KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A longtime teacher recently fired by the Blue Valley School District said Friday in a statement she wanted to thank people for their support.
"I can't thank you enough for your interest in my story, and for allowing the community to be heard in support of me and the many teachers who have reached out and said it could have been them," Barb Hart said.
The Blue Valley School Board voted 6-1 at Monday night's meeting to fire Hart after she was accused of violating Policy 3522, titled Emergency Safety Interventions (ESI), which governs the use of seclusion or physical restraint.
Parents who spoke to KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva on Thursday continue to stand behind Hart and the actions that resulted in the loss of her job.
“It was a special-needs child who was in the hallway, having an episode — or ‘in a loop,’ as they call it — and he was on the ground,” said Michael Hanna, whose two children were Hart's students in previous years. “She wanted to get him into a safe space, maybe somewhere he felt more comfortable. To do that, he had to be moved — and he wasn’t doing that on his own. So he needed a little bit of help.”
The school district sent Silva a statement on the firing, which reads below.
"Blue Valley Schools understands that this personnel matter feels close for many in the school community. Personnel decisions are carefully reviewed to ensure alignment with board policy, applicable law and the rights of all individuals involved. Out of respect for all involved and in accordance with the law, we are not able to share additional details. Our focus remains on supporting our students, staff and school communities while maintaining the confidentiality and dignity that situations like this require, while upholding the community’s high expectations of our schools."
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