WASHINGTON, D.C.--A Washington, D.C. charter school principal was sentenced in mid-October to two years' probation for assaulting a Washington Times reporter and two D.C. police officers.
A student who was allegedly assaulted by an off-duty St. Louis police officer at a charter school was awarded $145,000 as part of the terms of a settlement disclosed Friday.
The settlement reached earlier this week between Imagine Academy of Careers, at 3740 Marine Avenue, and Barbara Perry stems from an incident on Feb. 26, 2009. The plaintiffs alleged that Perry's son, J.N., who was a minor and not named in the suit, was assaulted at Imagine College Preparatory High School by an off-duty police officer, Eugene Page, who was in a relationship with his teacher, Genesa Smith…
The settlement states that the payment absolves Imagine Schools and employees of Imagine of any wrongdoing but leaves the door open to future litigation against Eugene Page and the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners…
ST. LOUIS -- A federal lawsuit filed Friday alleges that a 15-year-old student at Imagine College Preparatory High School was beaten by staff and a St. Louis police officer.
Named in the suit are Genesa Smith, a teacher; Eugene Page, a St. Louis police officer who the suit said is Smith’s boyfriend; Rodney Williams, a security guard; Tamara Thomas, the charter school’s principal at the time; and the school itself.
The suit, filed by the boy and his mother, Barbara Perry, alleges Page lifted the boy by his throat and slammed him repeatedly against a wall on Feb. 26. The suit states that Page told the boy he had been accused of threatening a teacher, and that the other three knew what was happening but did nothing. The boy, now 16, suffered injuries that caused blood in his urine, as well as blunt force trauma, according to the suit…
A parental uprising at 21st Century charter school led to a class boycott and an overflow of parents at a School Board meeting Tuesday. The fledgling charter school that lured 220 students from Gary public schools is nearing the close of its debut year with a $100,000 deficit, a sudden change in principals, and criticism from parents over topics ranging from school resources to lack of learning…
Michelle Williams said her son is not learning skills required for his grade. Instead of doing seventh-grade algebra, he's doing basic addition and subtraction, she said, causing her to supplement his studies at home.
Williams also said the school had not kept its promise of providing one computer for every two children. Chief Executive Officer Kevin Teasley of the school's management company GEO said that was untrue.
Williams, whose son boycotted Tuesday, said she might decide to withdraw him altogether.
One parent, who said her child was injured at school, complained that the school promised a nurse, counselor, and social worker but had provided none.
Teasley said the school is looking to hire a nurse.
GEO also was criticized for the decision to make former teacher and director of operations Tamika Chambers the principal after Leonard Brown resigned abruptly last week.
While some parents whisper he was forced out, Teasley and other staffers said he resigned at an administrative retreat without coercion.
Parents criticized Chambers for failing a majority of students in her classes for things like failing to bring in assignments.
Chambers has a master's degree in business administration, a teaching certificate, is working on her doctorate, but lacks an administrative license…
Liz Rendell, parent outreach coordinator, said parents have been concerned about teacher behavior: one child was disciplined by being hit with four drumsticks, while another student, she alleged, was "touched improperly."
"I've had my children out since Thursday," Rendell said, who also expressed concerns about a teacher viewing Internet pornography at school.
Teasley said two teachers were suspended for a week for the drumstick and touching incidents…
A teacher's aide was charged this week with using a garbage bag to choke a student is on unpaid administrative leave, school officials said Friday. Clarence B. English Jr., 25, was charged with neglect of dependent in connection with the Feb. 15 incident at 21st Century Charter School.
"Mr. English has been suspended until further notice without pay and will not be allowed to return to the school building pending the outcome of his case," the school's general counsel Dana Johnson, said Friday.
An arrest warrant has been issued for English, who told Detective Cpl. Nelson Otano he would turn himself in after charges were filed…
English was in a social studies class when he and a 12-year-old student exchanged words. The boy and two classmates told police English used a plastic garbage bag to choke the victim until his eyes turned red and he was unable to breathe, court records state.
After the incident, "we had a visit with the mother and apologized. The mother had accepted the apology and so did the student," Kevin Teasley, CEO for the school's management company said Friday…
The Indiana State Board of Accounts has released reports on three local charter schools, citing examples of poor record-keeping and money management.
Reports were released in mid-March on the 21st Century Charter School of Gary, Charter School of the Dunes in Gary and the East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy. All three reports covered the period of July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2010.
The educational management company for Charter School of the Dunes and the East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy is Chicago-based American Quality Schools. The management company for 21st Century Charter is Indianapolis-based GEO Foundations.
