ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Two more Rocky River High School staff members have been placed on leave amid an ongoing police investigation of alleged misconduct involving a student. According to a letter from the school obtained by 3News, the number of teachers under investigation now stands at six.
All personnel who have been placed on leave are currently banned from campus while police continue to investigate.
Neither the district nor the police have told parents details of the alleged misconduct.
Police have refused to release statements or recordings related to the incident, citing the ongoing investigation; district officials have only said some teachers discussed a student in an “inappropriate manner.”
Parents and guardians within the district were told of the incident in a letter from Rocky Rivers Schools' Superintendent Michael Shoaf earlier this month.
In a message to parents Monday, Principal Rob Winton asked for continued patience while the investigation moves forward.
“I understand that this can be both frustrating and upsetting for students, but we ask that you please be patient we continue to work through our investigation,” Winton wrote. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure that classroom instruction continues on pace.”
Substitute teachers have been retained to cover the classes taught by the teachers on leave.
Also on Monday, Superintendent Shoaf updated parents via email saying, “We are following our Board of Education policy for internal investigations. This includes interviews, review of pertinent materials, as well as consideration of any new facts which may come to light.
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“Thank you for your patience during this ongoing investigation. We respectfully ask for your continued patience as we must respect the integrity of the investigative process. We will provide an update to the community when the matter is concluded.
“We will continue to operate with the safety and well-being of our students as our top priority.”
Editor's note: The video in the player below is from a story published on March 12, 2021.