Letter: Dr. Calvin 1/22 update on CER Elementary
Jan. 22, 2023Dear Charles E. Riley Elementary families,
I am writing today because of an abundance of emails and related online posts from families which were received and/or were circulating throughout this weekend.
These emails and online posts assert that last week there was an alleged recent bullying incident at Charles E. Riley that involved a student who had also posted information on social media which indicates that the student had planned to engage in targeting additional students by engaging in physical altercations with them in the near future. In addition, several emails and online posts shared that several parents and/or guardians made a report to the Oswego Police Department concerning this matter.
Please know, we take matters of safety very seriously when they are reported to us or local police and based upon the most current results of our investigation into this matter the district has acted per its code of conduct and policies. I can assure all parents that appropriate disciplinary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of Charles E. Riley and all of our other schools.
In addition, the Oswego Police Department and district are still in the process of investigating related concerns that are a part of this matter. Accordingly, we are unable to further comment on this situation due to the district’s privacy policy, student privacy laws and the fact that this is an ongoing investigation.
We thank the Oswego City Police Department for all they have done thus far in this investigation and for all that they continue to do to keep our schools safe. I also want to thank the community members who reached out about this potential safety issue and would ask parents and/or guardians to continue to report any issues or concerns they may have to Charles E. Riley Principal, Dr. Linda Doty.
Again, to protect the privacy of individuals involved, we cannot comment further on the investigation at this time, but I wanted to send a letter to let you know we have taken action. The security of our students and ensuring a safe environment for them to learn in is always our top priority.
Even though we have acted, students and families will see an additional police and security presence at Charles E. Riley on Monday as an additional safety and peace of mind measure. This is common practice at our schools whenever there is a security concern.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Mathis Calvin III
Superintendent of Schools
