You will receive an email to complete the registration. I implore this board to take everything that you are hearing this evening from everyone here extremely seriously, Matolcsy said. People are feeling afraid. Since you said it was a vote of no confidence and listed her name, we need to follow grievance procedure.. NO CONFIDENCE | thats what the teachers union in MSAD 17 says about its superintendent #NEWSCENTERmaine pic.twitter.com/uzLRdRSuHS. OXFORD HILLS SUPERINTENDENT DR. MONICA HENSON IS ACCUSED OF CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE OF FEAR AND INTIMIDATN IO AMONG BOTH TEACHERS AND EVEN STUDENTS. The Foundation has awarded over $2,000,000 in scholarships since 1999. And documents obtained by the Maine Wire show how the firm has coached Maine school boards on how to limit parental input when dealing with these controversial topics. Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson instituted the bounty program, hoping to address what she called a "bullying culture" in the district, especially in the middle and high schools. There have been zero grievances lodged against me with the Board for any contract violations. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. Please wait for the page to reload. Don't have a commenting profile? Oxford Hills Education Association Concerns by sunjournal on Scribd. Jeni Jordan, an Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School teacher and president of the Oxford Hills Education Association, presented the board with a list of 27 complaints compiled by educators over the Hensons conduct. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. Staff have claimed that previously authorized time off has been revoked and that requests for leave are inconsistently approved, even when doctors notes are provided. "THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S AN ACCUSATI ON OF PHYSICAL CONTACT AND VERBAL INTIMIDATION TO STUDENTS. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Oxford Hills superintendent accused of creating culture of fear and Andrews said the decision was reached after consulting with the districts attorney and Steve Bailey, head of the Maine School Board Association. Interviews with the five candidates for superintendent of the Oxford Community Schools will be held this week at three special Board of Education meetings that are open to the public. Here we are four months later and her rights are still being trampled on.. To date, no letters have been received during either the first or second quarter.. Police: Alleged iPhone thief admits to similar crimes from people advertising on Facebook Marketplace Dr. Monica Henson forcefully denied all 27 complaints levied against her at a district board meeting. Login. He extended his stay following the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School to give the Board more time to deal with the selection process after working to get Oxford High School reopened. The copy of the resignation agreement says they will pay Henson in return for her resignation . In addition to teachers and ed techs . That is it. She has a running knowledge of everything that is going on within the district right now.. . We have had no issues with bullying, Arntsen said. Statement on the OHEA No Confidence Vote by sunjournal on Scribd. Oxford Hills School District directors listen Monday night to Eric Bennett about his. "Being denied access to his classroom is against every recommendation of every advocacy organization and institution," Matolcsy added. Theres a lot of fear of job termination, theres a lot of feeling like were being watched, that somebody is just waiting for us to mess up so we can be reprimanded. Parents and staff are concerned about Superintendent Monica Henson, who has been in the role since July 2021. HARTFORD - Waterbury schools Superintendent Verna Ruffin defended having school resource officers in city schools before state legislators . Crime and Public Safety | I am raising my granddaughter, who has an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan. Related Articles And there's some concern about how chain of command is being portrayed in how it should be used, and then how it is being used. Letter from Superintendent - August 27, 2021 No other details about the incident are available. They don't represent the majority of the community," Henson said. Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. Create one. The copy of the resignation agreement says they will pay Henson in return for her resignation and promise to file no claims against the district. 200,000 lose power as snowstorm blankets Detroit region, Catholic priest Joseph 'Father Jack' Baker sentenced for child rape, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Oxford Hills School District agrees to pay $174K to resigning Already have a commenting profile? "As for the allegation of inappropriately touching an elementary school student in September, Dr. Henson wrote that the parent's of the student saw no issue with the way the situation was handled. I will not stand for it and I believe most of the people here will join me we will form what we need to in terms of public oversight to ensure that our children, our students and our teachers are safe, respected and given the oversight they deserve, especially those with special needs.. On Monday . Jewish Michigan lawmaker says threats are constant Henson said that Clarke had allowed outstanding bullying incidents to go unchecked, a claim also pushed back on by Arntsen. We had multiple eyewitnesses to the incident, and again, to our knowledge, none of them have been asked or questioned about about that. While neither woman was allowed to refer to specific situations affecting their children during the meeting, Matolcsy had previously written on social media that she had been given two different reasons for her childs injury by different staff members and was denied a request for a third-party service provider to observe her child in his classroom environment, a practice that had been allowed in the past. Update: Maine DHHS, Oxford County Sheriff investigating MSAD 17 And for her to be making those accusations, she has stepped one day in our school one day. PARIS, Maine (WMTW) - The Oxford Hills school board voted to accept the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Monica Henson. The alleged incident happened Sept. 9 at Agnes Grey Elementary School, where Henson was filling in as principal for the day. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. WEST PARIS, Maine An investigation into allegations against the Oxford Hills superintendent has been opened by the Oxford County Sheriffs Office and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Maine Education Association. In her rebuttal statement, Henson acknowledged using restraint on one child, adding there had been no injury to them and that the parent of the student made no objection in subsequent communications with her. 232 Main Street. Log in to join the discussion. Boyd listed a series of situations that cannot be addressed by an official grievance. A phone number could not be located for Henson, and she didn't immediately respond to electronic messages. Oxford Hills superintendent on paid leave following student assault One child was recently injured while in school. