October 31, 2008

Friday:?????????? Mr. Thompson is NOT at SVHS today. ABSENT FOUR DAYS in a row. Is this job abandonment with no notice again? Or has he finally been suspended? Or is he once again on "administrative paid leave"? Is he being paid for this day?

SVHS Parents, Students & Employees have a right to know what is going on.

OK. HERE WE GO - More Info:
There was indeed a suspension on the "RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL MATTERS" Board Approved, Date: October 28, 2008 list from Tuesday's Board meeting. Not Mr. Thompson, but someone else from another Wayne County school. Preliminary info indicates this suspension may be related to a violation of both the WVDE and Wayne County Safe & Acceptable Use of Internet policies.

THE SVHS LSIC, Administration and Parents were told by Gary Adkins (Superintendent), Mike Rutherford (Assistant Superintendent), Tim Conzett (new Technology Director) and David Lycan (the County's attorney) BACK IN APRIL 2008, MAY 2008 & again in JUNE 2008 THAT MR. TODD THOMPSON COULD NOT BE SUSPENDED OR TERMINATED FOR VIOLATING THOSE POLICIES.

Even though PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN TERMINATED ALL OVER THE STATE OF WV FOR VIOLATIONS OF SUCH.

And now, at least, one employee of the Wayne County Board of Education (who does not have a parent who is a Wayne County Board Member) has been suspended in Wayne County for Violations of Such.

I guess that's progress.

Hmm. Or precedent.

When did they discover this employee's offense? Was it before Mike Rutherford's discovery on Thursday, October 23, 2008 of Mr. Todd Thompson's violation (again) of WVDE & Wayne County Acceptable Use of Internet polices by his re-posting multiple bogus SVHS webpages containing unauthorized photos of current and former SVHS students and soliticing inappropriate contact with minors and/or students via his WVNET access email?

OK. The CLOCK's ticking on that.

TICK. TICK. TICK.

The Superintendent must act. The Board must act.

The next Board Meeting is not until (Thursday) November 13th! It is supposed to be the big (once a year meeting) where all the LSICs from all the local elementary schools, middle schools, and SVHS (8 schools total) meet and the principals give their "Our School is Doing Great" reports to the Board.

(And thank you everyone who sent info regarding this and other matters)

--Letter To WCBOE--

Time To Take A Stand

The following letter was mailed to the five members of the Wayne County Board of Education today:

October 21, 2008


We vehemently protest the return of Mr. Todd Thompson, the son of a Wayne County Board of Education member, to the position of Network Administrator at Spring Valley High School.

Although presented with well-documented, multiple instances of Mr. Todd Thompson’s inappropriate and dangerous behavior and actions toward students, parents, administrators, faculty & staff, the Wayne County Superintendent of Schools, Gary Adkins, has insisted on Mr. Todd Thompson’s return to Spring Valley High School, creating once again, an unsafe and hostile environment for students, administrators, faculty & staff, parents and community, certainly non-conducive to learning and definitely a hostile work environment for the administration, faculty & staff.

It is particularly ironic that he has been returned just as the County is spending thousands of dollars to bring the Columbine High School tragedy-based “Rachel’s Challenge” Program back to Spring Valley and Wayne County schools this week. The effect of Mr. Thompson’s return upon the students, faculty & staff at this school is visible, the tone and atmosphere of the school is one of fear, anger & disbelief; creating distraction and certainly disrupting the learning process.

Therefore:

We protest the past intervention of Superintendent Gary Adkins and Assistant Superintendent Mike Rutherford, again and again, showing preferential treatment and lack of disciplinary action toward Mr. Thompson for multiple egregious acts that merit a recommendation of termination.

Said preferential treatment including but not limited to:

· Failure to recommend termination of Mr. Thompson for multiple instances of job abandonment (failure to come to work with no notification to superiors) during the 2007-2008 academic year; and during previous academic years, both at SVHS and at other schools where he was employed; and, indeed during the current 2008-2009 academic year since he was (evidently) not suspended or being disciplined, and indeed, still being paid for the SVHS job position, although not present to perform his duties (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination for repeated violations of State & County Acceptable Use of Internet policies as relates to his use of internet including posting of non-authorized photos of SVHS students on his private, personal website, copyrighting them, also linking the SVHS WVNet Website to his private, personal web-site with inappropriate links to adult content, where he solicited SVHS students lured to the site, to engage in non-school related chat or email him at his private, non-Access, email account. (students would have been suspended) (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination for repeatedly taking pictures of SVHS students without standing (not related to job duties, not a club sponsor, not a teacher) and without administrator knowledge or approval, parental knowledge or approval or required signed release forms, generating many parent complaints and concerns. In conjunction, odd and inappropriate behavior around students and student activities, including hiding behind objects and emerging quickly snapping pictures, only to quickly hide again, trying to enter private areas where students were (dugouts, team areas) (students would have been suspended or expelled) (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination for repeated incidents of insubordination for failure to comply with multiple written, documented requests from superiors as regards appearing for meetings, required performance & procedures, requests for passwords for all networks, hardware & software. (students would have been suspended) (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination for Mr. Todd Thompson repeatedly carrying a weapon (a large knife) on his person, often on his belt, in plain view of faculty, staff & students and was heard to remark to one employee as to sic paraphrased ‘think what he could do to a man with this’ (students would have been expelled & criminally charged) (other employees have been or would be terminated/criminally charged for this)

