According to the letter sent by Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jennifer Geller, Clark “engaged in a physical altercation with a student in the cafeteria” on December 3. Between the event and the official termination letter, Clark was suspended without pay on December 4.
Related: NHCSO investigating altercation between student and educator at Alderman Elementary
The district said Clark violated policies prohibiting the use of physical restraint on students (policy 4302) and the standards of conduct (policy 7205). They then informed her that she had 10 days to appeal her termination. They placed the letter in her personnel file on December 15.
Clark began as a teaching assistant at Sunset Park Elementary in 1997 and has worked across NHCS elementary schools since then. She worked at College Park (2002-2007) and Ogden Elementary (2007-2010). She first joined Alderman in 2010 and remained until 2015. She returned to the school most recently in August. Her pay from this August to this month was $3,646.
On December 10, someone claiming to be Clark filed a public records request asking for surveillance footage of the event. This person alleged that the “physical (assault) contact [was] initiated by a student, and I responded solely to protect myself and prevent further risk.”
They then wrote that NHCS should not destroy any video recordings of the event that captured the cafeteria, common areas, or hallways. They also wanted “associated reports, audio, or incident logs.”
The family of the student, through an advocate, Chris Sutton, [Sutton is currently running as a school board candidate], claimed that Clark gave the student “two black eyes and scratches on his face.” They alleged that another staff member helped to protect the student from Clark.
When the incident first occurred, the district sent messages to families advising them to see a counselor if they witnessed the event or were concerned about it.
NHCS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes said that he would fully “commit to doing everything within my authority to ensure our schools remain safe, supportive learning environments for every student. We take every allegation seriously.”
Below: Termination letter
