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BOARDMAN -- A letter of reprimand to a Boardman schools teacher aide states no criminal behavior occurred after it was alleged a paper was stapled to a student's hair or head in January.
It is the only letter of reprimand in the aide's personnel file since coming to the district in 1997.
The aide was issued the written reprimand dated Jan. 21 by Boardman Center Intermediate School Principal Randy Ebie.
In the letter, it states after a fact-finding meeting that the reprimand was necessary once it was determined a paper was stapled to a student's hair and the incident, while inappropriate, was not criminal.
A Jan. 20 police report filed by Sheli Myers, mother of a student of a child at Boardman Center, alleged that a note regarding a water bottle was stapled to his hair and left a mark on his head, an incident said to have happened the day prior.
Both Boardman police and the county prosecutor's office conducted investigations, finding no criminal behavior. Charges have not been filed.
AIDE'S FILE
Obtained through a public record's request by The Vindicator, only one letter of reprimand exists, stemming from the Jan. 19 incident.
Since 1997, the aide has worked with the Boardman Local School District in various positions, including a special needs attendant, teacher aide and noontime aide.
She also was a CCD (catechism) teacher and a substitute preschool teacher prior to her career with Boardman schools.
Letters of recommendation throughout her time with the school district are included in her file.
A redacted letter from a parent in the early 2000s to the district says the aide had "ability to direct" the child, who had an individualized educational program. The letter was in support of the aide to take on a permanent assistant role with the student.
In an evaluation in 2013, the aide was said to have met or exceeded expectations in every section, which had five sections spanning equipment operation to essential functions to core functions.
INVESTIGATIONS
Through social media, Myers posted a letter from out-of-town legal counsel Agins and Gilman LLC of Lyndhurst.
Myers was named as parent of the child in the letter. In that correspondence, it states that the note was stapled to the child's head.
Sgt. Mike Sweeney with the Boardman Police Department previously said that after an investigation, and then another with the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, no criminal activity was found.