· Failure to recommend termination after repeated incidents of harassment to students. (students would have been expelled & criminally charged) (other employees have been or would be terminated/criminally charged for this)

· Failure to recommend termination after repeated incidents of harassment to administrators, faculty & staff (students would have been expelled & criminally charged) (other employees have been or would be terminated/criminally charged for this)

· Failure to recommend termination after receipt of a copy of a rambling, disturbing, threatening email sent by Mr. Todd Thompson via Access email over WVNet suggesting Mr. Thompson’s mental instability & agitation, making threats toward specifically named SVHS employees, namely the principal, 2 assistant principals and a secretary. (Note: Superintendent of Schools, Gary Adkins and Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Mike Rutherford failed to notify the principal that an email was received, failed to notify the principal or the other three employees that threats had been made against them or that there was any cause for concern. The employees finally learned of the threats from an outside party in April 2008, the principal then contacting the Superintendent of Schools, Gary Adkins and asking for a copy of the above-mentioned email.) (student would have been expelled/criminally charged) (other employees have been or would be terminated/criminally charged for this

· Failure to recommend termination after Mr. Thompson harassed a parent (a disabled, paraplegic, wheelchair-bound, former firefighter) and filed a false battery complaint with the West Virginia State Police against said parent (other employees have been/would be terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination after Mr. Thompson filed a false Workman’s Compensation Claim (other employees have been or would be terminated/criminally charged for this)

· Failure to terminate after persistent and flagrant smoking on campus, during school hours and at school functions, in plain view of students and parents, continuing to smoke after being asked to stop by parents (students would have been suspended) (other employees have been or would be disciplined/terminated for this)

· Failure to recommend termination for working and driving on campus while under the influence (i.e. – sitting or standing in a stupor in and near the main office, incoherence, slurring words, loss of motor function/palsy, unsteady gait & staggering into and leaning against hall walls with eyes closed in front of faculty, staff, students & parents) (students would have been suspended or expelled) (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to terminate for not signing in, not signing out, leaving the campus, abandoning post and job duties without permission or notification, or turning in reduced hours for payroll purposes (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to terminate for requesting pay for days not worked, nor present (other employees have been or would be terminated for this)

· Failure to allow a SVHS principal to complete a personnel evaluation as is required, that would have quantified and qualified poor job performance to date, setting base point for plan of improvement, leading to termination, if proficiency not attained (Note: Direct intervention here by Superintendent of Schools, Gary Adkins, stopping evaluation mid-process)

· Failure to secure Mr. Todd Thompson’s personnel file which mysteriously disappeared after the above-mentioned principal took other employment.

· Failure to retain copies of all complaints and documents related to poor job performance faxed to the Superintendent’s attention by the above-mentioned principal, duplicates of the documents in the missing personnel file

Further:

We also protest Superintendent Gary Adkins gifting Mr. Todd Thompson with a five-month-long “special administrative leave” paid “vacation” with no suspension and no disciplinary hearings which, when asked about the “leave” by concerned parents, former BOE President, Mike Skeens, noted that sic paraphrased ‘News to me. Thought he was suspended. Administrative leave thing – don’t know. Evidently never been done before.’ This is certainly questionable and clearly preferential treatment as compared with any other employee.

We further protest our tax dollars being used to pay Mr. Todd Thompson’s “special administrative pay” since his departure from his job, April 2, 2008.

We continue to protest the past, and ongoing, intervention of Superintendent Gary Adkins and Assistant Superintendent Mike Rutherford, to keep Mr. Todd Thompson in his position, notwithstanding a long history of poor job performance, rendering the functionality of technology assets at SVHS seriously compromised during his tenure, impairing the education of all SVHS students, compromising the required delivery of CSO’s and implementation of multiple 21st Century Learning goals, across all subject areas.

Further:

We vehemently protest the failure of Superintendent Adkins and Assistant Superintendent Rutherford to:

as previously requested, take down Mr. Thompson’s bogus SVHS webpages which are posted to his private verizon.net website, which have a verizon.net url, which is hosted by a private (non-WVDE) internet service provider which, unbelievably, is still fully operational as of the date of this letter, some six and one-half months after its improper existence was brought to the attention of the Superintendent Adkins, Asst. Supt. Rutherford and the Wayne County Board of Education members, with the exception of Ms. Hurley.

and

which is still presented as an official Spring Valley High School website and which is still, unbelievably, displaying unauthorized pictures of SVHS students, with said photos purported to be “copyrighted” as the personal property of Mr. Todd Thompson with the following comments posted above and below them:

“All images are copyright to me, Mr. Todd Thompson, each image is invisibly watermarked with DigiMarc software, and visibly marked with the same. Although when scaled up the visible marcs color scale blew apart this morning, it is 5:00 am. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008.”

