Parents press Nottoway school board on bullying; discipline committee urges clearer enforcement

Parents and committee members told the Nottoway County School Board on June 12 that repeated bullying at district schools is harming children and that the district must do more to enforce its own code of conduct.

At the public-comment portion, Deborah Ostrander (parent) said her daughter "has been bullied, threatened, and made to feel less than by her peers as well as certain administrators," and handed the board excerpts from the student code of conduct she said demonstrate the behavior should be classified and addressed. "Our children are being failed by the people who have been put in positions to protect them," Ostrander said.

Dr. Payne (public commenter) described a young child he called Callie and said the child’s "light has been extinguished" by peer taunts and exclusion. He cited the Code of Virginia on bullying (Code of Virginia §22.1‑276.01) to argue the conduct meets the statutory definition and urged intensive staff training.

The discipline committee — formed earlier by a board motion to review discipline policies — summarized three meetings and recommended clearer adherence to written procedures, consistent documentation, and more robust parent communication. Reggie Wilson (discipline committee member) and parent representative Jelena Fitzgerald Booker pressed for consistent enforcement, saying administrators must not "pick and choose" who follows the rules because of parental reactions.

Committee and parent speakers urged these specific actions: regular parent "coffee chats" or community engagement events to build trust; clearer differentiation and communication about "peer conflict" versus statutory bullying; increased use of targeted supports (e.g., PBIS) for students demonstrating repeated disruptive behavior; and better training for staff so discipline expectations are uniformly understood and applied.

Board members acknowledged the problems but noted limits set by state procedures for K–3 discipline (for example, restrictions on suspension length). A board member said that even when state law limits certain disciplinary outcomes, it "doesn't mean [a child] can't receive consequences" and that clearer language and processes are needed so staff, parents and students understand the steps taken after a report is filed.

What’s next: Board members and staff agreed this work will continue with the incoming superintendent, and the board discussed whether to extend or reconstitute the committee to implement recommendations and follow up on training, communication and enforcement steps.

Sources and evidence: Public comments and committee recommendations were presented on the record during the June 12 board meeting; the committee referenced Title 22.1 of the Code of Virginia and the district’s student code of conduct during its presentation.