ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Rocky River parents and residents are pushing for four school officials to be removed. An online petition with more than 700 names as of Tuesday, names Superintendent Michael G. Shoaf, Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Anderson, Executive Director of Human Resources Samuel Gifford, and Executive Director of Pupil Services Jennifer Norman – demanding they resign or be terminated.
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The petition reads in part, “The administrators in question have demonstrated a pattern of unequal treatment and inconsistent enforcement of rules, creating a climate of favoritism and inequality within our district. This is evident in the disparate handling of recent scandals compared to past incidents. Such inconsistency not only undermines the integrity of the administration but also erodes community trust, ultimately compromising the educational environment for our students.”
There are several areas of concern noted within the petition including, emotional and mental health, anti-bullying, inclusion, lack of transparency and accountability.
The school district sent the following statement regarding the petition:
As a district, we are committed to the safety of our students and staff and providing the best possible educational and co-curricular experience in an environment that is safe and secure. We are aware of the online petition and remain committed to moving the district forward in a positive and productive manner for years to come.
Who is in charge?
Ashley Rainey, a Rocky River parent of three, started the petition on October 5. As she explained, she “started the petition after talking with friends, fellow parents and other people in the community and hearing the same complaints and stories on repeat.”
Rainey says bullying has impacted her daughter’s learning, but their reports and plea for help seemingly fall onto deaf ears.
“We were disregarded, we were brushed off. We even elevated it to Superintendent Shoaf and were brushed off…it's caused some, some lasting anxiety and, and emotional problems for her,” Rainey said. “They've also failed to protect countless [other] children from bullying and has gone as far as to report zero cases of bullying in our district year after year...on reports that are published online.”
But as News 5 has reported throughout the years while following through on Rocky River schools, the concerns stretch further.
How did we get here?
The petition to remove four of Rocky River’s key district administration comes after two allegations of inappropriate relationships between students and staff.
“I feel like the administration has lacked transparency and especially consistency in how they've dealt with these scandals that have been all over the news for the last few years,” Rainey said.
One of the allegations surrounds the Kensington Intermediate School principal from June. Dr. Heath Horton was placed on administrative leave immediately after an incident was reported involving a former Rocky River High School student. Horton is still on paid leave.
