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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Some parents in Rocky River are pushing for school administrators to be removed after two allegations of inappropriate relationships in the district.
An online petition, posted on change.org on Oct. 5, is directed to the board of education and residents. It had more than 700 signatures Friday afternoon.
The written request also seeks a vote of no confidence for Michael Shoaf, the district’s superintendent; Elizabeth Anderson, the assistant superintendent; Samuel Gifford, the executive director of human resources; and Jennifer Norman, the executive director of pupil services.
The online initiative urges that the administrators resign, or the school board terminate them.
“It’s alarming that multiple incidents involving teachers and staff have occurred under Superintendent Shoaf’s watch,” it says. “These incidents range from inappropriate relationships between staff and students to other forms of misconduct that have made headlines.”
Ashley Rainey, the parent who started the petition, said a resident mentioned at a recent school board meeting that the district’s check-engine light was on, and something needed to be fixed.
“That has stayed with me,” Rainey said. “The scandals and the repeated stories of other parents being mistreated put it over the top.”
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to school officials for comment.
In a statement to WKYC-Channel 3, the district said it is committed to the safety of students.
“We are aware of the online petition and remain committed to moving the district in a positive and productive manner for years to come,” the statement said.
The petition comes months after a school resource officer was removed from his position following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a then-senior at Rocky River High School.
A preliminary investigation found that Michael Bernhardt was accused of an inappropriate relationship with a girl last spring when she was a senior, authorities said.
Westlake Law Director Michael Maloney, working as a special prosecutor, said Bernardt is not expected to be charged, though authorities are seeking to look further into his contacts with the girl. Bernhardt has been placed on leave from the police department, and an internal affairs investigation is ongoing.
“He broke no laws, and we know of no police policies that were violated,” said Adam Chaloupka, Bernhardt’s attorney.
The investigation came just weeks after the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office announced that it won’t seek felony charges in connection with an investigation of Heath Horton, who was placed on leave as the principal at Kensington Intermediate School.
Horton was placed on leave from his job after Rocky River police began investigating allegations that indicate he drank alcohol with youths. The case began in June, when a parent went to police and alleged an inappropriate relationship between Horton and her son, a police investigative report shows.
Horton’s attorneys said last month that had Horton done something wrong, charges would have been filed.
“Dr. Horton looks forward to returning to Kensington Intermediate School and resuming his duties as principal by continuing to successfully lead Kensington and its students as soon as possible,” the statement said.
The petition said the district has had troubling reports about officials for years. It also cited the issue of bullying in schools.
“Despite our district’s Blue Ribbon status, a mark of educational excellence, we find ourselves in a situation that is anything but excellent,” the online petition says.
In 2021, an investigation into Rocky River High School staff members accused of inappropriately discussing a student led to five teachers resigning and one retiring.
“Each of these incidents chips away at the safe, nurturing environment our children deserve, and they beg the question: What kind of culture is being cultivated under this administration?” the petition says.
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