He extended his stay following the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School to give the Board more time to deal with the selection process after working to get Oxford High School reopened. All Rights Reserved. I am raising my granddaughter, who has an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan. West Bloomfield man sentenced to 65-year prison term in Indiana Oxford Hills School District 232 Main Street South Paris, ME 04281 Phone: 207-743-8972 Fax: (207) 743-2878 The crowd included employees and others who had to stand in the hallway. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. She was. One parent told the Advertiser Democrat that Clarke resigned after taking concerns to the board about a day when Henson acted as the substitute principal at the school when she had a medical appointment. CT SHE HAD BEEN ON PAID LEAVE SINCE JANUARY OVER ALLEGATIONS THAT SHE PULLED AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT BY THE ARMS BACK IN SEPTEMBER. Oxford Hills Superintendent under fire at school board meeting, Monica Henson is accused of forcefully grabbing an elementary school student by both arms in September, Two women missing from Topsham area found safe in East Hancock, Weekend snowfall means business at Hermon Mountain Ski Area, Authorities searching for missing Greene man, Last round of snow moves in for today, sunshine returns on Sunday. The Oxford Hills Teachers Union held its regular meeting on January 11 where a record number of people attended to participate in the vote. The full list of the OHEAs complaints can be foundhere. Superintendent Henson told NEWS CENTER Maine she has received a lot of support from parents and staff during this process, and of the people who have reached out to her, only one has been negative. According to the agreement WMTW obtained, Henson agrees she will cooperate and make herself available should any legal claim be filed against the district.Henson had been on paid leave since January over allegations she pulled an elementary student by their arms in September. Dr. Monica Henson forcefully denied all 27 complaints levied against her at a district board meeting. by CBS 13 January 25, 2022. Andrews said the decision was reached after consulting with the districts attorney and Steve Bailey, head of the Maine School Board Association. Related Articles They will also pay her $5,500 in legal fees. Other teachers and association representatives added their statements, but the chairman did not allow them to voice specific complaints. And as far as were aware, theres been no investigation on that, and thats very concerning to us. PARIS, Maine (WMTW) - First-year Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson received criticism at a school board meeting Monday night for allegedly grabbing an elementary student by two arms in September, along with creating an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. There are a number of reasons staff members chose to take a vote, including a situation where the superintendent allegedly used force against a student. Jordan was followed by Dennis Boyd, grievance chairman for the union. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. "THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S AN ACCUSATI ON OF PHYSICAL CONTACT AND VERBAL INTIMIDATION TO STUDENTS. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF SAFE. Hebron Station School Principal Donald Thorne was chosen for the former and accountant Carrie Colley for the latter. She's not the only one who said they're having trouble with the district and Henson. In all of my years here I have never seen the culture of the district soured in just six months. Oxford Hills School Board Temporarily Blocks Gender Schools Details: WebThe policy fight in the Oxford Hills School System is playing out in every Maine school district, as activists both on the Maine Department of Education payroll and at non-profit partner organizations oxford hills superintendent office Verified 6 days ago She said educators have expressed concern about the superintendent taking and posting pictures of students and staff on her personal social media accounts without their consent. 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"The biggest concern is that there's an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students," Jordan said. According to the agreement WMTW obtained, Henson agrees she will cooperate and make herself available should any legal claim be filed against the district. So far, no criminal charges have been filed. Log in to join the discussion. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. "There's a lot of fear of job termination, there's a lot of feeling like we're being watched, that somebody is just waiting for us to mess up so we can be reprimanded. The principal of Agnes Grey Elementary at the time, Beth Clarke, resigned in December after having been placed on administrative leave in September, and wrote a public letter outlining grievances against Henson. Calls may be made anonymously. Director William Rolfe of West Paris said it was his preference and in the best interest of the West Paris community to table discussion of a permanent hire until the board has a chance to review the issues at the school in executive session. His motion was seconded and approved by the board. And theres some concern about how chain of command is being portrayed in how it should be used, and then how it is being used. She gave no reason for removing him from his coaching job. Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson's resignation was unanimously accepted Monday night after School Administrative District 17s directors gave her a unanimous no confidence vote. Parents are still concerned. We want our students and our staff safe. Teachers union lists complaints against Monica Henson, six months after she started the job. Dr. Hensons full rebuttal statement can be foundhere. Jordan also claimed that students fear the superintendent and are being treated unfairly. And documents obtained by the Maine Wire show how the firm has coached Maine school boards on how to limit parental input when dealing with these controversial topics. She has not been in our school.. Enter your email and password to access comments. The student fell while she pulled him into an office, and the superintended fell on top of the student and used a restraint technique. Andrews told Jordan that she would be allowed to finish her statement if she spoke in broad general strokes without specific references. Monica Henson had been on leave. For themselves, for their jobs and for retaliation against students in the schools. Learn more. The students parents learned the full details of the incident after the Jan. 18 school board meeting and filed a complaint against Henson with the Sheriffs Office on Jan. 21. She now covers COVID-related issues and northern Oakland County. That forum has not yet been scheduled. Oxford Hills superintendent accused of restraining a child resigns After just six months on the job, Superintendent Monica Henson was placed on administrative leave Jan. 26, following. She has instituted a number of options I will be glad to share with the board in private session.. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat. Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson instituted the bounty program, hoping to address what she called a "bullying culture" in the district, especially in the middle and high schools. Dr. Henson's full rebuttal statement can be found here. The agreement was presented to Henson and she resigned on Monday. A school superintendent accused of improperly restraining a student at an elementary school last year has resigned. The copy of the resignation agreement says they will pay Henson in return for her resignation and promise to file no claims against the district. NORWAY, Maine The superintendent of the Oxford Hills school district was accused Tuesday night of creating a culture of fear and intimidation amongst students and teachers alike in her. Tentatively board action to hire the new superintendent will happen March 14, with March 28 tentatively set for the first day of work. That includes the resignation agreement where the district said it would pay Henson $174,500. While her granddaughter is back in the classroom, she and other parents are frustrated. PARIS, Maine ( WMTW) First-year Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson received criticism at a school board meeting Monday night for allegedly grabbing an elementary student by two arms in. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); The list also included that employees are concerned with the superintendents use of professional time, of statements she has made to local and national media, and of inappropriate tone and intimidating language expressed in emails to employees. They also claimed that the mandatory masking standards are not consistently followed and there is little concern about transmission rates of COVID-19, which have recently spiked. Waterbury Superintendent Verna Ruffin. Maine DHHS confirms its investigation is also complete. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. The childs parents, Eric Bennett and Ashley Rowe, did not learn the full details of the incident until reading it in the press last week. While neither woman was allowed to refer to specific situations affecting their children during the meeting, Matolcsy had previously written on social media that she had been given two different reasons for her childs injury by different staff members and was denied a request for a third-party service provider to observe her child in his classroom environment, a practice that had been allowed in the past. "Every time he smiles, and I see the hole in his face, I'm reminded that the oversight in this district isn't where it needs to be," said Aranka Matolcsy of her 10-year-old son. And the OHEA has neglected to take advantage of that opportunity and instead try to hijack the public narrative with a collection of falsehoods and vague expressions of concern that is easily disprovable.. She was possibly referencing Clarkes letter of resignation Dec. 23, which the Advertiser Democrat has published online. For more information, visit maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse. Please wait for the page to reload. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Only a dozen people spoke during the public comment session, but the meeting room at the districts headquarters on Main Street was packed with at least 50 employees and community members stuck in the hallway outside. Jeni, I am going to have to stop you there, Andrews said. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. Success. OHEA would like to report that there was an overwhelming response to support a vote of no confidence for Dr. Henson. The 22-member board represents the towns of Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Waterford and West Paris. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Oxford school superintendent interviews this week open to public, Detroit firefighter charged with dealing drugs in several area cities, Hazel Park man ordered to trial in boxcutter attack, West Bloomfield man sentenced to 65-year prison term in Indiana, Jewish Michigan lawmaker says threats are constant, Police: Alleged iPhone thief admits to similar crimes from people advertising on Facebook Marketplace, Photo gallery from the Division 1 competitive cheer finals at Mt. The complaints were brought to the school board in a meeting Tuesday.Oxford Hills Education Association president Jen Jordan told WMTW News 8 that the complaints stemmed from a private vote amongst the association's members where 95% of the members said they have no confidence in Dr. Henson's leadership. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Trampled. Baumgardner has led a group of Oxford Hills residents to have Chickering reinstated since he was fired as coach and implored board members and the administration to allow him to return for at least the last few games of the year. It has come to our attention that there is perception that because no grievances have been filed there is no validity to complaints, Boyd said. "As for the allegation of inappropriately touching an elementary school student in September, Dr. Henson wrote that the parent's of the student saw no issue with the way the situation was handled. The timeline calls for finalists interviews on Feb. 16 and 17 with a selection of a new superintendent set for March 4. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson has been accused of assaulting a student at Agnes Gray Elementary School. Oxford Hills superintendent accused of creating culture of fear and intimidation, Two women missing from Topsham area found safe in East Hancock, Weekend snowfall means business at Hermon Mountain Ski Area, Authorities searching for missing Greene man, Last round of snow moves in for today, sunshine returns on Sunday. Multiple People Rescued From Burning Indianapolis Building, Mistrial Declared in Tucson for Man Charged in Girl's Death, Wisconsin Substance Center Owes $2m in Medicaid Fraud Case. NO CONFIDENCE | thats what the teachers union in MSAD 17 says about its superintendent #NEWSCENTERmaine pic.twitter.com/uzLRdRSuHS. No other details about the incident are available. You will receive an email to complete the registration. So there are a lot of valid things that staff are concerned about.. IN RETURN FOR HER RESIATGNION AND PROMISE TO FILE NO CLAIMS AGAINST THE DISTRICT. "The parent did not object to my handling of the incident, communicated with me for the next couple of days, and has filed no complaints with the Board or expressed any further concern since the notification from me," Dr. Henson wrote.The full list of the OHEA's complaints can be found here. She said the union overwhelmingly passed a vote no confidence for Superintendent Monica Henson on Jan. 11. "And the OHEA has neglected to take advantage of that opportunity and instead try to hijack the public narrative with a collection of falsehoods and vague expressions of 'concern' that is easily disprovable.". "Being denied access to his classroom is against every recommendation of every advocacy organization and institution," Matolcsy added. To date, no letters have been received during either the first or second quarter..