Sugarcreek Cares Responds to Entrapment Video of Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools Administrator
An emergency meeting was held by the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District Board of Education yesterday for the purpose of discussing “one or more incidents involving school personnel and parent/public relations” and considering “the employment, discipline, or the investigation of charges against a public employee.”
The employee under scrutiny was Ms. Betsy Gann, Director of Curriculum & Gifted Services. Ms. Gann was secretly videotaped and deceived by two people in a meeting last summer where they posed as new parents to the area with prospective students. The “parents” asked leading questions of Ms. Gann about CRT (critical race theory) and anti-racism. The secret recording was done by an alternative media outlet called Accuracy in Media (AIM). One of AIM’s objectives is to influence public opinion toward dismantling public education and increasing school choice (public funds routed away from public schools and toward private school vouchers).
After holding a private executive session to discuss the personnel issue and meet with Ms. Gann and her lawyer, the school board admitted that Ms. Gann is “entitled to due process in this matter.” The Board referred the matter to Superintendent Cozad for further investigation and potential discipline. The Board stated that they find it “disturbing” if an administrator is misleading parents or circumventing the law.
We have been through so much division as a community, from COVID, to whether or not to arm teachers, to diversity, equity, and inclusion. What we don’t want to happen is for Bellbrook-Sugarcreek to become more divided. We don’t want to quibble over terms like CRT and equity.
What we do want is honest, real, and yes, hard conversations about things like race and social class.
We want to not be afraid to speak openly.
We want to have grace for each other when we disagree.
We fear that this incident will prompt teachers to become afraid to discuss controversial topics, for fear of being filmed or fear of being censured.
What we hope this incident can do instead, is give us courage to stand up for what we believe in, to continue talking, all the while listening to and caring for each other. We hope the board and superintendent will publicly show their support for Ms. Gann.
Click here for the video of Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Board of Education special meeting, January 31, 2023. Discussion begins at the 3 hour 30 minute mark.
Click here for the video of both the entrapment of Ms. Gann and a Kettering City School District administrator.