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Oxford Hills superintendent accused of creating culture of fear and intimidation, FROM OXFORD HILLS HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE STORY. Monica Henson, the former Oxford Hills School District superintendent, was filling in as principal at Agnes Gray Elementary and is accused of grabbing a student by the arm and pulling him into an . You will receive an email to complete the registration. Login. She has not been in our school.. Create one. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMTW-TV. OXFORD, Maine (AP) A school superintendent accused of improperly restraining a student at an elementary school last year has resigned. 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. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. On Monday . School Administrative District 17 Superintendent Monica Henson, standing at left, and school board Chairwoman Natalie Andrews of West Paris, standing at right, listen Tuesday night to a district resident asking about rules for public comments during the board meeting in Paris. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Staff have claimed that previously authorized time off has been revoked and that requests for leave are inconsistently approved, even when doctors notes are provided. "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. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Morgan got her local legislator and the Maine Department of education involved, and her granddaughter was allowed back in school the following week with a facemask after a note from her doctor. She is a disabled child, and her rights have been trampled on. The crowd included employees and others who had to stand in the hallway. NORWAY, Maine (WMTW) -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 first year on the job. IN RETURN FOR HER RESIATGNION AND PROMISE TO FILE NO CLAIMS AGAINST THE DISTRICT. 5, 2022 at 3:20 AM PDT. 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. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RESIGNATION AGREEMENT RIGHT HERE.. The incident was made public Jan. 18 when the Oxford Hills Education Association presented the board with a list of 27 concerns about her leadership and announced members had taken a vote of no confidence in her. 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. PARIS, Maine (WMTW) - Oxford Hills Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the district board of directors into a September. Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson has been accused of assaulting a student at Agnes Gray Elementary School. South Paris ME, 04281. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Oxford Hills Education Association president Jen Jordan told WMTW News 8 that the complaints stemmed from a private vote amongst the associations members where 95% of the members said they have no confidence in Dr. Hensons leadership. It should not be allowed at all. In a statement where she forcefully denied the accusations against her, Dr. Henson asked why the teachers had not gone to the board before Tuesday. 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. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. That's what the union representing teachers in the Oxford Hills School District said about Superintendent Monica Henson when they put it to a vote. (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. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. The same limitations were applied to parents. Henson did not address the September incident during Mondays meeting. Heather was the person that came to everyones mind for that, as well as having the credentials. Monica Henson is accused of grabbing a student at Agnes Gray Elementary School last September. She was possibly referencing Clarkes letter of resignation Dec. 23, which the Advertiser Democrat has published online. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Here we are four months later and her rights are still being trampled on.. Since you said it was a vote of no confidence and listed her name, we need to follow grievance procedure.. In a statement where she forcefully denied the accusations against her, Dr. Henson asked why the teachers had not gone to the board before Tuesday. Crime and Public Safety | The copy of the resignation agreement says they will pay Henson in return for her resignation . Published: Apr. The agreement also bars the district and Henson from talking about the situation publicly. Heres why. Henson was filling in for the principal for a day at the time of that incident, which resulted in investigations by the Oxford County Sheriffs Department and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, as well as an internal investigation by the school department. The Oxford Hills School District has agreed to pay their former superintendent Monica Henson $174,500.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. "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. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. "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. Crime and Public Safety | In her resignation letter, Henson wrote I am proud of the changes I was able to implement and the management changes I made., Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). 