A month after an alleged physical altercation between a female student and a teacher at Start High School, Toledo Public Schools officials say they are going to withhold public records related to the incident until the district concludes its investigation.
After stating they would release email correspondence on Friday between administrators about the Oct. 12 incident and address questions regarding the district’s handling of it, officials reversed course — stating they now consider the emails part of their ongoing investigation, which might wrap up in a week or two.
“We’re in the middle of our investigatory process, and obviously that requires us to review a lot of documents and details,” said James Gant, chief of staff for Toledo Public Schools. “We do believe that it’s going pretty expeditiously, so we’re hoping to have that completed next week or so.”
When asked to provide a statute in the state public records law that would allow the district to withhold email records in this instance, a district spokesman declined to do so following the recommendation of an attorney.
On Oct. 12, a 16-year-old student told a school resource officer that teacher Kenneth Crosley used a bat to force her from his room, twisted her fingers, and put her in a chokehold.
But district officials didn’t initiate an investigation into the incident or inform top TPS officials about it until three weeks later. Why the investigation was delayed and district administrators weren’t made aware of the incident sooner remains unclear.
In an effort to obtain more information, a Blade reporter filed a public records request seeking emails between district administrators. That request was made on Nov. 5, and district officials initially said they would provide answers this week.
The student and teacher told school resource officer Marquita Bey two different accounts of what transpired on Oct. 12.
Officer Bey documented the student’s version of events, along with Mr. Crosely’s, in a police report.
The female student, according to the police report, told Officer Bey that she had visited Mr. Crosley’s classroom to buy a homecoming ticket. The student said Mr. Crosley yelled at her to “get the hell out of here” before grabbing a bat and pushing her out the classroom.
While in the hallway, the student said, Mr. Crosley “grabbed her fingers back” and put her in a “chokehold,” the report states.
“This officer observed redness and swelling on [the student’s] hand,” according to the report. “[The student] was seen by the school nurse.”
Mr. Crosley provided a different narrative. He told Officer Bey the student entered his classroom yelling and cursing at him. He said he asked the student to leave his room and, when she refused, he picked up a bat and “nudged” her out of the room.
Once in the hallway, Mr. Crosley said, the student “took an offensive position” as if she were preparing to swing at him, according to the report. He told the resource officer he then “gained control” of the student until school security and the assistant principal arrived.
Mr. Gant, one of the top administrators in the district, said he didn’t learn about the incident until Nov. 1. TPS’ district policy mandates principals report altercations that require administrative action to their superiors. Officer Bey informed Start Principal Edward Perozek of the incident the day it happened, according to a police report, but Mr. Perozek didn’t immediately notify TPS administrators, Mr. Gant said.
The district suspended Assistant Principal Kenneth Rosplohowski along with Mr. Crosley with pay pending an internal investigation. They are both forbidden from entering school property and are banned from attending any school functions.
First Published November 17, 2018, 3:52 a.m.
