Burlington Dyer Elementary 'unwanted touching,' staffer no longer with district
BURLINGTON, Wis. - A staff member at Dyer Elementary in Burlington is no longer affiliated with the school district after concerns were brought up about inappropriate touching.
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The below letter was sent to parents Thursday, April 21:
Dear Dyer Elementary Families,
(Letra en español a continuación)
At Dyer Elementary, we take great pride in offering an environment that supports learning and is safe for everyone. Our school is a small, compassionate community with committed staff and students who care about each other.
With this caring in mind, we want to address some questions we’ve been asked by a few parents. Last week, a student expressed concern about a staff member’s behavior. We take these concerns seriously and as such, spoke with several people to better understand the situation. We determined that the staff member’s conduct was not appropriate for an elementary school setting. The conduct related to a staff member invading the personal space of a student. It was described as hugging, rubbing a student’s back, touching hair, and/or pushing on a swing. This staff member is no longer affiliated with BASD.
Families with a child directly impacted have already been contacted. Additionally, this provides an opportunity for all families to have conversations to help their children learn to protect their personal space and to share strategies for preventing unwanted touching, such as an unwelcome hug from an adult they may not know well.
Our school counseling staff can discuss any questions you may have about supporting your child and invite you to review the Committee for Children Blog to support conversations with your child.
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to play a role in your child’s life. Please know that the safety and well-being of students and staff are always a top priority.
To close, we look forward to seeing families at upcoming special events such as the PTO’s Spring Kick-off taking place next week. This is just one example of the many excellent opportunities where we can work together to strengthen our school community.
Sincerely,
Scott Schimmel, Dyer Elementary School Principal
Steve Plank, BASD Superintendent