“I was amazed at this students skill at preforming this stunt, and my sheer luck at getting such a good picture of it! I give her an A+! Of course, I give all the girls an A+ too! All cheerleading pictures taken by a Nikon S-200 direct to SD storage media. You can click on each photo to take you to the full size photo.”

“These too are DigiMarc software tagged, and property of Mr. Todd Thompson. Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. Look for more photos to be posted.”

Further:

We vehemently protest the failure of Superintendent Adkins and Assistant Superintendent Rutherford to:

As previously requested, retrieve all photographs ( i.e. “hundreds”) of SVHS students from Mr. Thompson’s personal and school photographic equipment, any personal computers, or any digital storage media (SD or any other digital camera cards, flash memory devices (thumb drives), internal or external hard drives or media storage, etc.), which he had located at his home, on his person, in his vehicle, or any other off-campus location

“this morning, it is 5:00 am” “All cheerleading pictures taken by a Nikon S-200 direct to SD storage media”

“Look for more photos to be posted.”

This is very important to the parents of those children whose photos were taken, particularly those whose children’s images are now posted to this man’s private website.

With the exception of new Board Member, JoAnn Hurley, we also protest each Board Member’s past inaction, both toward Mr. Todd Thompson, and also toward Mr. Adkins and Mr. Rutherford as regards their inexplicable and indefensible actions or inaction, particularly Mr. Adkins’ failure to recommend termination at several points, particularly for repeated acts or actions, especially those endangering students.

In conclusion:

We respectfully ask again that Todd Thompson be removed from our school, Spring Valley High School, permanently, effective immediately.

We respectfully ask again that all exterior locks and specified interior locks at SVHS be re-keyed and all electronic access be reset.

We respectfully ask that the Wayne County Board of Education not employ Todd Thompson in any capacity, at any Wayne County school.

We respectfully ask that the Wayne County Board of Education insure Todd Thompson, and anyone related to Todd Thompson, have no access to school buildings, technology in those school buildings or access to students, faculty, staff; nor their records, likeness, or personal data.

We respectfully ask again that the Board ensure the webpages posted on Mr. Todd Thompson’s, that purport to be related to Spring Valley High School, be deleted and removed immediately, particularly the page with unauthorized photos of Spring Valley students.

We respectfully ask again that you retrieve all photographs of Spring Valley High School students, past and present, both prints and digital images stored on any cameras, digital media cards used in cameras, flash memory devices (thumb drives), computers, or any digital storage media, internal or external hard drives which Mr. Todd Thompson has located at his home, on his person, in his vehicle, or any other off-campus location.

We respectfully ask again that someone be placed in the position of Network Administrator who is fully qualified, with appropriate training and credentials, competent, possesses the necessary specific skills and extensive job experience, preferably outside this county, in the technical aspects of the job; further we request the job not be filled with anyone who is currently an employee at the Central Office, is related to anyone who is currently an employee at the Central Office or is related to any WCBOE member, or is currently employed as a Title I employee or, in any capacity, as a contracted employee (outside contractor) who is compensated with Title funds, particularly Title I funds, which is controlled by another relative of a Wayne County Board Of Education member.


Additionally:


We respectfully ask for the resignations of Superintendent of Wayne County Schools, Gary Adkins and Assistant Superintendent of Wayne County Schools, Mike Rutherford.

Their history of action and inaction, as regards this and other long-standing situations, constitutes malfeasance, misfeasance & nonfeasance and a pattern of violation of the public trust.

They have clearly failed, with intention, multiple times, to act upon the documented fears and concerns, requests for action, notifications of State Code violations, notifications of civil and criminal violations, notifications of the existence of a hostile work environment they have received from their own employees - the administration, faculty & staff at SVHS - who spoke out in spite of well-placed fears of retribution or retaliation.

They have clearly failed, with intention, multiple times, to put the safety, welfare and education of Wayne County students at Spring Valley High School first and have indeed, by their actions, placed these students in danger.

Sincerely,


Karen Rucker

----To Make a Call----

Contact Information

Wayne County Board Central Office
Main Office: 304-272-5116

Press 0 – for the receptionist

EXT 324 – Gary Adkins, Supt.

EXT 349 – Secretary for Adkins

EXT 306 – Mike Rutherford, Asst. Supt. &
Acting High School Director thru
2007-2008 academic year

EXT 366 – Secretary for Rutherford
------------------------------
Contact Information
------------------------------
Wayne County Board of Education Members

Old Members:
Tom Gibson -- 453-4705
2274 Docks Creek Road, Kenova, WV 25530

John Barr -- 522-1775
3736 Route 75, Shoals, WV 25562

Steve Queen -- 272-6860
Route 1, Box 1263, Wayne, WV 25570

Dr. Rodney Thompson -- 522-6473
P. O. Box 728, Wayne, WV 25570

New Member:
JoAnn Hurley --- 633-0128
32 Hubbard Heights, Huntington, WV 25704

Past Letters:

Letters Sent by the SVHS LSIC

April 2008

April 1, 2008

Mr. Steve Morris, Principal
Spring Valley High School
Wayne County Schools
#1 Timberwolf Drive
Huntington, WV 25704

Dear Mr. Morris:

You are well aware of the multiple complaints weekly, sometimes daily, received as regards Mr. Todd Thompson’s actions, inaction, and interaction with students, parents, faculty and staff at your school.