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 . I am extremely angry, Rowe told WMTW News 8. Other accusations include sharing inappropriate images of alcohol and weapons to district employees, doling out inconsistent discipline to staff, and creating a fearful environment for students with a "bounty" system rewarding students with money for turning in other students for inappropriate social media posts. "The biggest concern is that there's an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students," Jordan said. All rights reserved. CT SHE HAD BEEN ON PAID LEAVE SINCE JANUARY OVER ALLEGATIONS THAT SHE PULLED AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT BY THE ARMS BACK IN SEPTEMBER. Learn more. Maine school to pay former superintendent $174K, according to resignation agreement, CLARKE JOINS US LIVE IN STUDIO TO EXPLAIN THE CONDITIONS OF THAT AGREEMENT. His motion was seconded and approved by the board. Oxford Hills also agreed to pay $5,500 for her lawyer fees. Copyright 2022 WABI. REGION Educators in Oxford Hills have pulled out all the stops to pack as many books as possible into this week's annual Read Across America event. I implore this board to take everything that you are hearing this evening from everyone here extremely seriously, Matolcsy 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 Oxford Hills Scholarship Foundation was established in 1998 and has benefited from Three donations of $1,000,000 each from Robert and Sandra Bahre. It seems the superintendent doesnt understand what the grievance procedure is used for, which (is limited to) contractual disputes.. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat file photo, We knew we had to put someone in front of the staff who was comfortable and had a running knowledge of our district, Chairwoman Natalie Andrews of West Paris said after the afternoon emergency board meeting. Paula Pasche has worked in a variety of positions, including 32 years as a sports writer, since she joined The Oakland Press. I am raising my granddaughter, who has an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan. In addition to teachers and ed techs . Henson provided a lengthy written statement early Wednesday to the Advertiser Democrat, noting that a no-confidence vote is a sign that an administrator is doing the work they were hired to do. PARIS Directors of Maine School Administrative District 17 unanimously appointed Chief Curriculum Officer Heather Manchester as interim superintendent Monday, five days after Superintendent Monica Henson was placed on paid administrative leave. In cases of bullying, the Superintendent will monitor situations that are not being resolved at the school level and guide the process if necessary. Henson is accused of grabbing a student by the arm and pulling him into an office while she was filling in as principal at Agnes Gray Elementary in September. So there are a lot of valid things that staff are concerned about. Letter from Superintendent - August 27, 2021 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. She was. So there are a lot of valid things that staff are concerned about.". The OHEA was invited to submit a quarterly letter to the Board outlining how they perceive things are going with the new administration, with the express purpose that the letters would be used as part of my performance evaluation by the Board. Interviews with the five candidates for superintendent of the Oxford Community Schools will be held this week at three special Board of Education meetings that are open to the public. Related Articles Interviews with the five candidates for superintendent of the Oxford Community Schools will be held this week at three special Board of Education meetings that are open to the public. Oxford Hills Education Association Concerns by sunjournal on Scribd. Oxford Hills school board names Heather Manchester as acting superintendent The chief curriculum officer is the unanimous choice to lead while Monica Henson is on paid administrative leave.. Calls may be made anonymously. On Jan. 19, directors instructed district Chief Child Services Officer Jan Neureuther to report the incident to DHHS. Jewish Michigan lawmaker says threats are constant Included on Tuesdays agenda was a request for the board to approve Hensons selection of Cathy Bickford as permanent principal of Agnes Gray. "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. "There's a lot of fear," Jordan said. Empowered by their unions stance, Agnes Gray staff who witnessed the incident in September separately filed a report with DHHS on Jan. 20. Login. Some directors questioned why appointing Bickford permanently should stray from the normal process of posting the position and convening a panel to interview candidates before hiring others. Theres a lot of fear of job termination, theres a lot of feeling like were being watched, that somebody is just waiting for us to mess up so we can be reprimanded. The agreement was presented to Henson and she resigned on Monday. Learn more. 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. The chief curriculum officer is the unanimous choice to lead while Monica Henson is on paid administrative leave. The Foundation has awarded over $2,000,000 in scholarships since 1999. Vicki Morgan, grandmother and guardian of the second child, had addressed the board at a meeting several months ago and spoke again Tuesday night to reiterate that her childs rights were being violated daily. Or email them to: [email protected] . Jordan also claimed that students fear the superintendent and are being treated unfairly. . WE HAD MULTIP ELEYEWITNESSES TO THE INCIDENT. Weekly news from Oxford County and the Norway region, delivered every Thursday at 5 a.m. The position was eliminated and the district split the duties between a chief operating officer to oversee technology, facilities, athletics and transportation, and a chief financial officer to lead the business office. 