WEST CHESTER TWP. — A veteran Lakota elementary school principal is being disciplined for his handling of alleged incidents of sexual harassment and intimidation involving second-graders during the last school year.

        But some of the girls' parents remain upset about the way the principal and school district handled the alleged incidents, which they describe as sexual in nature and involving two male classmates, at Freedom Elementary School between February and June.

        They have talked to authorities at West Chester Township Police and the Butler County Children Services Board about the incidents.

        West Chester Police Chief John Bruce confirmed Wednesday that an investigation is under way, including into whether Principal Dave Tobergte or other school officials were required to report the alleged acts to authorities.

        “We will be thorough, but the quicker we resolve it, the better,” Chief Bruce said.

        The parents allege the incidents took place during school hours in the cafeteria, hallways, classroom and playground. The first parent learned of the alleged misconduct in February when her daughter informed her, but school officials assured her the matter was under control, one of the parents said.

        Most of the rest of the parents learned of the incidents involving their daughters by June after individually questioning their children, then talking to other parents, said one girl's parents. Other parents involved declined comment or couldn't be reached.

        The Cincinnati Enquirer is not naming the girls, their parents or the boys.

        The girl's father said the parents have tried to work with school officials to resolve the matter but have lost confidence in the administration.

        Mr. Tobergte, Freedom's principal since it opened in 1988, received “a formal reprimand for his error in judgment” related to incidents, according to a Sept. 30 letter from Lakota Local School Superintendent Kathleen Klink and School Board President Sandy Wheatley to one girl's parents. The board believes the matter should have been “immediately and effectively communicated with parents of the children who were alleged to have been harassed or intimidated,” the letter reads.

        The reprimand, also written Sept. 30, instructs Mr. Tobergte, whose school has twice been awarded the presitigous national Blue Ribbon award, to attend a seminar or workshop on workplace conflict and sexual harassment issues. He also must regularly meet with Mrs. Klink.

        The incident revolves around 10 to 11 second-grade girls who have told their parents they were sexually touched and lewdly talked to by two of their male classmates, also second-graders at the time, according to one girl's parents and police.

        Mr. Tobergte said Wednesday he was informed by the class's teacher, who retired in June, of one incident in late February or early March. That episode involved “shoving, hands on people, running around, disrespecting, bad play” on the playground, he recalled.

        He said he was asked by the teacher to speak to the boys about their behavior, and he told them to stop.

        “That's all it is and that's all it was at that point,” he said, adding that the faculty did not hear or see anything else.

        “Even though the words were allegedly supposedly strong, we're still talking about 8-year-old children on the playground,” he said.

        The boys' parents did not return calls for comment Wednesday night, but Gary Hines, president of the NAACP's Hamilton/Fairfield/West Chester chapter, said he wants an NAACP attorney to speak on the families' behalf because of the strong allegations against their sons.

        “They are worried their children are not going to be treated fairly in the school district,” Mr. Hines said.

        Mr. Hines said he supports the school administration's handling of the incident and says the issue is racial. The boys are African-American and the girls are white, he said.

        The girl's father said the parents didn't realize the boys were African-American until they arrived at a meeting at the school in June and saw the boys' parents for the first time.

        In June, Ms. Klink brought a letter to Mr. Tobergte that was sent to her from one set of parents, Mr. Tobergte said. The letter alleged more bad behavior, he said, adding that the boys' parents have different versions of what occurred.

        The set of parents interviewed said at least three girls transferred to another Lakota elementary and one left the district. School officials could not confirm those numbers Wednesday but said some of the girls remain at Freedom.

        “Some of the parents are very pleased with what is going on and how this was handled and have moved on,” Mr. Tobergte said. “

        There now is a new focus on staff training concerning similar incidents, school officials said. Mr. Tobergte says he is writing a letter to respond to Ms. Klink's written reprimand but stands by his actions.

        “It's her right to take her view,” he said. “I don't agree with it.”

        School board member Joan Powell says the episode greatly bothers her. “I do not know exactly what happened at Freedom last spring,” she said. “I'm not sure that anyone exactly knows ...and that is unfortunate.”.”

        E-mail suek@infi.net and jedwards@enquirer.com.
       

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