Todd Bartley, TalkWilliamsport.com
News@TalkWilliamsport.com
In response to a public outcry to address the silence from the WASD administration and school board as it relates to criminal charges being filed against a high school teach and high school principal; on Thursday afternoon the Williamsport School District issued another “statement”.
On background, previous WASD publicly issued statements regarding the 2018 WAHS baseball/Myrtle Beach indecent sexual assault case have contained patently false information.
The “WASD statement” of July 21, 2022 is as follows:
“Joint Statement from WASD and the Williamsport Area Board of Education on Recent Allegations
In light of the recent allegations of misconduct made against two of our employees, we wish to acknowledge our community’s concerns, sense of shock and heartbreak over these reports.
Please know that we recognize and share in the deep distress this news has caused our community. The School District and Board of Education are taking these accusations very seriously and continue to respond accordingly, following school policies and procedures consistent with these situations. We’re cooperating to the fullest extent with law enforcement as the investigations into these allegations continue, and we ask for your patience and understanding as we work through this process. At this time, we must fulfill our legal obligations and proceed correctly and carefully without interfering with or disrupting the investigations.
We wish to assure you of our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and expect all staff to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct. We will not tolerate behaviors that compromise that commitment. By working together, we can ensure that our schools will continue to be safe and effective learning environments for our students, staff and community.
As always, please encourage your child to let a trusted adult know if he or she witnesses or is aware of any suspicious activity or behavior. Parents and students also can anonymously file a report through the state’s Safe2Say Something Anonymous Reporting System by calling 1-844-SAF2SAY or by visiting www.safe2saypa.org.”
The “WASD Statement” of July 21, 2022 reads nearly word for word the same public comments of Dr. Timothy Bowers, WASD Superintendent, Tuesday evening at the WASD school board meeting.
The “WASD Statement” of July 21, 2022 never uses the word victim or addresses resources available to students who may have been irreparably harmed by the alleged conduct of a WAHS teacher or recently promoted WAHS principal.
This is a developing story on TalkWilliamsport.com.
