that question was recorded but no action on it was recorded in the minutes.
Why this matters: Sovis framed his remarks as both a personal account and a broader complaint about school climate, saying several families had expressed similar concerns. The transcript does not show the board initiating any immediate investigation or specific next steps on the complaint during the meeting.
The meeting proceeded to routine business after public comment. The board later voted to enter closed session on separate, specified legal matters and approved several personnel and policy items by unanimous votes.
