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. 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. Educators at the school say the Oxford County Sheriffs Office was there Tuesday conducting interviews about the incident. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. 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. Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson has been accused of assaulting a student at Agnes Gray Elementary School. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. Staff | MSAD 17 Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Nicole Carter. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. According to the agreement WMTW obtained, Henson agrees she will cooperate and make herself available should any legal claim be filed against the district. 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. It seems the superintendent doesnt understand what the grievance procedure is used for, which (is limited to) contractual disputes.. Andrews said the executive session would be on the next meetings agenda. 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. Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Hensons resignation was unanimously accepted Monday night after School Administrative District 17s directors gave her a unanimous no confidence vote. 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. 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. That forum has not yet been scheduled. On Monday, they unanimously appointed her acting superintendent. So there are a lot of valid things that staff are concerned about. The chief curriculum officer is the unanimous choice to lead while Monica Henson is on paid administrative leave. The last speaker was Eric Bennett of Oxford, the father of the student at the center of the controversy. PARIS Parents, educators and community members descended on Oxford Hills School District directors meeting Tuesday night to voice serious concerns with Superintendent Monica Hensons leadership in her first six months on the job. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Jeni Jordan, an Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School teacher and president of the Oxford Hills Education Association, presented the board with a list of 27 complaints compiled by educators over the Hensons conduct. To date, no letters have been received during either the first or second quarter.. Dr. Henson's full rebuttal statement can be found here. "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. His motion was seconded and approved by the board. 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. Learn more. 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. Superintendent of Schools (207) 743-8972 h.manchester@msad17.org Steve Ciembroniewicz Assistant Superintendent (207) 743-8972 s.ciembroniewicz@msad17.org Jan Neureuther Chief Student Services Officer (207) 743-8972 j.neureuther@msad17.org Brandy Moore Special Education Assistant Director 207-743-8972 b.moore@msad17.org Debra Hertell I implore this board to take everything that you are hearing this evening from everyone here extremely seriously, Matolcsy said. She was placed on administrative leave in January after being accused of grabbing a student at Agnes Gray Elementary School. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WMTW-TV. 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. I HAVE A COPY OF THE RESIGNATION AGREEMENT RIGHT HERE.. "THE PARENT DID NOT OBJECT TO MY HANDLING OF THE INCIDENT, COMMUNICATED WITH ME FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS,ND A HAS FILED NO COMPLAINTS WITH THE BOARD OR EXPRESSED ANY FURTH ER CONCERN SINCE THE NOTIFICATION FROM ME." Jordan said that there were a number of teachers, administrators, and students who witnessed this alleged interaction. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Superintendent of Schools. "There's a lot of fear," Jordan said. 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. On Jan. 19, directors instructed district Chief Child Services Officer Jan Neureuther to report the incident to DHHS. "There's a lot of fear," Jordan said. Crime and Public Safety | MSAD 17 | Home 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. 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). IN I. T. THE OXFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THEY WILL PAY FORMER SUPERINTENDENT MONICA HENSON .. Maine Superintendent Accused of Restraining Child Resigns. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. IN RETURN FOR HER RESIATGNION AND PROMISE TO FILE NO CLAIMS AGAINST THE DISTRICT. A school superintendent accused of improperly restraining a student at an elementary school last year has resigned. Oxford Hills School District -- Oxford Hills School District | Aude The Oxford Hills School Board voted on Monday evening to accept the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson, officials say. Vicki Morgan said her 10-year-old granddaughter has an anxiety disorder and a learning disability, and her doctor advises she doesn't wear a face mask, and wear a face shield instead. 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. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Use the form below to reset your password. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. Oxford school superintendent interviews this week open to public On Monday . We had multiple eyewitnesses to the incident, and again, to our knowledge, none of them have been asked or questioned about about that. Members asked if we would allow a number of concerns during the forum regarding the leadership of Dr. Monica Henson we had an unprecedented number of staff show up for that meeting. 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. 