Pictured: Standing from left is Patrick Dixon, Barbara Reeves, Marc Schefsky, Star Poole and Adam Welteroth.
Seated from left is President Lori Baer, Vice President Dr. Jane Penman,
Dr. Nancy Story Somers and Jennifer Lake.
Todd Bartley, TalkWilliamsport.com
News@TalkWilliamsport.com
The following is an opinion editorial addressing the colossal failures on display by the WASD school board and Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Bowers.
Tuesday evening would have been a perfect time for the WASD school board and Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Bowers to begin admitting their colossal failure regarding the Myrtle Beach incident.
But as WAHS graduate, member of the 2018 WAHS baseball, who was on the Myrtle Beach trip and is a teacher in the Buffalo (NY) City School system shared in “A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball – PART IX” –
“They’d kill to be a part of a legendary community that sticks together until the end.”
Apparently, Dr. Bowers and the rest of the WASD school board are subscribing to the same mindset.
Since you ALL subscribe to it, you can ALL resign!
MILLIONAIRE BASEBALL PLAYER CODY SHIMP IN HIS OWN WORDS
After not responding to a request for comment prior to the publication of Part VIII of “A Baseball Story”, Talk Williamsport with the interest of the public in mind and in complete transparency provide now former Millionaire player Cody Shimp the opportunity to allow his personal Facebook publicly posted thread from September 7, 2018 to speak for itself.
When Shimp says, “No foolish sports writer” does he mean this author bringing to light as WASD Solicitor Fred Holland and the “WASD Official Statement” is quoted as saying “indecent and inappropriate behavior” as it relates to one of Shimp’s teammates in Myrtle Beach?
When Shimp further offers, “No ignorant parents because their kid wasn’t good enough to play for the program” does he mean athletic ability level dictates whether a player as JOHN DOE #1 experienced, become the victim of “indecent and inappropriate behavior”?
“No ignorant parents”, is Shimp saying the parents of the victims should never bring to light what happened to their children?
Is he also saying no one else should bring it up? “No uneducated people in the community”.
Shimp offers insight into the Millionaire mindset he learned, “I learned that as being a Williamsport Millionaire, your (sic) always under the spotlight. You ever hear of any other stories coming out about other local schools?
No.
That’s because people are jealous of us. They won’t admit it, but they are.
They’d kill to be a part of a legendary community that sticks together until the end.”
If nothing happened in Myrtle Beach in 2018, why would a “legendary community that sticks together until the end” need to stay silent on the matter?
At this writing, the 3-year anniversary of the 2018 Myrtle Beach trip is just 3 weeks away.
FAILING TO ACKNOWLGED THE VERY POLICY – WASD SCHOOL BOARD WAS SET TO VOTE ON
Back to Tuesday evening, the WASD school board president Lori Baer glossed over the “Board Policy” that was set for a first reading.
The “Board Policy”, as noted in “BREAKING NEWS: Is the WASD finally acknowledging Myrtle Beach victims with new policy?”
Talkwilliamsport.com in reviewing the March 2, 2021 WASD school board meeting agenda; came across what could be the first step taken in acknowledging the Myrtle Beach “victims” with a new policy being adopted.
The proposed policy is titled “Discipline of Student Convicted/Adjudicated of Sexual Assault”.
Under section number #6 and labeled “BOARD POLICY” and “Questions may be directed to Dr. Bowers”; the proposed policy reads as follows:
BOARD POLICY
Questions may be directed to Dr. Bowers.
6.1 Consider approving the first reading of new policy 218.3
“Discipline of Student Convicted/Adjudicated of Sexual Assault”
of the Williamsport Area School District Board policy
based on new School Code section 24 P.S. 1318.1, and renumbering of current Board policy on
“Gangs” to 218.4 as a clerical revision to align with PSBA recommended numbering system.
The proposed policy arrives little more than two weeks after the bombshell report published on February 15, 2021 by TalkWilliamsport.com; “BREAKING NEWS: WAHS student criminally charged by South Carolina authorities in 2018 baseball team incident.”
On Tuesday evening, when WASD school board president Lori Baer asked for discussion on the “Board Policy”; WASD Superintendent, Dr. Timothy Bowers inexplicably uttered the following: “nothing really to discuss.”
So nearly, 3 years to the day of “criminal sexual misconduct” occurring in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and as recently as two weeks ago; actual charges were filed in the case, the WASD is still sticking to the narrative of not acknowledging victims.
If New York Governor Andrew Cuomo thinks he has it bad now with all the allegations he is facing, Dr. Bowers, Bair, Shimp and company may tell him; “hold our beers.”
This is a story, Chris Cuomo if CNN (the Governor’s brother) would actually be allowed to cover!
Let this sink in just for a moment; an entire school board, superintendent, assistant superintendent, board secretary and others sat SILENT.
NO ONE spoke up to even read what was listed on the board agenda as a first reading.
BACKGROUND ON THE BOARD POLICY
The law the commonly referred to as Act 110 of 2020 began as Senate Bill 530 which was signed into law as Act 110 of 2020 on November 3, 2020, creating a new section of the PA School Code 24 P.S. Sec. 13-1318.1.
Act 110 of 2020 was unanimously approved by the PA Senate 50-0 and the PA House 201-0, with a member on leave at the time of the vote.
“Act 110 requires schools to remove any student convicted or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault against another student enrolled at the same school. The school entity is required to expel, transfer or reassign the offender to another school or educational program.
