Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board bans student for one year

A Prescott student has been banned from the school grounds and events for her role in an altercation involving a box knife on school property on Jan. 8. That decision came in a 3-1 vote from the Prescott School Board following a three and a half hour executive session Tuesday night.

School board secretary Sandra Tatum cast the single dissenting vote and board president Patricia Blake did not cast a verbal vote.

Shortly after the meeting began, Blake called the student by name and asked if she was present. She answered and confirmed that her parents - also identified by name - were also present.

Next, Blake asked if the student was represented by council, and the mother answered, Not at this time.

Blake then explained that the student had the option of an open session or a closed session, and explained that an open session meant everyone at the meeting could watch the proceedings.

Blake said the five members of the school board, school superintendent Hyacinth Deon, school attorney Glenn Vasser, high school principal Jeff Farris, the student and her parents would be in attendance for a closed session.

The student opted for a closed hearing and those named moved to the high schools media center.

For more than an hour and a half, the board remained behind closed doors, occasionally sending a request for another person to enter the media center. Those who went into the hearing included faculty and family members of the student.

Then the board apparently excused everyone from the media center while deliberations continued. Deon, Vasser, the student and her parents remained in the hallways until the board reconvened in public session shortly after 9:30 p.m.

We have heard the administrations recommendation, Blake said, though she did not elaborate on what that recommendation was.

Board member Tom Cornelius made a motion to amend the administrations recommendation. Corneliuss motion recommended that the student - who was again named - was to attend the Garland Alternative Learning program in Hope. The motion further indicated that the student would have no access to the school campus, facilities or functions.

Board vice-president Shane Meadors seconded the motion and the motion passed, 3-1.

Following the meeting, Deon cited confidentiality issues and declined to say what her recommendation had been.

Also following the meeting, Blake submitted to an on-camera interview with a Little Rock television station. Blake said the board voted to modify the administrations recommendation for expulsion.

The remainder of the boards agenda items were suspended due to the late hour when the expulsion hearing was completed.

After that announcement, the student and her parents approached Blake and Deon, indicating that they didnt plan to send the student to Garland. Though the students mother went on camera with a Little Rock television station briefly explaining their side of the incident in question, they declined to comment to the Picayune following the boards decision.

The incident in question happened on Jan. 8 in the old high school gym. Prior to the board meeting, Deon said it was an unfortunate event. She also confirmed that the incident involved a box knife.

Prescott City Police Chief Brian Russell has confirmed that officers answered the call around 5 p.m. Jan. 8. Russell said Wednesday that their investigation into the matter has been completed and turned over to prosecutors for the Ninth Judicial District North. He said the juvenile portion of the investigation was submitted to local juvenile intake officer David Bubba Powerss office. Russell confirmed that his officers have also investigated an adults involvement, and said those records have been turned over to local criminal prosecutors.