Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Policy And Public Comments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Logan County Schools to update personnel policies and raise concerns about removed surveillance cameras
Summary
At the March 10 Logan County Board of Education meeting, public commenters urged the board to update outdated personnel policies and alleged surveillance cameras were removed from several school facilities; they asked the board to require clearer procedures and provide written guidance to staff.
Rhonda Farley, speaking during the public-comment portion of the March 10 Logan County Board of Education meeting, urged the board to update county policies governing personnel actions and to provide accessible written guidance so staff no longer must rely on "personal interpretations" of rules.
"When policies fall out of date, they stop being a safeguard and become a safety risk for staff, for students, and for [the] county itself," Farley said, requesting the board (1) continue a full review of personnel and employment policies, (2) require personnel to sign specific codes or board policy when making employment decisions, and (3) publish clear written guidance for staff.
Goldie Belcher, another public commenter, said she had been told surveillance cameras were recently removed from several Logan County Schools sites in the Chatlandville area, including concession stands and both indoor and outdoor facilities. Belcher asked the board whether the removals were ordered by an administrator or carried out by an employee, and raised possible legal concerns including tampering with evidence and impeding an investigation.
"If this is true," Belcher said, addressing a board member she identified as "Miss White," "couldn't that be considered tampering with that potential evidence in an active investigation?"
Mary Mango Manges asked how to obtain an administrative or executive meeting to investigate allegations involving a coach who, she said, remains listed as employed, and questioned whether some board members or board employees are using county vehicles and gas cards.
Board members acknowledged the comments. The superintendent later told the board the district is conducting a broad review of policies with assistance from Neola and that policies affected by recent state legislation will be published online for public comment; board members said legal counsel will review any proposed language. No formal investigation or administrative hearing was announced during the meeting.
The board did not take formal action on the allegations about cameras during the March 10 session; public commenters asked the board to take next steps including a policy review and, if appropriate, an investigation.
