The Superintendent of the Grinnell-Newburg School District issues a statement today on the alleged bullying of a student by the school staff. Thirty-three-year-old Matt Gannaway and his wife filed a lawsuit Tuesday saying their son Ethan was bullied by his elementary principal, and a counselor after Ethan told them he had been subjected to verbal taunts by another student on the playground.
Gannaway’s suit also said Grinnell-Newburg Superintendent Todd Abrahamson used no-trespass orders against him as retaliation. Superintendent Abrahamson told Radio Iowa he cannot comment specifically on the lawsuit as they have not been served with the legal papers as this point.
But Abrahamson says in a statement that “Our school personnel followed proper protocol when they investigated the situation and determined it was an unfounded case.” He says student records on the incident are protected by federal law and cannot be released to the media.
Abrahamson says the district has an anti-bullying/harrassment policy and that the staff is dedicated to protecting each and every student. He concluded the statement by saying “the district administration and staff are continuing to work to create an atmosphere in our school system where students feel free to express themselves without fear of bullying or harassment.”
The Gannaway lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages from the district.
Reed Superintendent Abrahamson’s statemente here: Grinnell-Newburg response PDF