Witness statements from a Toledo Public Schools’ teacher and students indicate that a Start High School teacher placed a student in a chokehold after using a bat to push her out of his classroom.
“[Kenneth] Crosley continued to put his arms around the student’s neck and did not let go until support personnel came to assist,” a Start teacher said in a witness statement.
Nearly a dozen witness statements and emails obtained by The Blade through a records request suggest Start High school administrators knew a physical altercation occurred Oct. 12 between a16-year-old student and teacher Kenneth Crosley, but delayed opening an official investigation for three weeks. Top TPS administrators also weren’t made aware of the incident.
Currently, Mr. Crosley and Assistant Principal Kenneth Rosplohowski are suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.
James Gant, chief of staff for TPS and one of the district’s highest-ranking officials, said school policy mandates principals report incidents like these up the chain of command, adding school Principal Edward Perozek failed to inform district administrators immediately.
It wasn’t until Nov. 1 when Mr. Perozek requested the video surveillance footage showing the altercation from the district’s security team. Staff members complied and encouraged Mr. Perozek to restrict access to them.
“Please do not share those videos with anyone other than those who have an absolute need to view them,” Mark Fesh, a TPS security specialist wrote in an email Nov. 2 to Mr. Perozek. “Obviously this is getting big, so please keep them close to your vest.”
Mr. Perozek replied promptly, “Received and understood.”
TPS has continued to deny The Blade access to the video surveillance footage, stating the decision is based on their attorney’s recommendation. The district has also not responded to questions as to whether Mr. Perozek is also under investigation, why the assistant principal was suspended as part of the investigation, or when top TPS administrators were eventually made aware of the incident.
Several students who were in the classroom when the incident occurred said the female student was unruly when she entered Mr. Crosley’s room, according to eyewitness statements. There are conflicting reports about what happened next.
The female student told School Resource Officer Marquitta Bey on Oct. 12 that she had visited Mr. Crosley’s classroom to purchase a homecoming ticket. The student said Mr. Crosley yelled at her to “get the hell out of here” before grabbing a baseball bat. He then used the bat to push 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,” the report shows. “[The student] was seen by the school nurse.”
Mr. Crosley acknowledged he had a baseball bat and offered a different version of events.
“Fearing for the students’ and my safety I grabbed a baseball bat, which is used for lockdown purposes, and told her that she needed to leave,” Mr. Crosley said in a statement. But he said he only “nudged” the student out of his 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 Ms. Bey he then “gained control” of the student until school security and the assistant principal arrived, adding he then released the student to Mr. Rosplohowski.
“I approached Mr. Crosley who was detaining a young lady. ... I approached and I told Mr. Crosley that I would take her,” Mr. Rosplohowski, the assistant principal, wrote in his statement.
“He then gave her to me and I took her to my office,” Mr. Rosplohowski said. “The following day I saw the student at Start’s Homecoming Dance and everything was good.”
First Published November 20, 2018, 3:30 p.m.