It has come to my attention that Mr. Thompson has taken photos of SVHS students, minors, without your authorization, without parental consent or signed permission, retained said photographic images, removed them from school premises, published them to the internet on a private website, utilizing a private, non-academic internet service provider.

As administrator of Spring Valley High School, you may move, remove, and re-distribute county-purchased assets within your facility as you deem necessary and are expected to attend to daily safety and security matters as regards your facility as you deem necessary.

Therefore, the LSIC requests that you immediately remove all computer equipment, external hard drives, digital storage media, flash drives, all video cameras and equipment, and all other cameras, both digital and film-based, and any other items found in or in the vicinity of Mr. Todd Thompson’s office at Spring Valley High School and secure them until such time as they can be examined as relates to inappropriate actions involving the above-mentioned minor children.

We also request the locks for the office, server room, and related common areas such as the library be changed or secured until the area itself can be closely examined as regards images stored on network drives or other computers.

The LSIC will also request, via the Wayne County Board of Education, the return of any images personally retained my Mr. Thompson at other private locations immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation,


Karen Rucker, Chair
Spring Valley High School
Local School Improvement Committee



April 10, 2008

Gentlemen:

The LSIC of Spring Valley High School is very concerned about daily functionality issues regarding the SVHS network, computer labs, the library/media center computers, technology class labs, the laptop lab, classroom/faculty computers and the Channel 39 computer and uplink, among other things.

The daily maintenance, updates & back-ups, scheduling, (daily) Netware student record maintenance, multiple software management, assessment & troubleshooting, on-site problem resolution, hardware assessment & prompt submission of work orders that occur every day in a school that need the attention of a system operator/network administrator have not been addressed for some time at SVHS.

The proper functioning of the network and related computer equipment is essential to every single student, every day at SVHS, not to mention the administration, faculty and staff.

The LSIC learned on Friday, April 4th, that the former Network Administrator at SVHS, Sean Ferguson, is available for outside contract work.

The members of the LSIC request that Mr. Ferguson be employed as an outside contractor to fill this short-term but critical need for a specifically skilled individual to deal with the above-mentioned issues in Mr. Thompson’s absence.

We feel Mr. Ferguson to be a logical and practical choice during this period, due to his previous experience on site. Because of his familiarity with Novell Netware and the installations at SVHS, little time would be lost and no additional expense incurred during transition as might happen if someone unfamiliar with the school and its applications were employed and they required extra time or training to perform the relevant job duties.

Mr. Ferguson’s home phone number is 733-4185. The office personnel at SVHS have additional contact information for him, if needed.

Thank you for your prompt attention as regards this matter.



Karen Rucker, Chair
SVHS Local School Improvement Committee


April 10, 2008

Gentlemen:

It has come to our attention that an email sent on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 by Todd Thompson was irrational and threatening, clearly indicating a possible threat to Spring Valley High School and its students, in general, and also to certain administrative staff, specifically named therein.

[Note: This email was sent from an access email account to multiple email addresses, including at least one access email account of a WCBOE Central Office staff member via the WVDE access email network/WVNET.]

In this rambling, irrational, threatening five-page email:

Please note: (sic) All misspellings are intended, enclosed in quotation marks as direct quotes and relevant to a verbatim transcription.

Mr. Thompson uses the words “violate/violation of my rights or my civil rights” eight times.
Mr. Thompson uses the word “defend” (as to myself or my rights) three times
Mr. Thompson refers to the United States Constitution five times.
Mr. Thompson refers to Freedom of Religion or religious beliefs five times.
Mr. Thompson uses the word “hair” fourteen times.
Mr. Thompson uses the word “they” sixteen times.

Mr. Thompson uses several hot-button phrases such as “until I draw my last breath” “stand up and defend myself” “Facist state” “BLATANT violation of my civil rights” “unreasonable search and siesure” “reached the end of my rope” “I will do what ever is necessary to maintain my right” “I have taken every kind of medication in the world”

Mr. Thompson singles out SVHS administrators Mr. Morris, Mr. Davis, Mr. Swann, and secretary, Cosbie Farley by name and refers to them two more times as the “4 of them”. It further mentions the administrators as the three of them or the other two at least two more times and then singles out Mr. Morris a third time by name, saying “his cupability (sic) is like double or tripple (sic) that of the other two.” Did law enforcement, assuming they reviewed this, construe this to be a de facto ‘hit list’?

Other items of interest:

“talked to 2 other employees who have long hair” – Were those 2 employees (witnesses) interviewed
as to their opinion as to state of mind/premeditation
of action, drugs?

