OCEANSIDE, Calif. — More than a dozen parents gathered at Libby Elementary School in Oceanside on Friday, March 29 to protest what they say is an abuse of power by school administrators and an unwillingness to address rampant safety issues.
The group of parents cites a long list of examples where school faculty has failed them and their children who attend the elementary school in north Oceanside. At the top of the list is what they claim that staff failed to notify them about a stabbing that took place at the school, as well as the ensuing lockdown.
Parents say they are not being heard by the district or the faculty.
Also among their list of complaints, parents say Libby Elementary staff are allowing kids to eat school meals inside what they say is a "rat-infested" cafeteria, that staff have discriminated against disabled volunteers at the school, are photographing their children without permission, and exercising control over the use of social media.
Before school on Friday, parents met in the parking lot to list their grievances and make demands for answers.
District Superintendent Julie A. Vitale, Ph.D. issued the following statement after our story aired:
We are aware that a flier is now circulating encouraging families to keep their children out of school to protest concerns about school operations that some feel have not been properly addressed, and I want to share some important information with you regarding this situation.
First and foremost, no one should ever need to keep their child from school, disrupting their learning and keeping them from friends, in order to be heard regarding a concern. We are your partners in your child’s learning journey, and we strive to cooperate with families by responding to concerns in a timely manner.
There are established processes for staff, students, and families to share concerns with us so that we may look into them appropriately. To this point, there are allegations made in the flier that we have investigated, and following deep examination we found that they are not substantiated. This includes allegations against the school’s principal who I support and encourage you to continue to work with. Please understand that when we investigate student or staff concerns, the details of such investigation are confidential due to strict employee and student privacy rights. We understand that the lack of detailed information is interpreted as the district not taking the matter seriously, but I assure you that is not the case.
In addition to our investigation, the principal has held two listening circles with parents, guardians, caregivers, and staff to help facilitate a stronger understanding of concerns, challenges and ways to move forward. We appreciate that many people joined these discussions.
We will always place the highest priority on campus safety and the well-being of all our students. If ever you have a concern, please speak with your student’s teacher or the principal and we will work with you to address the situation.