District, coalition respond to Ward reinstatement

KANSAS — The Lakota Local School District and the Lakota Students' Civil Rights Coalition have offered their first formal responses to the reinstatement of Elementary Principal Dana Ward following her criminal acquittal last week. Ward returned to Lakota Elementary School on March 25, one day after a Sandusky County jury found her not guilty of first-degree misdemeanor assault. The charge stemmed from a May 8, 2025, incident in which a school resource officer's supplemental report stated security footage showed Ward striking a 5-year-old student in the face during dismissal. In response to more than a dozen questions submitted by The Advertiser-Tribune regarding the incident, the reinstatement and the district's internal review process, Superintendent Chad Coffman provided a statement on behalf of the district. "Mrs. Ward was placed on leave pending the outcome of her court case. A jury found her not guilty; therefore, she has returned to work," Coffman said. Coalition spokesperson Tabitha Woodruff, a 2005 Lakota graduate and civil rights attorney in Cleveland, said the coalition believes an acquittal does not determine whether Ward is fit to remain in her role. "An acquittal does not mean that she did not hit a student," Woodruff said. "It only means that the prosecution failed to carry their burden of proof. We believe the district is ignoring that basic expectation of an elementary school principal by reinstating her." The parents of the student involved in the May 2025 incident, Chris and Cassie Pitts, released a statement saying Ward's reinstatement has "shaken our faith in the justice system and the school system." Woodruff said coalition members have been told by current district staff that some employees were reprimanded for cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation into Ward. Those employees have not been identified. The coalition has also raised concerns about district enrollment, alleging that hundreds of students have been withdrawn due to safety concerns. According to state of Ohio October headcount data, which the state uses to calculate per-pupil funding, Lakota Local Schools enrolled 966 students in October 2023, 942 in October 2024 and 898 in October 2025. The district did not respond to questions about enrollment or its potential impact on state funding. The coalition has announced a rally at 5 p.m. Monday, April 20, at the Lakota Local Schools campus, 5200 County Road 13, Kansas, ahead of the Board of Education's regular meeting. The group is calling for the termination of Ward, Coffman and Athletic Director Kevin Yeckley. According to the coalition, the group's calls for removal stem from what it describes as a pattern of poor leadership and disregard for student safety, citing its allegations that Ward engaged in physical misconduct with a student, that Coffman has a history of investigations for failing to follow protocols when handling complaints and that Yeckley entered into a conduct agreement with the Ohio Department of Education for failing to maintain appropriate student-teacher boundaries. Woodruff said the coalition anticipates the board will not act on its demands but views the rally as part of a broader effort. "The school and the criminal courts have not held the abusers responsible, so we are taking it on ourselves to continue to cry out for accountability," Woodruff said. The coalition is also encouraging community members to run for school board seats this fall. The Advertiser-Tribune will continue to follow developments ahead of the April 20 rally.