“My desk has been searched and researched many times” - Why? When? By whom? What were the
results?
“I have taken every kind of medication in the world” – Intemperate condition in workplace/Drug-Free
Schools/Workplace documents? What drugs?
Drug test? Self medicate? Prescrips obtained
illegally, pot, crack, cocaine, meth? Appearance,
strange odors, strange nonsensical statements,
aggressiveness, particularly toward students,
loss of sense of time while in main office, loss of
fine-motor skills noted in workplace, seen
lounging/sitting on loading dock/custodial area at
rear of school, after school, smoking,
appeared to be an altered state




Rants that are particularly alarming:

“But I am still ready to defend myself.”

“Are we quietly turning into a Facist state, where the bosses tell the little people what to do”

“I will do what ever is necessary to maintain my right”

“better not be bullying me, because I am on guard and will defend my rights under the Constitution, until I draw my last breath. I stand before you now not as just another person to be punted around for their glee and sick pleasure, so they can chuckle when I am dismissed from the room, but you see before you an American proud and strong, from Wayne County, who will stand up and defend myself against tyranny and deep seated long standing traditions that need to be changed because they are wrong and in conflict with the US Constitution”

“I am the only 1 who is being picked on, and that is blatant discrimination and creating a nonlevel playing field with forethought and malice”

“wrong, especially when done over months of time with great forethought and deepseated malice”

“and there fore we will pick on you, bedevil you, change your access level to the server, make you look like a fool, do just what ever we can think of to get you to cut your hair because we think it is wrong, or OUR pastor told us that it is wrong, and we need to straighten you out boy.”

“My desk has been searched and researched many times, this is a violation, of unreasonable search and siesure by the state.”

“Shall I go on how over the past few years that I have been singled out for discrimination and violation of my civil rights?”

…“And for their sakes, they should quit violating my civil rights.”

“… my main boss Mr. Morris … so his cupability is like double or tripple that of the other two.’


Note: Transition from multi-page third paragraph rant portion of email to last five paragraphs (which were short, non-descript, conversational, pleasant) was decidedly odd, abrupt, like switch flipping. No mention or acknowledgement of previous rantings, revelations, disclosures or issues discussed in the lengthy, single-spaced third paragraph diatribe, that when printed, prints to approximately 3 full pages.




The members of the LSIC are gravely concerned about this email.


The email was sent on February 6, 2008.

Items of concern as relates to the timeframe of receipt of this email:

On February 7, 2008, an adult entered Notre Dame Elementary School, in nearby Portsmouth, Ohio, armed with a handgun and knife, and attempted to kill an employee in front of a classroom of children. This individual had previously made written and verbal irrational, threatening statements and exhibited irrational, aggressive behavior prior to said act.

On February 14, 2008, an adult (medicated, highly educated, had been attending college for ten years) entered a Northern Illinois University lecture hall with three handguns and a shotgun and killed five, injured sixteen. This individual had previously made written and verbal irrational, threatening statements and exhibited irrational, aggressive behavior prior to said act. The shooter also made gun-related purchases before the shootings.

Note: It was found that the Northern Illinois shooter purchased weapons online from the
same vendor that the Virginia Tech shooter purchased weapons from.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/02/15/university.shooting/index.html


Note: The Virginia Tech shooter was a medicated, highly-educated adult who
had previously made written and verbal irrational, threatening statements and
exhibited irrational, aggressive behavior. The shooter also made gun-related
purchases before the shootings.

Item of concern as relates to investigation and remedies as relates to receipt of this email:

Less than a week after the October 10, 2007 shootings at SuccessTech Academy High School, located in Cleveland Ohio, by a student who was previously known by administrators to be a threat, the Cleveland Public School District established a hotline for students to report threats and dangerous behavior, announced it was hiring armed security guards to patrol all campuses, installing metal detectors at all schools, and implementing additional security precautions at all schools to be reviewed by an outside professional security firm.



The members of the LSIC are gravely concerned about this email.

Even to the untrained eye, the writer of this email seems to have a skewed perception of reality, a problem with perspective as regards routine everyday comments or occurrences, and feels very persecuted. The email seems to indicate the writer appears to be deeply paranoid and terribly over-reactive, obsessed with hair, obsessed with protecting or avenging perceived rights against perceived attacks or infringements or offenses, and also seems to be immersed in defensive, ultra-right-wing, Constitutionalist rhetoric.


The members of the LSIC are gravely concerned about this email.

Please document the date, manner of, and results of the investigation regarding this email.

• Who assessed the threat level and profiled this email as to drug use, mental state, propensity to violence and criminal intent?
  
• What law enforcement agency/agencies was this email forwarded to for review and assessment? On what date(s)?
  
• Was a multi-state background check performed on Mr. Thompson to learn if he had any undisclosed citations, arrests, convictions, warrants? When?
  
• Were database checks performed to learn if Mr. Thompson has been buying weapons within the last 12 – 24 months? When?
  
• When was this email forwarded to the WCBOE’s attorney? Did he render any opinion regarding action required? Was the opinion followed?
  
• When was the WVDE informed of the inappropriate access email transmission via WVNET?
  
• What is/was their (the WVDE) position/participation in this matter?
  