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 now covers COVID-related issues and northern Oakland County. That includes the resignation agreement where the district said it would pay Henson $174,500. 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. Crime and Public Safety | Create one. Chairwoman Natalie Andrews of West Paris interrupted Jordan. 27 complaints were levied against Dr. Monica Henson, including an allegation that she aggressively touched a distressed elementary school student in September, while filling in as principal, after an incident involving that student. Theres a lot of fear, Jordan said. "We take those accusations very seriously," Jordan added. THE AGREEMENT WAS PRESENTED TO HENSON.. D AN SHE RESIGNED THIS PAST MONDAY. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. In her rebuttal statement, Henson acknowledged using restraint on one child, adding there had been no injury to them and that the parent of the student made no objection in subsequent communications with her. The parent, Aranka Matolcsy of South Paris, made a plea to directors to listen carefully to all the statements over the course of the meeting and to take them very seriously. In all of my years here I have never seen the culture of the district soured in just six months. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday interviews will start at 6:30 p.m., at Oxford Middle School. SOUTH PARIS (WGME) - The controversial superintendent of Oxford Hills schools, Monica Henson, has been put on paid administrative leave while allegations of her assaulting a child are investigated. "It's a . Jordan read through the list of concerns, starting with allegations that the superintendent put her hands on a student while filling in at an elementary school, that staff have felt they are under investigation, that personal information has been shared by the superintendent and that discipline of staff has been inconsistent and often unfair. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. The situation occurred Sept. 7 and involved a food fight between students at lunch and an incident with a distressed student. 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. Success. Police: Alleged iPhone thief admits to similar crimes from people advertising on Facebook Marketplace Jeni, I am going to have to stop you there, Andrews said. Other teachers and association representatives added their statements, but the chairman did not allow them to voice specific complaints. The biggest concern is that theres an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students, Jordan said. "Being denied access to his classroom is against every recommendation of every advocacy organization and institution," Matolcsy added. 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. Dozens of people fill the Oxford Hills School District board room Tuesday night in Paris where some expressed serious concerns about Superintendent Monica Henson's leadership in her first six. Jordan said that there were a number of teachers, administrators, and students who witnessed this alleged interaction. 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. Bangor school system continues mentor program during challenging COVID-19 school year, 3 things to know from Maine's COVID briefing: omicron infections affecting schools, hospitals & testing, Lewiston requests state waive minimum requirement for school days due to COVID challenges. People are feeling afraid. face shields may be an alternative for those students with documented medical or behavioral challenges who are unable to wear masks. "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.". Henson had been on paid leave since January over allegations she pulled an elementary student by their arms in September. 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. 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. Oxford Hills School District MSAD #17 | Paris ME 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. For themselves, for their jobs and for retaliation against students in the schools. All this uproar from the Oxford Hills Education Association is puzzling, given that they have made no previous expression of concern to the School Board using the channels that are available to any staff, Henson wrote. 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. She has instituted a number of options I will be glad to share with the board in private session.. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. She termed Boyds reference at the meeting to breaking the law as categorically false and went on to write that Clarke had falsely categorized an incident in the cafeteria. Example video title will go here for this video. 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. Teachers union lists complaints against Monica Henson, six months after she started the job. The full list of the OHEA's complaints can be found here. Maine DHHS confirms its investigation is also complete. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Those records are also confidential, and the department did not wish to comment on the matter. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. ? Oxford Hills School District will be a bully-free zone, effective immediately. School board chair Natalie Andrews said Monica Henson's resignation was . I am beyond frustrated and so overwhelmed that they would even make that claim against her, said Grey teacher Rebekah Arntsen. 