Tonight I was invited to a school board meeting in Greenland, NH. Prior to the start of the meeting, the board members and administrators opened up comments so that parents could address the alleged predator, that was grooming an 8-year-old boy in Greenland, New Hampshire.
While some parents were aware of this meeting, many were not. I was told by some parents that NO notification went out to parents informing them of this community discussion. That alone is cause for concern. Parents should have been notified that this meeting would be taking place.
The parents who did attend wanted to know why the bus driver was re-assigned to a different route after receiving complaints by the parents. From NBC News Boston:
The complaint said that in April, their son and daughter’s bus driver, identified as Chick, had given them gifts like candy, Pokémon paraphernalia, and other small toys.
When the kids were absent from school, the parents said Chick would leave notes for the children at their home that said how much he missed them.
The complaint stated that in May, Chick “stopped and asked if he could attend the boy’s Little League baseball game.” The boy’s parents then contacted the school, getting Greenland Police and the school bus company involved.
The Student School Administration asked the bus company to assign Chick to a different route. The complaint said the next day, Greenland Police told Chick he could have no more contact with the boy or his family.
In July, documents alleged someone found two TracFones in the boy’s bedroom. The child admitted that Chick had given him the phones in May.
Upon searching Chick’s car, investigators said they found a “TracFone, a digital camera, duct tape, rubber gloves, sweet (candy) liquor, candy, children’s clothing including underwear, children’s toys, a magnetic GPS vehicle tracker.” Investigators said they also executed a search warrant at Chick’s home.
When asked about the items, his mother told 7NEWS that, in the case of the rubber gloves, he was required to have them for his job, while some other items were related to time he spent as a babysitter.
According to the police, the notes found in Chick’s room said things like, “You saved yourself. Would have taken you away on Friday.” Investigators also said there were detailed instructions on how to take body selfies from different angles and instructions on keeping a secret “in order for your family to not be killed.”
Parents want answers.
Who failed to act on the first reports by these parents that resulted in a reassignment to another bus? Parents want an exact time-line of events. Why was Chick not put on leave, and all of this reported to the authorities?
They want accountability for those involved. Who decided this information should not be shared with parents? There were calls for transparency by school officials.
As an advocate for parental rights, I added the following requests on behalf of parents who have contacted me:
1) Accountability: who will be accountable for any of this?
2) Transparency: make sure the investigation is fully transparent, and how this gross negligence never happens again. That involves clear policies that hold personnel accountable for their actions. Parents want to see policies that involve the termination of anyone who puts children in harms way.
3) Parents need to know how the background checks work. Was there any criminal activity that showed up as one parent suggested? If so, why was he hired ? That needs to change.
4) Parents need to see the discipline policy for all those employed in the school district.
5) This was a predator grooming an 8 year old boy in the district. Parents want to make sure that what happens in the Greenland schools does not help any groomers in the future.
6) Any conversations with First Student should be public and televised for those who cannot attend the meeting.
7) Contact representatives from the Child Advocacy Center so that they can advise the staff on what grooming looks like. This could go a long way to helping to identify groomers working in the district.
Parents need to attend all public meetings. They need to make it clear to the school board during school board meetings that there needs to be accountability on what happened with this bus driver.
First Student provides busing for many school districts in New Hampshire. It would be a good idea if all parents started questioning their school board too.
When teachers, administrators or any other person working in the school system is grooming a child, and that person is reassigned, that is called: Passing the Trash. It is up to parents and residents in Greenland to make it very clear, this is unacceptable, and those who participate in this behavior will be terminated too.
From: Steve Zadravec <szadravec@sau50.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 16:55
Subject: Update and Statement from First Student
To: ********
Dear SAU 50 Community Members,
In addition to the information we sent out across the SAU yesterday, Greenland Central School has released some age-appropriate talking tips for parents when addressing personal safety issues with their children from the 2022 Committee for Children. I’m including this document at the end of this message.
There has also been a dedicated hotline set up to allow families to report any pertinent information involving this case and/ or other incidents. This hotline is being staffed by the Department of Homeland Security and is the most efficient way to get information to investigators. Officials urge anyone with information to call (603)-722-1751.
Message from First Student
I received the following message with additional information from First Student. We will share additional information as it becomes available.
“First Student is proud to provide safe and reliable school bus transportation to your community. Having done so for more than 100 years across North America, nothing is more important to us. The incident reported in Greenland, N.H., is completely unacceptable and at odds with what we stand for as a company.
We understand the anxiety this causes for parents and school districts. I can assure you that First Student took immediate action. The driver was terminated immediately upon notification of their arrest, and we continue to partner with all local, state, and federal authorities during the investigation.
First Student follows all onboarding guidelines set by the state of New Hampshire and the Department of Transportation, including testing requirements, background checks and licensure policies. Coupled with more than 40 hours of in-classroom and behind-the-wheel training, First Students exceeds in the training of our drivers.
I want you to have confidence in how serious we are about delivering safe and reliable school bus transportation. Our drivers are committed to providing the best start and end to the school day. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Thank you,
Dave Fairweather
Area General Manager
First Student
Please know we are committed to a strong partnership with parents and community stakeholders. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. My email is szadravec@sau50.org and the phone number is (603) 422-9572.
Sincerely,
Steve Zadravec, Superintendent
2022 Committee for Children | Reprinted with permission for personal or educational purposes.
From: Jessica Friedman <jfriedman@sau50.org>
Date: Tue, Aug 9, 2022 at 13:55
Subject: Message from GCS Principal Hallee
To: *************
August 9, 2022
Dear Greenland Central School Parents and Guardians,
As you always hear me say, student safety is my number one priority. I wanted to personally reach out, as your Principal, regarding the recent arrest of a First Student bus driver. This driver had been transporting some of our Greenland students.
Please know that when concerns are brought to our attention, we have protocols in place for responding to them, which includes contacting the appropriate authorities and other necessary stakeholders. If there is an ongoing investigation, there are additional parameters that we must follow in order to protect the child and to help ensure the integrity of the legal process.
We are grateful for the ongoing support and collaboration of the Greenland Police, the United States Attorney, and the Department of Homeland Security. These law enforcement agencies have assured us that they will be actively pursuing this case and will be remaining in our community for as long as we need them.
As a school, we already have measures put into place to have students learn about safety as standard practice within our curriculum, both in respect to personal body safety and how to be safe online. Prior to recent events, Haven was already scheduled to come to GCS in September and will be working with all grade levels. In addition, our student support team is ready to support our students and their needs. (HAVEN supports southeastern New Hampshire through violence prevention education, support services, and community outreach.)
Having conversations about these matters with your children can feel uncomfortable. I have included information below on ways you can talk to your student(s) from the 2022 Committee for Children. Please reach out to me personally if you have any concerns regarding your student(s) safety and would like a time to meet with one of our counselors and/or myself. If you feel that your child has been impacted by this situation, please contact the Greenland Police Department by calling 603-431-4624. In addition, there will be a communication from Superintendent Zadravec this afternoon.
Sincerely,
Tamara Hallee, Principal