• When was the principal of SVHS informed about the email? A copy of that letter would be helpful.
  
• When were the two SVHS employees with long hair interviewed? Did they express fear or concern? Was it considered that either of these two individuals could be Mr. Thompson’s drug connection/customers? Was that investigated?
  
• When were the SVHS administrators and secretary who were personally named in the email warned of the threat? A copy of that letter would be helpful.
  
• What extra measures were taken at the school to ensure student, faculty & staff safety?
  
• Was Mr. Thompson tested for drug use? When?
  
• Why was Mr. Thompson not suspended at this time?

We appreciate your prompt and complete response as regards this urgent situation.

The fourteen bulleted areas above represent questions regarding procedure and remedy. We are very interested in the actions of Central Office administrative personnel and the WCBOE, assuming the board members reviewed said email and were fully apprised of all related activities following its receipt by Central Office staff.

You will note we do not ask any questions which could be avoided by utilizing the “it’s a personnel matter and cannot be discussed” answer. Particularly, we do not inquire about what opinion the attorney rendered, only if one was rendered and if it was followed. We do not inquire as to the results of any drug test regarding specific personnel; we ask only if the procedures followed included a request and compliance for testing. Obviously, the Board did not suspend Mr. Thompson, so it is certainly reasonable to inquire as to justification for that decision.

Once again, we appreciate your prompt and complete response as regards this urgent situation.

Sincerely,



Karen Rucker, Chair
Spring Valley High School
Local School Improvement Committee


April 15, 2008

Gentlemen:


The LSIC of Spring Valley High School is very concerned as regards the matter that was brought before you during Executive Session at the April 1, 2008 Board of Education meeting.


We have received no communication from you these past two weeks as regards this urgent matter.


The parents of many children at SVHS are very concerned. They wish to know if the images of their children that were at Mr. Thompson’s private residence and on various electronic or photographic equipment at his private residence or elsewhere other than school grounds have been recovered and are in your possession.


When was this equipment seized? When will the parents be notified of the recovery of these images?


Also, we are concerned as regards written threats found in Mr. Thompson’s office with specific children’s names attached. Have the police determined this to be a possible “de facto” hit list? With this new threat, we request all exterior locks at SVHS be changed.


The LSIC would like to be informed as to the progress of these multiple investigations.

Sincerely,


Karen Rucker, Chair
SVHS LSIC

Letters Received by the SVHS LSIC

This is a copy of a letter given to the SVHS LSIC when the LSIC requested proof that a frightened student's complaint made to a member of the SVHS LSIC about Mr. Todd Thompson's abusive physical and verbal behavior towards her and another student had been addressed properly.

April 4, 2008

Gary Adkins, Supt. of Schools
Central Office
P.O. Box 70
Wayne, WV 25570

Mr. Adkins,

We have identified another situation regarding items in Mr. Todd Thompson’s office as regards his contact with Spring Valley High School students.

A female student had previously complained anonymously to a secretary who is an LSIC member about Mr. Thompson’s verbal abuse and actions toward her and another student but was too frightened to sign a written complaint. She also stated she wanted to start a petition to have him removed from our school but again was too frightened.

Since Mr. Thompson’s absence, she handed in a written statement but was still too frightened to sign it. I added this statement to the large file of complaints which I have kept on Mr. Thompson.

Today, I realized that an angry, threatening message written by Mr. Thompson on the back of a magazine I noticed laying in his office, referred to this child and another student by name.

I wanted you to be aware of this new information.

Sincerely,


Steve Morris, Principal
Spring Valley High School

--An Interesting Week--

Week One: October 20 - 24, 2008

MONDAY: Mr. Todd Thompson is a suspect in a hit and run accident which ocurred at 4:05 p.m. in Wayne on the WCBOE parking lot.

Wayne County Sheriff's Department Vehicle Incident Report #2008-2626:

SUSPECT VEHICLE: 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Green License# 8JJ828 WV

"The above owner was parked in the Board of Education parking lot when her vehicle was struck in the front end. The above witnesses were parked across the road seen a dark green jeep back into the white Toyota and leave. The above suspect vehicle was found parked between the Courthouse and Board Office and had white paint on the left rear bumper. The suspect stated that he never went into the parking lot that he parked on the side of the road. Both witnesses told this officer that it was the above Jeep that hit the Toyota car and left. End of Report"

SO

GARY ADKINS, Superintendent of Schools and MIKE RUTHERFORD, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, who met with the principal of SVHS earlier on Monday to tell him Mr. Todd Thompson was being put back in his school, decide to STILL send Mr. Thompson back into Spring Valley High School the next day, EVEN after Mr. Thompson becomes a SUSPECT in a HIT and RUN on Wayne County Board of Education Property, AFTER he hit a WCBOE CENTRAL OFFICE EMPLOYEE's vehicle, AFTER he is (evidently) witnessed fleeing the scene, and AFTER he (evidently) LIED about it to a WAYNE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY on an official record, despite evidence of the accident visible on his vehicle and witnesses identifying his vehicle and him personally.