Paul Joyce, deputy state examiner, characterized the problems in all three reports as an overall lack of internal control procedures established by the charter school boards and the management company for the schools. He said they are either not following the controls in place or don't have controls to follow…
With the expansion of charter schools across the state, Joyce said the Indiana State Board of Accounts workload has increased dramatically. He said if the Indiana Legislature approves the current language for charter schools, board of accounts officials hope to get the authority to establish internal control policies and procedures for charter schools to meet minimum standards…
…As many have undoubtedly already heard, 10 KIPP football players have been suspended for Friday’s game for their role in a fight last week on the campus of Northwest Halifax High School.
Northwest Halifax staff, the school resource officer and deputies from the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene last week to break up the fight. Once it subsided — authorities say with little in the way of actual injury — the fallout was significant.
Seven students (one from Northwest Halifax, six from KIPP were arrested), last week’s KIPP football game against the Central Virginia Disciples was canceled and the Roanoke Valley was left buzzing with questions of how students from the area’s highly-regarded charter school could be part of such an ambush-style attack.
On the surface this appears not to be a one-on-one fight but a coordinated effort by nearly a dozen students to leave one school’s campus and drive to another for the purpose of singling out a student for a brawl.
Without comment or explanation from KIPP staff, the community was left with rumor and innuendo.
In the days since the fight took place, The Daily Herald made numerous phone calls to KIPP’s main office, principal Tammi Sutton’s cell phone and the school’s board of directors chairman Ron Smith. No one has answered. No one has spoken up…
It is in times like these when we all need school leaders to stand up and be accountable.
KIPP leaders, where are you?
AURELIAN SPRINGS — Students fighting in a high school parking lot led authorities from the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office to take five youths into custody and charge one with assault, and led to the forfeit of a football game at KIPP Gaston College Prep. Friday afternoon, according to Halifax County Schools Public Relations Coordinator Keith Hoggard, two cars rolled up to Northwest Halifax High School, the sheriff’s office said one was a Crown Victoria, and parked behind the school’s 1000 building. Hoggard said school assistant principal Dennis Taylor and school resource officer Daniel Jones went out to investigate the cars, which Hoggard said were filled with young men.
Those in the cars told Taylor and Jones they were there to pick up a cousin, and the school officials told them they had to check in at the office to pick up any students. One of the cars, Hoggard said, left the school, but the other circled to the teacher’s parking lot and attempted to conceal itself behind a larger car.
“The young men got out and got on campus,” Hoggard said.
“And they did assault one other student. It does appear that student was singled out.”…
Evans arrested Cooper, 17, and Jones arrested four others, according to Evans. Cooper, a player on the KIPP Gaston College Prep football team, was charged with assault and trespassing…
Ricky Riddick, head coach of the KIPP football team, confirmed he had 10 of his players involved in the altercation, but he does not know the motivation behind it.
“All I know is the kids left school and went over to Northwest Halifax. The Northwest Halifax coach called me and told me there was a fight. The administration is dealing with the kids.”
Riddick was forced to forfeit Friday’s football game against Central Virginia Disciples out of Richmond, Va. Riddick said the season may have to be re-evaluated, depending on what happens to the students involved…
Former Monument Academy Basketball Coach Gregory Burr was sentenced Friday to 5 years of unsupervised probation and 50 hours of community service. He will not be allowed to teach, coach or lead children for those 5 years.
Burr was charged with a variety of charges including sexual assault on a child. The charges stemmed from allegations that he had hit players in the groin and had caused physical damage to one player.
He was found not guilty of all sexual assault charges but he was found guilty of reckless misdemeanor assault…
Judge Miller handed down a sentence of 5 years unsupervised probation, 50 hours of community service and ordered him to seek counseling. He also spoke of how if it was up to him, Burr would never be allowed to teach or coach ever again.
He spoke of how just because of the charges, Burr will face prejudice for the rest of his life, and will suffer because of it. That he didn't think that Burr needed jail time to pay for what he had done.
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COACH ALLEGEDLY HIT KIDS' GROINS, SHOWED PORN: CHILDREN SAY HE POURED WATER ON THEM IN COLD WEATHER, January 10, 2007, KTVU.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A former basketball coach at a Monument charter school in Colorado is being accused of dozens of counts of child abuse, sexual assault and other crimes.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reported that Gregory Lynn Burr, 28, is accused of regularly hitting players in the groin, exposing them to pornography, and pouring water on them when the weather was cold.
Burr faces 39 charges including child abuse resulting in serious injury in the case, which involves 10 teenagers 14 to 17 years old. The incidents allegedly took place from September 2005 to March 2006 at the Monument Academy. Court records show he posted bail last month.
In court documents examined by the Gazette, former basketball players said Burr routinely struck players in the groin with his hand, basketballs and tennis balls and laughed about it. One player claimed permanent injury…
Burr is no longer employed by the Monument Academy.
Monument is located 45 miles south of Denver, between Denver and Colorado Springs.
