In a letter sent to Northeastern Superintendent John Kronour dated July 18, 2017, Ohio Department of Education Assistant Director for the Office of Exceptional Children Monica Drvota alleges the school violated a federal regulation for how it handled an individualized education program and an Ohio administrative code for how the school transported the student.
» READ MORE: State says Northeastern violated federal, state bus safety rules
The ODE investigation began, according to the letter, when a bus driver filed a complaint alleging the school wasn’t doing enough to prevent an 18-year-old student who uses a wheelchair from hitting his head on a window while being transported.
The student hit his head on the bus window four times before the school convened a team to address the issue, the complaint alleges.
2. District says it was working to fix issues
Kronour told the Springfield News-Sun that Northeastern was working to fix any issues with the transportation of students before the complaint was filed and the affected student is being transported safely now.
“We corrected everything in the letter, even though we didn’t feel we were in violation because we were in the process of working with the student’s parents to get any issues resolved,” he said.
3. Driver who filed complaint facing disciplinary action
Cindy Ladig, the bus driver who allegedly filed the complaint with the state, now faces disciplinary action and a possible reassignment.
The reprimand letter she received from the district says Ladig shouldn’t be given whistle-blower protection because she didn’t make a good faith effort to accurately report a violation. Her attorney, John Concannon, said the district should stop any disciplinary action against her.
The Northeastern school board will hold an executive session involving employee discipline on Jan. 18 during its regular board meeting, Kronour said. He wouldn’t confirm if it was for Ladig.
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