GVSD Officials To Meet With Parents Thursday Night
The district's lawyer will be on hand to answer questions about the employee who is accused of offenses against children in 2006 and 2007.
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According to an email from Great Valley superintendent Alan Lonoconus, the school district solicitor will answer questions from parents at a meeting at General Wayne Elementary School at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The topic of the meeting will be the allegations involving Matthew Lewis, a member of the district's technology staff who was recently charged with indecent assault, corruption of minors and other offenses against children. The alleged incidents took place in 2006 and 2007 at a Boy Scouts camp, and Lonoconus has reiterated that the crimes were "in no way related to any conduct or behavior involving the Great Valley School District."
At a recent school board meeting, parents expressed concern that Lewis might have been in the elementary schools after the charges were disclosed to the district and before the charges were files. The superintendent and school board cited legal constraints as the reason they were unable to provide information beyond an official statement (video of which is attached to this article) and said the district lawyer would be able to provide more information at the Thursday night meeting.
To see the superintendent's recent letter to parents, click here.
Kristin Thomas
9:35 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Was the meeting captured on video and if so, can the public view it and where?
Pete Kennedy
9:44 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Not sure if there's video, but a Malvern Patch reporter is there now. (It's still going on as of 9:30...) Recap will be up tomorrow morning. State Rep. Duane Milne is in attendance.
Brielle
10:15 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thank You Pete... was Mr. Milne speaking?
Pete Kennedy
10:57 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I don't know for certain, but I assume he addressed the crowd.
Amanda Mahnke
12:23 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
Milne did speak briefly after a few hours of back and forth between parents and school district employees. No video—the meeting went on for more than three and a half hours!
Joe Herget
12:38 pm on Friday, December 23, 2011
So at this point, has Dr. Lonoconus (or counsel) answered the primary question regarding when they knew about the nature of the allegations? Not to jump to conclusions, but based on the emails & letters I've received (as a parent) from the GVSD, it seems they are dodging that question via the cover of the "legal system".
Obviously, given the recent events across the education community, we are all concerned that the well-being of young people is put ahead of concerns for the institution (legal, financial or otherwise). As the parent of 3 children in the Great Valley School System, I have been delighted with the quality of the educational program. However, I would be dismayed to learn that the GVSD leadership failed to take common sense measures to protect the youth that were entrusted to them.