By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green High School Principal Jeff Dever has been suspended for reportedly mishandling a parent complaint about a teacher.
Dever is suspended without pay for 12 school days, from Jan 2 to 20.
Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci declined to share specific details about the suspension.
“That’s not fair to the employee,” Scruci said Tuesday morning.
The following statement was released by the district upon request by media:
“The district is not going to discuss personnel issues in the media as we believe that is not fair to the employee. Mr. Dever has not sought to air this in the media. While Mr. Black wants the public to believe he is championing Mr. Dever, in reality he has simply brought undue attention to a matter between the board, superintendent and Mr. Dever.
“Any actions that may have been taken regarding Mr. Dever were taken with the full support of and cooperation between the board and the superintendent. Nothing has been done by the superintendent without the board’s knowledge and support,” the statement said.
According to Dever’s disciplinary file, he reportedly failed to inform the superintendent of a student/parent complaint against a teacher. He also failed to schedule a meeting between the parent and the teacher involved.
The suspension of the principal became public information when a high school teacher, Dallas Black, sent out an email to district teachers, administrators, board members, and news media about the suspension.
In his email, Black questioned the reason for the discipline of Dever. The district would not name the teacher involved in the parent complaint. However, multiple teachers, who asked to not be identified, offered that the complaint involved a parent with concerns about Black.
Black made several other accusations in his email, including that the high school had no replacement during Dever’s absence – leaving the school at risk. He suggested the high school becomes a “softer target” when Dever is not there.
Scruci responded this morning that during Dever’s absence the building has the leadership of the assistant principal and the athletic director who has his administrative certificate.
In his email, Black repeated his concerns about other school safety issues – specifically about the ALICE safety training provided by the Bowling Green Police Division in 2018. He wrote the ALICE certification of the officer leading the training had lapsed. Police Chief Tony Hetrick said that is untrue. Once the officers are certified, there is no expiration, the chief said.
Black also wrote in his email that the protocol used by BGPD is not consistent with ALICE protocols. He said the police division requires three officers to be on the scene before engaging the potential shooter.
Again, Hetrick said Black was wrong. The police division has followed the evolution of police engagement, and for the last decade has had the policy in place that the first officer on the scene would enter the school immediately.
Hetrick added that Black may be confused about the protocols because the teacher left early in the training after a video was played showing a reenactment of the Columbine school shootings. Black said he felt “bullied” by being made to watch the video.
“He got up and left a critical training session,” the police chief said.
Dever has had two previous disciplinary actions at BGHS, both in 2017. He was given a written warning for using profanity in the cafeteria when talking with another staff member. And he received a five-day suspension for reportedly failing to notify authorities of the possible abuse of one student by another.