TUESDAY: Mr. Todd Thompson appears at Spring Valley High School, sent to report to "work" at SVHS, on Tuesday morning. Mike Rutherford, Asst. Supt., Kevin Smith, and Dinah Ledbetter, all WCBOE Central Office employees, also appear at Spring Valley High School Tuesday morning. Mr. Todd Thompson makes several trips to his car, which is parked in the faculty parking lot on the SVHS campus, throughout the school day, sometimes for extended periods of time, joined at one point in the parking lot by his brother, Noah Thompson, also an employee of the Maintenance Department of the Wayne County Board of Education, who appears, driving a county vehicle, which parked in the same faculty parking lot.

WEDNESDAY: Mr. Todd Thompson is sent to report to "work" at Spring Valley High School. Mike Rutherford, Asst. Supt., is again at SVHS. Mr. Todd Thompson again makes several trips to his car, which is parked in the faculty parking lot on the SVHS campus, throughout the school day, sometimes for extended periods of time. Mr. Todd Thompson's brother, Noah Thompson, also a WCBOE employee, was at SVHS again, driving a county vehicle, and seen in the library with Mr. Todd Thompson.

THURSDAY: Mr. Todd Thompson is sent to report to "work" at Spring Valley High School. Mike Rutherford, Asst. Supt., is again at SVHS. Mr. Todd Thompson again makes several trips to his car, which is parked in the faculty parking lot on the SVHS campus, throughout the school day, sometime for extended periods of time. Mr. Todd Thompson's brother, Noah Thompson, also a WCBOE employee, was at SVHS again, driving a county vehicle. The Spring Valley Principal recieves a parent complaint about Mr. Todd Thompson's personal, non-WVNet website on verizon.net still being up and still displaying unauthorized photos of past and present Spring Valley students. Mr. Thompson was called to the principal's office, where Mr. Rutherford, Asst. Supt. was present. Mr. Rutherford DID NOT remove Mr. Todd. Thompson from the school, DID NOT recommend suspension or termination, DID NOT discipline him in any way, and DID NOT create or sign any written document related to the incident. Mr. Rutherford's only action was to instruct Mr. Thompson to take his website down, which Mr. Thompson did.

FRIDAY: Mr. Todd Thompson is again sent to report to "work" at Spring Valley High School. Mr. Todd Thompson again makes several trips to his car, which is parked in the faculty parking lot on the SVHS campus, throughout the school day, sometimes for extended periods of time. Interesting new info: Mr. Todd Thompson was notified Friday morning that he was to prepare the audio/visual connections (basic hookup for a laptop with a power point) for a "Rachel's Challenge" connected group meeting at approx 3:30 p.m. with Annette Schoew, Title I Director and Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Scott and main speaker/presenter for the "Rachel's Challenge", and a group of SVHS students. The hook-up was not done, Mr. Thompson could not be located and did not respond to calls, and the equipment required to make the hook-up was missing from his office. Additional New Info: The SVHS server mysteriously went down late Friday afternoon, after 3:oo p.m. and was disabled all weekend long, preventing various SVHS personnel who tried to work Friday evening or came in to work over the weekend from accessing their files or doing their updates. The server mysteriously came back online Monday (10/27) morning, minutes after Mr. Todd Thompson reported to work in the building.

Week Two: October 27 - 31, 2008

MONDAY: Gary Adkins & Sandy Pertee, Mike Rutherford, Kevin Smith, Tim Conzett were all at SVHS bright and early to render their vast expertise, vast experience and impressive educational credentials to this beleaguered school. (Dr. Smith actually does have educational credentials) It is gratifying. Perhaps they will address other long-standing, multi-year issues besides the students' endangered lives.

• Let's start with textbooks. Example: Spanish students not allowed to bring their textbook home...because they don't have one. There is only one set for five classes to share. Substitute World History for Spanish in the previous sentence. Honors Science. Etc. Perhaps just one day's worth of wine, women & song at the now annual Stonewall Jackson Resort Retreat (four-day for most, five-day for some) for the Central Office Employees, County Administrators and Invited Guests. That could buy a few textbooks. No. Don't even need one day's booze and food. How about just the mileage they paid each and every person (those not already driving county vehicles, using county-purchased gas) who drove all the way to Stonewall Jackson and back. Could we please have that back? That would buy a few textbooks. And a lot more.

• How about buying a new telephone system? The SVHS phone system has never functioned properly from the date of the original installation. SVHS completely loses their phone service multiple times daily. Has for years. (SAFE SCHOOLS legislation? Homeland Security?) Repair/New System has been requested every single year.

• How about new cameras and a new security system? Obsolete when purchased and installed. At present, at least 10 cameras conveniently not working. One fell out of the ceiling last year and almost hit a student. Never replaced. The system's obsolete tapes (not digital or wirelessly transmitted, no remote access or transmission or duplicate back-up recordings provided) will not play on any machine except the one at the school. And they only have the one. And if anything happens to that one machine...