The school entity must ensure that the convicted/adjudicated student is not educated in the same school building, transported on the same school vehicle, or permitted to participate in the same school-sponsored activities as the student victim.
This law was designed to ensure that students who are the victim of a sexual assault by another student at their school are not re-victimized by seeing their attacker every day at school.”
More from “BREAKING NEWS: Is the WASD finally acknowledging Myrtle Beach victims with new policy?”
“The requirements of the Act go into effect on January 12, 2021.
The law applies to school districts, career and technical schools,
intermediate units, and charter schools.”
The time period between January 12, 2021 and March 2, 2021 is 50 days.
WASD school board member Jennifer Lake, also remained silent. Is she only a “one note” board member?
Why did refuse to take the lead on this “Board Policy” while demanding the “WASD Anti-Racism Board Resolution” had be released to the WASD website as soon as possible?
Was her “woke” broke tonight?
If only former WASD board member Spencer Sweeting was still on the board, maybe he would have spoken up.
Did anyone notice who did note vote or was absent tonight?
WASD board members Jane Penman and Barb Reeves who actually reside in the district.
You ever wonder what some of these “we know better than everyone else” folks would be doing if their child was being referred to as JOHN DOE #1, JOHN DOE #2, JANE DOE#1, JANE DOE #2, JANE DOE #3 and so on?
WHAT IF A WASD LETTER WENT TO SOMEONE CODY SHIMP IS REALTED TO?
From the “OP-ED: Long past time for Dr. Bowers to resign as WASD Superintendent:”
WHAT IF A LETTER EXISITS BANNING SOMEONE FROM CAMPUS WHO HAD NOT BEEN CRIMINALLY CHARGED?
What if a Right to Know Law request produced a letter that exists as well as email exchanges about a “perceived threat” by a family member of baseball team member?
What if that alleged “perceived threat” was answered “immediately” with a letter from WASD Solicitor Fred Holland?
What if the person stating the alleged “perceived threat” was never criminally charged in the matter?
What if the letter banned the person stating the alleged “perceived threat” from WASD property?
In summary, the person stating the alleged “perceived threat”, who was never criminally charged in the matter, received a letter from WASD Solicitor Fred Holland banning them from WASD property.
What would your response be to an adult who had actually been charged with a crime of a sexual nature against a child in the WASD while serving as that students coach?
Would that be an alleged “perceived threat” and garner a letter from WASD Solicitor Fred Holland?
This community already knows your response as well as so many WASD employees who have provided video endorsements.
WASD SCHOOL BOARD FAILS TO ADOPT POLICY TO MAKE EMAIL ADDRESSES PUBLIC
Knowing the behavior of the WASD as I do; Act 84 of 2020 will most likely not be adopted until the June 15, 2021 meeting since school districts have until June 26, 2021 to be in compliance.
Why?
This school board does not want you to communicate with them.
How do I know?
I asked the WASD lots of questions and their solicitor said in an email found in the “OP-ED: Long past time for Dr. Bowers to resign as WASD Superintendent”:
Subject: FW: WASD Questions
Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 3:52:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Fred Holland
To: Timothy Bowers, Brandon Pardoe, Susie Bigger
“If he (Bartley) asks again, I won’t justify it with a response…
BACKGROUND ON ACT 84 of 2020
“Compliance Update – Publication of School Director Email Addresses
Under Act 84 of 2020, approved by the Governor on October 29, school districts must publish on their websites an email address for each school director that can be used by students, staff or members of the public to communicate with members of the school board about school district governance matters. The email addresses must be available on an easily-found public area of each district’s website no later than June 26, 2021.
This new mandate adds one more reason for PSBA’s recommendation that school board members use only district-provided email accounts to communicate via email regarding school district matters.
To learn more about recommendations for using email and other electronic community engagement tools, watch “Best Practices in Digital Communications,” one of the many e-learning courses available in the online learning area of the MyPSBA website (requires login).”
http://www.mypsba.org/product/best-practice-in-digital-commmunications/
The WASD school board failed to address the resignation of fellow board member Marc Schefsky in the public portion of the meeting.
TalkWilliamsport.com exclusively reported earlier this week; “BREAKING NEWS: Marc Schefsky resigning from school board after WASD residency questioned.”
This author is preparing a formal referral to Lycoming County District Attorney Ryan Gardner to begin the process of “removal (“ouster”) court action in “Quo Warranto” regarding Marc Schefsky from the WASD school board.
“However, the fact that anyone has been rendered ineligible by any of these offense does not in and of itself remove them from office or empower the school board to remove them or to declare their seat vacant. The exclusive procedure to assess whether someone is ineligible for the office they hold and to obtain an order of removal (“ouster”) is a court action in “Quo Warranto”, which normally is brought by the local district attorney.”
The SILENCE on this issue from the WASD school board, this administration and this community is deafening!
Look on the bright side, at least you have a shiny new playground to play on that the family of George Floyd can be proud of.
Better yet, when the Horry County Solicitor, the Pennsylvania Attorney General and Kline and Specter finish with you; maybe you can name that playground after JOHN DOE #1, JOHN DOE #2, JANE DOE#1, JANE DOE #2, JANE DOE #3 and so on.
History is not on your side and ALL of you know it.
Do this community the service of resigning; tonight.
Please put those resignations on the WASD website at your earliest convenience.