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), RFK Jr. apologizes after condemnation for Anne Frank comment, Costco could be building its 1st store in Maine, Residents in one western Maine town look to curb Poland Springs appetite for water, Theres no feeling like it: Last-second layup gives Brewer boys basketball its 1st state championship, Couples recreation business cultivates 'slice of heaven' in Maine highlands, Fine-dining restaurant in northern Maine adds bed and breakfast, 2 teenagers charged after a man in Calais was shot on a walking trail, Maine photographer snaps shots of bobcat thats blind in one eye, Nor'easter could dump a foot of snow on parts of Maine Saturday, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The full list of the OHEA's complaints can be found here. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); The list also included that employees are concerned with the superintendents use of professional time, of statements she has made to local and national media, and of inappropriate tone and intimidating language expressed in emails to employees. Jeni, I am going to have to stop you there, Andrews said. Firefighters used ladders to rescue at least five people from a burning Indianapolis apartment building where others reportedly jumped from third-floor windows to escape the smoke and flames, A mistrial was declared after a jury in southern Arizona was unable to reach a verdict on a murder charge against a man accused of killing a 6-year-old girl, A now-shuttered Wisconsin substance abuse center and its CEO owe the government more than $2 million in a Medicaid fraud case. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat. 27 complaints were levied against Dr. Monica Henson, including an allegation that she aggressively touched a distressed elementary school student in September, while filling in as principal, after an incident involving that student. Oxford Hills superintendent accused of creating culture of fear and intimidation, Two women missing from Topsham area found safe in East Hancock, Weekend snowfall means business at Hermon Mountain Ski Area, Authorities searching for missing Greene man, Last round of snow moves in for today, sunshine returns on Sunday. The student fell while she pulled him into an office, and the superintended fell on top of the student and used a restraint technique. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. In all of my years here I have never seen the culture of the district soured in just six months. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Weekly news from Oxford County and the Norway region, delivered every Thursday at 5 a.m. Henson was filling in for the principal for a day at the time of that incident, which resulted in investigations by the Oxford County Sheriffs Department and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, as well as an internal investigation by the school department. MSAD 17 | Home Maine DHHS confirms its investigation is also complete. Oxford Hills Education Association president Jen Jordan told WMTW News 8 that the complaints stemmed from a private vote amongst the association's members where 95% of the members said they have no confidence in Dr. Henson's leadership. PORTLAND A Maine superintendent who resigned amid multiple investigations into her conduct will get a serious payout from the Oxford Hills School District. Henson said at the time she used a limited restraint technique for a disruptive student. The second incident was witnessed by Agnes Gray educator Karin Puiia who was on the public comment list for the evening. The Oxford Hills School District, in partnership with parents and communities, engages and supports all students in diverse and challenging learning opportunities to prepare them to graduate as healthy, responsible and productive citizens, ready to succeed in our global societies. Waterbury superintendent defends use of school resource officer Vicki Morgan, grandmother and guardian of the second child, had addressed the board at a meeting several months ago and spoke again Tuesday night to reiterate that her childs rights were being violated daily. There are concerns that staff just feel like when they try to express something, it just gets dismissed. Other accusations include sharing inappropriate images of alcohol and weapons to district employees, doling out inconsistent discipline to staff, and creating a fearful environment for students with a bounty system rewarding students with money for turning in other students for inappropriate social media posts. Jordan was followed by Dennis Boyd, grievance chairman for the union. Boyd said his groups goal regarding grievances is to resolve them well before it gets to an official process, and has successfully avoided it in the recent past. Oxford Hills School District MSAD #17 | Paris ME The Oxford Hills School District has agreed to pay their former superintendent Monica Henson $174,500. They will also pay her $5,500 in legal fees. She's not the only one who said they're having trouble with the district and Henson. Henson was placed on paid . Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. She was placed on leave Jan. 26. Create one. "There's a lot of fear," Jordan said. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries. To clarify, a vote of no confidence means, a vote showing the majority does not support the policies or leader of the governing body.. We want our students and our staff safe. Crime and Public Safety | That's what the union representing teachers in the Oxford Hills School District said about Superintendent Monica Henson when they put it to a vote. Oxford Hills Superintendent under fire at school board meeting Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. Superintendent of Schools (207) 743-8972 h.manchester@msad17.org Steve Ciembroniewicz Assistant Superintendent (207) 743-8972 s.ciembroniewicz@msad17.org Jan Neureuther Chief Student Services Officer (207) 743-8972 j.neureuther@msad17.org Brandy Moore Special Education Assistant Director 207-743-8972 b.moore@msad17.org Debra Hertell "Im unaware of any other school system in the state where a teachers union is asked to participate directly in the evaluation of the superintendent of schools," Dr. Henson wrote. "THE PARENT DID NOT OBJECT TO MY HANDLING OF THE INCIDENT, COMMUNICATED WITH ME FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS,ND A HAS FILED NO COMPLAINTS WITH THE BOARD OR EXPRESSED ANY FURTH ER CONCERN SINCE THE NOTIFICATION FROM ME."