The Allegheny Valley School District will reimburse an Acmetonia Elementary School family $1,000 following an investigation that found the district didn’t protect a student with disabilities after his classmates bullied and physically attacked him.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Sept. 21 announced it had resolved a disability harassment investigation with the district. The agreement includes requiring the district to train its staff, conduct a climate assessment and review all bullying incidents at Acmetonia Elementary School for a three-year period.

An unredacted version of the agreement, obtained by the Tribune-Review on Friday, found the district will reimburse the family up to $1,000 for past counseling, academic or therapeutic services for the child as a direct result of the harassment he experienced through the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year and for future services received through Sept. 15, 2024.

For six months in the 2021-22 school year, classmates directed slurs and physically attacked a student, and threatened to attack him, because of his disability, the investigation found. The student’s parents and school staff reported the incidents to a principal, who did not treat it as disability-related harassment, the department said.

In a statement, the district said while it disputed the Office of Civil Rights’ “ultimate conclusions,” it accepted the resolution agreement as its terms match the district’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for students.

“The district readily concurs with the terms of the agreement providing for additional staff training concerning disability harassment and the conduct of a climate survey among students as means of promoting a positive school culture and improving its organizational practices,” the statement said. “The district intends to work collaboratively with OCR for these purposes.”

Meeting on bullying set

The district will hold its first Superintendent’s Circle meeting of the 2023-24 school year on Oct. 19, according to district spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak.

The meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Acmetonia Forum, will focus on bullying. Before the meeting, parents can complete a survey on the district’s website at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MZJH22S.

Zastawniak said the district began the Superintendent’s Circle meetings last year in an effort to expand communication in the district. The hourlong meetings discuss a current topic within the district.

“The intent is for the superintendent to explain the topic and how it is implemented in the district,” she said.

The district held three meetings last year and intends to do the same this year, Zastawniak said.

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