School districts face questions from Sen. Bernie Moreno about inappropriate behavior allegations

Two Northeast Ohio school districts are in focus amid allegations of inappropriate behavior.

A federal lawmaker from Ohio fired off a letter to the Mentor Board of Education, demanding answers from a local school system after he alleged it allowed a 15-year-old facing 36 counts of child pornography charges back onto the high school’s campus. Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno raised his questions in a letter to Mentor Board of Education President Maggie Cook.

However, school officials pushed back on the senator’s narrative, telling News 5 Cleveland that “the juvenile in question has not attended school or been present on any district property since the time of the arrest.” According to reports, the student is no longer enrolled in the school district.

“I am absolutely repulsed to learn that a 15-year-old Mentor High School student was arrested last week on child pornography charges,” Moreno wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to Cook. “Yet, even worse, I am revolted to learn that you may have allowed a potential sex offender, who was charged with 36 felony counts, including pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, back onto Mentor Public School property.

“As not only the senior Senator of our great state, but as a dad myself, the most important thing I can do is protect Ohio’s children,” Moreno added. “You are a mother yourself, who sent your own children to Mentor High School, I cannot imagine how you could entertain the prospect of your children attending school with an alleged criminal, arrested on child pornography charges. How, as Mentor Board of Education President could you let this happen?”

Cleveland.com blasted Moreno for what it said was spreading “a baseless rumor.” However, Moreno’s communications director told the publication the lawmaker was merely “asking questions” and “glad to see that it’s now being resolved.”

In a separate case, a teacher at Greenbriar Middle School in Parma has been placed on leave amid an outside investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct. The teacher has been on leave since March as the school district continues to review the matter, according to a letter the school’s superintendent sent to parents, a copy of which was shared with Ohio.News. It has also been posted to social media.

“The investigator, after interviewing or attempting to interview approximately 40 students, parents, former students and school representatives, concluded that there have been no substantiated violations of Parma City School District’s policy that addresses harassment and conduct of a sexual nature that affects the learning environment,” Superintendent Scott J. Hunt wrote in a letter to parents.

“The investigator found evidence of unprofessional and inappropriate conduct exhibited by the teacher in the classroom,” Hunt added. “The Parma City School District is acting on the investigator’s recommendations, which include continuing our internal review of the teacher’s actions while he remains on leave and reviewing protocols and procedures when a student complains of harassment.”

A parent tried to address the school board during a public meeting earlier this year about the matter, alleging that the district did not follow the law and did not properly report the allegations. However, officials said they would not allow the parent to “disparage” the teacher, even though the parent did not name the teacher.

A spokesperson for the district did not immediately return an Ohio.News request seeking more information.