New information: Several students commented Mr. Todd Thompson was in the library, intently watching a classroom of students while they worked on computers in the library, the entire time they were in there - 3rd period. Several female students commented they were very uncomfortable. Obviously the powerful Central Office personnel were very helpful in keeping Mr. Thompson in line today. Question: Was this reported? To the principal? To the Superintendent? Why was he allowed to do this? Why isn't he working on something network administrator related? What are his job duties? Have they been changed? Reduced? Is student observation now in his job description? This was not his planning period (6th). Why does he even have a planning period? He is not a teacher. The previous network administrator did not have a planning period. Why was he not disciplined? Suspended? Terminated?

Tuesday: ?????????? Mr. Thompson is NOTat SVHS today. Where is he? Is this job abandonment with no notice again? Or has he finally been suspended? Or is he once again on "administrative paid leave" ? Is he being paid for this day?

Wednesday: ?????????? Mr. Thompson is NOT at SVHS today. Is this job abandonment with no notice again? Or has he finally been suspended? Or is he once again on "administrative paid leave"? Is he being paid for this day? New Info: Well, who knew? The Board of Ed had a Board Meeting last night. It's not the 1st or 3rd Tuesday. It wasn't on their website calendar. It wasn't on their website announcements. It wasn't on their schedule for the 2008-2009 school year that is posted on their website. Did they do anything? More Info: Now we know. Mr. Thompson's name was NOT on the list under Suspensions, Terminations, or Resignations. More important things on the agenda, apparently.

OK. Here we go - More Info:

There was indeed a suspension on the "RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL MATTERS" Board Approved, Date: October 28, 2008 list from Tuesday's Board meeting. Not Mr. Todd Thompson, but someone else from another Wayne County school. Preliminary info indicates this suspension may be related to a violation of both the WVDE and Wayne County Safe & Acceptable Use of Internet policies.

THE SVHS LSIC, Administration and Parents were told by Gary Adkins (Superintendent), Mike Rutherford (Assistant Superintendent), Tim Conzett (new technology director) and David Lycan (the County's attorney) BACK IN APRIL 2008, MAY 2008 & again in JUNE 2008 THAT MR. TODD THOMPSON COULD NOT BE SUSPENDED OR TERMINATED FOR VIOLATING THOSE POLICIES.

Even though PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AND/OR TERMINATED ALL OVER THE STATE FOR VIOLATIONS OF SUCH.

And now, at least, an employee of the Wayne County Board of Education (who does not have a parent who is a Wayne County Board Member) has been suspended in Wayne County for Violations of Such.

I guess that's progress.

Hmm. Or precedent.

Did discovery of this employee's offense pre-date Mike Rutherford's discovery on Thursday, October 23, 2008 of Mr. Todd Thompson's re-offense of WVDE & Wayne County Acceptable Use of Internet polices by his re-posting multiple bogus SVHS webpages containing unauthorized photos of current and former SVHS students and soliticing inappropriate contact with minors and/or students via his WVNET access email?

(And thank you everyone who sent info regarding this and other matters)

Thursday:?????????? Mr. Thompson is NOT at SVHS today. Is this job abandonment with no notice again? Or has he finally been suspended? Or is he once again on "administrative paid leave"? Is he being paid for this day?

Friday:?????????? Mr. Thompson is NOT at SVHS today. ABSENT FOUR DAYS in a row. Is this job abandonment with no notice again? Or has he finally been suspended? Or is he once again on "administrative paid leave"? Is he being paid for this day?

SVHS Parents, Students & Employees have a right to know what is going on.

--Angry Call--

Phone Call

Received

• by Karen Rucker
• from Gary Adkins
• from 272-3755
• 4:20 p.m.
• Friday, 10-24-08

(all comments listed as Adkins were made in a loud, elevated tone of voice)

Rucker: Karen Rucker

Adkins: Karen Rucker, this is Gary Adkins.

Rucker: Hi Gary. How are you?

Adkins: Not good. I just want to say if you want my job you can come and get it. And you better be able to back up all those things you said.

Rucker: Well, Gary, you know I can.

Adkins: Well, I'm not happy about this. And that's all I've got to say.

(at this point the connection ended suddenly)

Interesting Things Mr. Adkins DID NOT say:

• He did not say all those things in your letter about me are untrue.
• He did not say all those things in your letter about Mike are untrue.
• He did not say I'm sorry for doing this to the children at Spring Valley.
• He did not say I'm sorry I ignored the concerns & requests of the students.
• He did not say I'm sorry I ignored the concerns & requests of the principal and teachers.
• He did not say I'm sorry I ignored the concerns & requests of the parents.
• He did not say I'm sorry I ignored the concerns & requests of the LSIC.
• He did not say I'm sorry we didn't bring him to work out here with us, create a fake job at the Central Office and transfer him out here like all the other people who screwed up in the schools or are someone's relative or both.
• He did not say I'm sorry we didn't bring him out here to work with us, contract him as one of our numeracy or literacy "coaches", and pay him ridiculous amounts of money to work three or four days a month, even from home like some do, using Title I federal funds.
• He did not say I'm sorry, this is the tip of a huge iceberg. I've done a lot worse than this, for a long, long time.
• He did not say I'm sorry. I was wrong. I resign.