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. Oxford Hills School District directors listen Monday night to Eric Bennett about his. Here we are four months later and her rights are still being trampled on.. You dont file a grievance if someone is a bad leader, he said. Henson did not address the September incident during Mondays meeting. Paula Pasche has worked in a variety of positions, including 32 years as a sports writer, since she joined The Oakland Press. One West Paris resident later told the Advertiser Democrat that Puiia fears for her job. In addition to teachers and ed techs . For more information, visit maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. Enter your email and password to access comments. THE AGREEMENT WAS PRESENTED TO HENSON.. D AN SHE RESIGNED THIS PAST MONDAY. That includes the resignation agreement where the district said it would pay Henson $174,500. All Rights Reserved. Oxford Hills superintendent accused of restraining a child resigns Copyright 2022 WMTW. And there's some concern about how chain of command is being portrayed in how it should be used, and then how it is being used. "The biggest concern is that there's an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students," Jordan said. We want our students and our staff safe. It should not be allowed at all. We had multiple eyewitnesses to the incident, and again, to our knowledge, none of them have been asked or questioned about about that. Hebron Station School Principal Donald Thorne was chosen for the former and accountant Carrie Colley for the latter. Hazel Park man ordered to trial in boxcutter attack Crime and Public Safety | 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. 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. There are concerns about COVID and how that's being handled. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. School Resource police officers from the district were at the Tuesday Board of Directors meeting. 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. Tumult for Agnes Gray continues as more speak out about September All rights reserved. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. On Wednesday, Feb. 2, an interview is set for Todd Bidlack, Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services, Bloomfield Hills School. "The biggest concern is that there's an accusation of physical contact and verbal intimidation of students," Jordan said. The Oxford Hills School District has agreed to pay their former superintendent Monica Henson $174,500. The official Facebook Page of the fifth-largest school district in Maine. JORDAN SAYS SHE HOPES TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD TO MAKE SURE STAFF AND. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. She now covers COVID-related issues and northern Oakland County. In all of my years here I have never seen the culture of the district soured in just six months. "And as far as we're aware, there's been no investigation on that, and that's very concerning to us. 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. 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. 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. Chairwoman Natalie Andrews of West Paris interrupted Jordan. PARIS, Maine (WMTW) - The Oxford Hills school board voted to accept the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson. Alexa Baumgardner and Tobi Worden spoke in defense of coach and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School teacher Riley Chickering, both fighting back tears at times as they spoke of their sons pain at losing their mentor with no explanation. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. Oxford Hills Superintendent under fire at school board meeting It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. The 22-member board represents the towns of Harrison, Hebron, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Waterford and West Paris. Once youve said that we have to follow our grievance procedure. Weekly news from Oxford County and the Norway region, delivered every Thursday at 5 a.m. If someone breaks the law, you dont file a grievance.. Her statements received pushback from current Grey faculty. ?27 COMPLAINTS WERE BROUGHT TO THEOA BRD LT AS NIGHT AT A MEETING, BUT THE MOST SERIOUS COMPLAINT INVOLVED AN INCIDENT AT AGNES GRAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER WHEN DR. HENSON ALLEGEDLY P UT HER HANDS ON A STUDENT AGGRESSIVELY, SOMETHING THE TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT SAYS HAS BEEN LARGELY IGNORED TO THIS POINT. . Parents are still concerned. Log in to join the discussion. 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You will receive an email to complete the registration. Oxford Hills Superintendent under fire at school board meeting - WABI-TV 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. 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.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. "That is just a statement letting the school board know that the staff who voted don't feel that the leadership of Dr. Henson is effective for our school system," Jen Jordan, president of the Oxford Hills Teachers Union, said. People are feeling afraid. My blood is boiling. Oxford Hills School District MSAD #17 | Paris ME That review recently came to an end. If you are concerned about a child being . Login. Please wait for the page to reload. They will also pay her $5,500 in legal fees. Contributed. 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. We have had no issues with bullying, Arntsen said. It stated that Henson had put hands on two children while overseeing the school on Sept. 7. Dr. Hensons full rebuttal statement can be foundhere. 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. OXFORD, Maine (AP) A school superintendent accused of improperly restraining a student at an elementary school last year has resigned. The superintendent of Oxford Hills schools has resigned amid allegations that she assaulted a student last year. Already registered? Jeni, I am going to have to stop you there, Andrews said. I am extremely angry, Rowe told WMTW News 8. Theres a lot of fear, Jordan said. Henson, who was hired in July 2021, is under investigation by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Oxford County Sheriffs Office after allegations that she improperly physically restrained a child at Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris last September.