Petition seeks ouster of super, A.D

KANSAS – The grandmother of a former Lakota student who was assaulted back in January has been vocal about allegations against two members of the district's administrative staff in how they handled the assault. Kelly Stevens is the author of a petition calling for the removal of superintendent Dr. Chad Coffman and athletic director Kevin Yeckley. The petition has been shared with Lakota's board of education and the state board of education. At the time of this reporting, the petition had 719 signatures. Stevens explained the struggles she and her family faced after her grandson's assault both in the cases working their way through the court system and through the alleged issues caused by Coffman and Yeckley. Although her grandson's assault and the aftermath presented issues, Stevens said the situation revealed deeper issues in the administration of Lakota schools. No help at all In her petition, Stevens alleges that Coffman and Yeckley "refused to follow the court order of no contact (between her grandson and the offenders), refused to believe there were court proceedings going on," that court proceedings against the offenders were only alleged by her family and that the court "washed its hands of the case." She also alleges that Coffman and Yeckley "only showed concern for the offenders' rights to come back to school and play sports as if nothing happened" and that the two "forced the victim to face his attackers." There is also an allegation that "Dr. Coffman made several calls to (her grandson's) mother (who was a certified substitute teacher with Lakota)" and Stevens "attempting to intimidate them" into "not getting the truth out to the board, (parents and community.)" It is also alleged that Coffman took away Stevens' daughter's hours and "refused to make the school safe and left her no choice but to relocate her children to another school." She concluded the petition by saying "Dr. Coffman and Kevin Yeckley have made it very clear that the safety of students at Lakota is not their first priority" and "They do not follow the code of conduct and are clearly negligent in providing a healthy and safe learning environment for students." Seeking redress Stevens shared that throughout her mission to hold Coffman and Yeckley accountable for their alleged actions, she has made contact with State Rep. Gary Click and State Sen. Theresa Gavarone. She and her family are working with Click on HB 206, which seeks to amend sections of state laws surrounding "the expulsion of a student from a public school for actions that endanger the health and safety of other students or school employees," according to the Ohio Legislature's website. HB 206 has been introduced in the House of Representatives passed through an in-house committee and was reported by the committee. The next step for HB 206 is to be passed by the full house. The bill must then enter the Senate where it will be sent to an in-senate committee where it must be reported by the committee and approved by the Senate. At a recent board of education meeting, board president Chris Chalfin commented on the petition. "Public discussion of specific student discipline matters is not only not appropriate, it's not legal," Chalfin said. "Both state and federal law prohibits the discussion of private student information and the district is committed to following these laws, protecting the privacy of student information. "I'm confident the district's administrative team has acted in accordance with the law and policies as it pertains to disciplinary matters," he continued. "I understand this may not be satisfactory to all people at all times. Others may have a different view of how things should be handled, however, public school districts are required to follow the law. That is what this district has done and is committed to continue doing." Chalfin said he was aware of the petition calling for the removal of two administrative employees. "As a board member, I am committed to following the law," he concluded. "An online petition concerning the employment of school personnel does nothing to change this. I have seen no evidence that any wrongdoing by any administrator that would warrant the removal of anyone." In an email to the A-T, Dr. Coffman responded to the allegations made by Stevens. "The courts have not provided the court order of no contact to me or the school," Coffman said in regards to allegations that he and Yeckley did not follow the court order involving the victim and offenders. "Since this involves juveniles, I understand that such private information may not be shared. Neither I nor the Lakota School District have received any court orders related to this case from the court." He denied that he and Yeckley did not follow the no-contact order, saying: "When a parent provides us with a court order, we ensure it is followed. We did so in this case, as the parent provided us with the order on June 4, 2024." When it comes to allegations that Coffman made statements that the court was not pursuing the case, he denied this. "In May, I initially believed the cases were dropped, but later in the month, I was corrected. I want to clarify that I did not make the statements you have outlined." An allegation was made that Coffman and Yeckley "felt 80 days was enough time" for the offenders to be suspended and for the victim to heal. Coffman denies that the statement was made. "Although I can't comment on a specific student's discipline, I can share that under state law, the maximum length of an expulsion is 80 days except for very limited circumstances such as bomb threats and weapons," he explained. "Under state law, the maximum length of a suspension is 10 days." He also denies that student safety is overlooked to allow other students to play sports. "As superintendent, I am committed to the well-being of all students and am responsible for upholding the law." He also denies that he has intimidated anyone involved in the situation, saying: " I contacted the mother, who is the legal guardian, to inform her that the grandmother, who is not the guardian, had involved herself in matters concerning her child. I also explained to the grandmother that members of the board of education do not have the authority to impose disciplinary actions on students." Coffman also denied that he took hours away from the victim's mother. He then shared multiple dates in which he said the mother had signed up to substitute but canceled for various reasons. "This left the district in a challenging position without coverage, he said. "She was not blocked; rather, she canceled on the district. I never prevented her from substituting. After March 22, she did not sign up to substitute again." Coffman also denied that he and Yeckley do not provide a safe environment. "Student safety is our top priority," he said. "I am committed to upholding the law and adhering to board policy. Under my leadership, we have implemented numerous safety measures, always prioritizing the needs of our students." Coffman concluded with the following statement, "All school communications are directed to students' legal guardians; grandparents are not entitled to access student information. It is not appropriate for me to discuss student disciplinary matters, as all discipline is handled in accordance with the law."