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Parents and students accuse district leaders of shielding alleged predator, demand action
Summary
Multiple public commenters, including a student who says she was shown explicit photos, urged the Montgomery County School Board to demand transparency, pursue accountability and consider removal or resignation of Superintendent Luna Vedder amid allegations involving her husband.
Parents, students and advocates used the public‑comment period at the Montgomery County School Board meeting on June 16 to accuse district leadership of protecting an alleged perpetrator and to demand immediate changes to how the district handles reports involving students.
Ashley Ellethorpe, introduced by the chair as a parent, told the board her daughter and others were removed from school information platforms without notice and said the district "protected the system instead of the child," calling for a public discussion about Superintendent Luna Vedder and demanding she "step down and resign immediately." Ellethorpe said she had reason to believe complaints were mishandled and called the administration "rotten from the inside out."
A grandmother who identified herself as Connie Regalia, a former attorney, urged the board to adopt stronger protections for students, including a policy to ban teachers from having phones in classrooms. "Predators find their victims wherever they are," Regalia said, urging immediate policy changes and quicker law‑enforcement action.
Adam Elethorpe, who described himself as a parent, pressed for transparency about where the matter stands and said "resignation and accountability are not always the same thing," urging the district and law enforcement to provide clear, timely information about investigations.
A student, who identified herself as Mackenzie Ellithorpe, delivered a first‑person account. "After [the incident] happened, I went and hid in the bathroom so I could call my mom," she said, adding: "No student should ever have to hide in the bathroom to call their parent because they feel unsafe at school." She said the episode left her afraid to attend school and called on the board to do more to protect students.
The meeting record includes multiple spellings and references to the individuals and offices involved; speakers repeatedly urged the board to stop secrecy and to prioritize victim support. The chair stated during the meeting that Sumner County had picked up one investigation, and several commenters called for clearer communication about which agency is handling which aspects of the inquiries.
The board did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting on the allegations raised during public comment. Several speakers asked for the matter to appear on a future public agenda so the board could address it in an open session.
What happens next: speakers asked the board to place discussion of district leadership and the status of investigations on a future agenda and to ensure families receive updates; the meeting record shows no vote on removal or personnel action at this session.
