Great Valley School Meeting re: Matthew Lewis case

From the Great Valley School District:

Dear  Parents/Guardians,

I emailed you last week to share information with you about a matter involving Matthew Lewis, a school district employee who was recently  charged and arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police for allegations made as part of his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America. Today, I am emailing to invite you to a meeting on Thursday, December 22, 2011. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at General Wayne Elementary School. Our goal for that meeting is to have a conversation; one that I believe is important. While legal obligations do limit some of the information we can share, I hope to answer some of the questions you’ve raised. I hope, too, that we can come to an understanding about how to best move forward in ways that are appropriate for all parties concerned.  I know that this email comes with short notice about the meeting on Thursday night. However, I have also heard the urgency you’ve expressed and would like to resolve what we can in a timely manner. 

Attached to this email is the statement I read at the December 19 School Board meeting. I share it with you because it includes some of the facts related to our knowledge of this case and some of the constraints we face in dealing with situations like this.

As your superintendent – and more importantly as a parent myself – I understand the fear and frustration you’ve expressed. In Great Valley, we take the safety of our students very seriously. We also value the relationship we have with parents as partners in our efforts.  I hope that you will come to the meeting on Thursday night with a desire to learn more about the considerations we made in this matter and with an intention to engage in a conversation that helps to move us forward.  Members of the School Board, legal counsel, and I look forward to joining in that conversation with you.

With all sincerity,

Alan J. Lonoconus
Superintendent