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For Immediate Release: October 5, 2007
GSU President Concludes Investigation
Grambling State University President Horace Judson today announced that he has completed a three-day investigation into the unapproved activity at Alma J. Brown Elementary School on September 20, 2007, involving kindergarten and first grade students.
After numerous interviews with University personnel involved in the incident, GSU President Horace Judson announced that sanctions will be sought against five teachers. These recommended sanctions require convening the appropriate committees to consider options ranging from dismissal of a tenured teacher, to placing a teacher on leave without pay, to issuing letters of reprimand.
“We have a strong understanding of what happened and are taking swift steps to ensure nothing of this nature occurs again. It is regrettable and unfortunate that elementary students were participants in an activity that was inappropriate and showed lack of judgment,” said Judson. “After 23 interviews and 32 hours spent on this investigation, I am confident we have gathered all the pertinent facts surrounding these events.
In addition to recommended personnel actions, College of Education personnel will conduct a stringent review of lab school practices and hold in-service training with faculty to reinforce the curriculum pre-approval process. Additional efforts planned by Principal Regina Gregory and Superintendent and College of Education Dean Sean Warner include:
- Implementing regular teacher training focused on instructional improvement.
- Encouraging all teachers to report inappropriate acts, and
- Requiring monthly submission of school visitor’s logs and sign out sheets.
Calling it a “very serious matter,” Grambling State University President Horace Judson announced last Friday he would conduct a full investigation into the lab school incident. “I want to make it perfectly clear that Grambling State University is committed to the full protection and safety of all of its students,” said Judson.
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