The Atlantic School Board held a brief meeting Wednesday evening and voted to terminate the employment of a now former High School Counselor, Jesse McCann.
Their action was based on a recommendation by Superintendent Beth Johnsen. Prior to the vote the board heard from Atlantic High School student Liam Spencer, who was an advocate for a recent student protest and represented some of the students regarding the district’s handling of McCann’s employment earlier this month, and in months prior, when allegations began to surface concerning his alleged inappropriate behavior with students.
Spencer questioned the board about their response to the situation. “In light of recent events, will the employment process be stricter in order to ensure the safety of students and staff alike? And there should be plans set in place in order to prevent another situation in the future. And we don’t want this happening to us again or another school, obviously. So that should definitely be set in place,” he says.
His comments came during the Public Comment portion of the meeting so the school board only hears comments and does not respond. No charges have been filed against McCann, in connection with the allegations.
More than 40 people attended the meeting, and at least 118 people watched the meeting via YouTube.
The Atlantic School District released a statement today that says:
“The matter remains under investigation by Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and the Atlantic Police Department. Because this is an ongoing investigation and a personnel matter, the District is limited in the information it can share at this time. Under Iowa law, certain records are confidential and not subject to public disclosure.”
The statement also says additional information will be shared as appropriate and when permitted by law.
(By Ric Hanson, KJAN Atlantic)
(This story was updated to add the school district statement)