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 best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. Oxford Hills School Board Chair Natalie Andrews told NEWS CENTER Maine the vote was unanimous. 2023 NEWS CENTER Maine. 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. Already have a commenting profile? On Thursday a meeting will be held to narrow the list of five to two or three finalists. The official Facebook Page of the fifth-largest school district in Maine. That review recently came to an end. Tentatively board action to hire the new superintendent will happen March 14, with March 28 tentatively set for the first day of work. Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. They will also pay her $5,500 in legal fees. Copyright 2022 TheAssociated Press. She gave no reason for removing him from his coaching job. 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Educators at the school say the Oxford County Sheriffs Office was there Tuesday conducting interviews about the incident. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. She's not the only one who said they're having trouble with the district and Henson. The position of assistant superintendent was eliminated when Patrick Hartnett left in October2021 to become an assistant professor at the University of Southern Maines School of Education and Human Development. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat. Notably, 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. No other details about the incident are available. And for her to be making those accusations, she has stepped one day in our school one day. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMTW-TV. "The biggest concern is that there's an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students," Jordan said. The last speaker was Eric Bennett of Oxford, the father of the student at the center of the controversy. PARIS, Maine No confidence. I am a mom and grandmother, Morgan said. They will also pay her $5,500 in legal fees. "In a statement where she forcefully denied the accusations against her, Dr. Henson asked why the teachers had not gone to the board before Tuesday. So there are a lot of valid things that staff are concerned about.. At an earlier press conference, Agnes Gray employee Brenda Parent, who had been substitute teaching on the day and witnessed the incident, said she wrote a letter to the board detailing what had happened, but it was ignored. Don't have a commenting profile? A school superintendent accused of improperly restraining a student at an elementary school last year has resigned. ACCORDING TO THE RESIGNATION AGREEMENT WE OBTAINED.. HENSON AGREES THAT SHE WILL COOPERATE AND MAKE HERSELF AVAILABLE SHOULD ANY LEGAL CLAIM BE FILED AGAINST THE DISTRI. If someone breaks the law, you dont file a grievance.. We had multiple eyewitnesses to the incident, and again, to our knowledge, none of them have been asked or questioned about about that.Other accusations include sharing inappropriate images of alcohol and weapons to district employees, doling out inconsistent discipline to staff, and creating a fearful environment for students with a "bounty" system rewarding students with money for turning in other students for inappropriate social media posts. Parents and staff are concerned about Superintendent Monica Henson, who has been in the role since July 2021. There have been zero grievances lodged against me with the Board for any contract violations. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. "There are some vocal constituencies, but I don't think they represent the majority of the staff. She said she asked for observing rights for her and her son's clinician, which was allowed by the previous superintendent. Contributed. Henson was placed on paid . Crime and Public Safety | 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. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Months ago Oxford Superintendent Tim Throne announced his retirement that was due to happen in January. All rights reserved. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. We want our students and our staff safe. A Department of Education spokesperson said they have not decided about whether they will revoke Hensons license or take any disciplinary action. One West Paris resident later told the Advertiser Democrat that Puiia fears for her job. "THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S AN ACCUSATI ON OF PHYSICAL CONTACT AND VERBAL INTIMIDATION TO STUDENTS. Dr. Henson's full rebuttal statement can be found here. Parents of Oxford Hills Middle School students on the basketball team also addressed the board about their coachs dismissal last year over an incident involving players from a visiting team. Given the number of issues that are in corrective action at Agnes Gray that I do not want to present in public session, Henson explained, I am of the firm opinion that the best course is not to go through a shuffle of going through a process and potentially ending up with another principal. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Already have a commenting profile? To clarify, a vote of no confidence means, a vote showing the majority does not support the policies or leader of the governing body.. Please wait for the page to reload. Use the form below to reset your password. "And as far as we're aware, there's been no investigation on that, and that's very concerning to us. 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. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

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