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A Blue Valley Schools parent is speaking out in defense of her son's former teacher who was terminated for violating the district's physical restraint policy, saying the teacher "took the right action" during an incident with her son.
Barbara Hart, the teacher, lost her job at Sunset Ridge Elementary.
“I feel really sorry for her. I know we didn’t want this to happen,” said Chen, the mother of the child involved in the incident. “I feel she took the right action.”
Chen doesn’t want to show her face or share her full name out of a mother's concern for her son.
“I don’t want other parents or students to look at my son differently,” she said.
Over the past week, we’ve been amplifying the voices of concerned Blue Valley Schools parents after Hart was fired. More than $24,000 has been raised in support of the family.
Chen received an Emergency Safety Intervention notice from Sunset Ridge Elementary on October 1st. It describes what happened the day before.
The notice stated Mrs. Hart picked the child up "and proceeded to carry him back to her room.” He “was kicking, screaming, crying, protesting. She continued to carry him into her room. Once they entered her room, she placed him on the floor next to the 'safe space."'
The document also says a witness “did not feel that it was warranted under ESI regulations.”
Chen says she did not raise concerns with the school staff or the district about her son's treatment by Hart.
Chen wrote back to the school district on the complaint form she was sent after the incident.
She stated that "Mrs. Hart took the right action" to protect her son and other children.
She says she was not aware of Hart’s termination until Oct. 9th
The district says Hart violated Policy 3522 — which determines when seclusion or physical restraint can be used.
“I feel like Policy 3522 is too outdated, you know? And you can’t make such a clean cut that ends a teacher’s career and life,” Chen said.
The policy states: “District personnel may use seclusion and/or physical restraint only when less restrictive alternatives were determined by a school employee to be inappropriate or ineffective, and when a student’s behavior presents an immediate danger to self or others.”
Last week, the Blue Valley school board terminated Hart.
I reached out to the six school board members who voted in favor of Hart’s termination.
Just one of the board members got back to me.
“There is more than what you hear from social media,” Jan Kessinger, a school board member, wrote to me in an email. Chen said she doesn’t know what he’s referring to.
I reached out to the Blue Valley School District for additional comment on Tuesday afternoon. It reads:
The district takes all personnel matters seriously and approaches them with great care, deliberation, and respect for both the employee involved and the students we serve. While we understand there is public interest in this situation, we are legally and ethically bound by privacy laws that protect both student and employee information. For that reason, we cannot share specific details related to the personnel action that was taken.
What I can say is this: our foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of every student in our care. Staff are mandated reporters and must follow state laws and district policy regarding Emergency Safety Interventions (ESI), including the use of seclusion and restraint. These laws require that any use of restraint or seclusion be reported within 24 hours, with a full explanation of the circumstances. The law also makes clear that restraint or seclusion may only be used when less restrictive alternatives are ineffective, and when a student’s behavior presents an immediate danger to themselves or others. Kansas law strictly prohibits the use of seclusion or restraint, like physically holding or moving a student in a way that limits their movement, as a form of punishment or discipline. In this scenario, the use of restraint or seclusion did not meet the standard and was not comforting, nurturing or permitted.
All district staff receive annual training on Emergency Safety Intervention requirements and expectations, and those authorized to perform seclusion or restraint receive additional, specialized instruction. The district complies fully with Kansas statutes 72-6151 through 72-6158 and Kansas Administrative Regulations 91-42-1 through 91-42-7, as well as Board Policy 3522. These policies are in place for the safety of both students and staff.
Length of service does not exempt any employee from following the law or established policy. Every staff member, regardless of tenure, is expected to uphold our professional standards and our legal responsibilities. When actions fall outside those boundaries, the district must respond accordingly.
Personnel actions are never taken lightly. Staff are provided opportunities to learn, reflect and improve their practice. However, when an action violates the safety or rights of a student, the district has a legal and moral obligation to act. Our decisions are grounded in the duty to protect children, uphold the law and maintain the trust of our community.—Dr. Gillian Chapman
I also received this statement from Hart on Friday:
“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.
When asked what she’d like to tell the school board, Chen said, “Hart didn’t do anything harmful to him. Hopefully, we can bring Mrs. Hart back. She’s a great teacher."
