School Leaders To Hear From Public; Strengthen Bullying Rules

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF-TV) Frustrated parents will get to speak out this week at a public meeting in the wake of the Ooltewah basketball scandal.
The Superintendent and the school board now move ahead with plans to re-examine policies.
Now, hearing from education leaders who’ll play a major role in what happens next.

Investigators from the Hamilton county District Attorney General’s office are now taking a closer look at possible criminal activity in Hamilton county prior to the Ooltewah basketball scandal. A news release says D.A. Neal Pinkston wants to know if adults are criminally responsible for failure to supervise students.
He asked the Sheriff to find out.

SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND, HAMILTON COUNTY "We’re asking the public if they have any information that we need to check out to see if there were other instances like this in the past going on now."

But there are some things happening outside of the secretive, on-going criminal investigation in Gatlinburg.
The school board is now inviting frustrated parents and other community leaders to say what’s on their mind.

DR. STEVE HIGHLANDER, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER "We’re trying to be as open as we can be. I certainly wish last Wednesday night we had opened it up more…I am thankful that the superintendent finally came and had a press release."

In the only action so far involving school employees, Smith has reassigned basketball coach Andre Montgomery to a job that does not involve students.

Dr. Highlander says the immediate goal is to get people to report, anonymously if they want to, all bullying, hazing and assaults in schools.

DR. STEVE HIGHLANDER, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER "We’re trying to set up a meeting with parents in Ooltewah…Ooltewah/Harrison area..telling them how to best deal with children ..if they have questions about incidents like the horrible one that happened at Ooltewah high school."

But there are other groups who want to be part of the proposed revision of rules regarding hazing and assaults in schools.

DAN LINER, PRESIDENT , HAMILTON COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION "Certainly the association and its membership are on board in support of the idea of forming a committee of concerned parents, PTA council, teachers, et cetera to address this issue"

Liner’s group, which has not been contacted, represents 1500 teachers in the district.

The public is invited to make comments at the conclusion of Thursday afternoon’s school board meeting.