Meeting on Abuse Policy Revisions Canceled
By Jim Houston, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.
Dec. 22–The Muscogee County School District is revising its policy on reporting of child abuse or neglect following the sentencing of a Columbus High School teacher for sexual assault against a person in custody and a grand jury presentment urging “greater openness” in receiving reports of abuse.
The concerns about reporting followed testimony in September before the Muscogee County grand jury by teachers and administrators. The special presentment was made as Columbus High teacher James Cypert Jr. awaited trial in Muscogee Superior Court on charges of sexual assault of an 18-year-old student.
Cypert, 38, was sentenced to a year in prison, followed by five years on probation, when he pleaded guilty Nov. 30 to having consensual sex with a now-20-year-old Columbus State University student between March 2005 and May 2005. He has surrendered his teaching certificate and must register and abide by state laws as a convicted sex offender.
After indicting Cypert, the grand jury agreed to hear from key teachers and education officials, including Columbus High teacher Carol Wingard and School Superintendent John Phillips.
Phillips would not discuss his testimony before the jury, and Wingard, who filed a grievance alleging harassment after she reported misconduct, declined to comment Friday afternoon.
Different approach
In addition to urging a more receptive approach to reports of abuse, the jury recommended in its Sept. 25 presentment that the school system implement a policy requiring all reports of suspected abuse to a school principal be followed by a duplicate report filed with the school district administration, with assurance that the report is received. The principal also should retain a copy of the report showing the time it was sent to the administration, the jury recommended.
School board members Fife Whiteside, Cathy Williams and Naomi Buckner signed a call for a special school board meeting to be held at noon Friday to deal with the jury’s recommendations, but the remaining six school board members were unable to attend the meeting. No action could be taken for lack of a quorum.
Whiteside said that, although the administration took steps on its own to implement the recommended changes, the board members were not informed of the jury’s concerns until he learned of it in November and inquired about it.
With no regular meeting scheduled until January, Whiteside said he, Williams and Buckner asked for the special meeting to be called to implement the recommendations “… so we could deal with these issues sooner rather than later.”
Phillips said that the jury’s presentment addressed only one area not already in effect under current policy, and “confirmation of receipt” of reports of abuse is already being done. It will be submitted to the board as a policy revision in January, he said.
The superintendent also said he doesn’t believe the grand jury was aware of the breadth and scope of the school system’s policy concerning child abuse.
“I don’t think they saw the policy that is in place today. It’s a thorough policy,” he said.
The school district policy exceeds state law requirements, which do not mandate an internal report be filed on each incident alleging abuse, neglect or exploitation of children. The state requires a report to the Department of Family and Children Services.
Neither Phillips nor the board members would discuss the Wingard grievance or even acknowledge that hers was the grievance the board refused to hear by a 5-4 vote.
Whiteside said he could not discuss the second matter that prompted him to seek a special board session on Friday. That would have involved a personnel issue to be taken up in a closed session.
Phillips didn’t address the issue, either, whose official statement declared that mater “… has already been communicated appropriately to all members of the board and requires no board action.”
The request for the closed session comes, however, after some board members received reports that some Baker Middle School teachers are concerned about discipline issues involving threats against teachers by students.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.
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