Geneva considering David Riley for superintendent, puts transportation supervisor on leave

Oct. 18—GENEVA — The Geneva Board of Education voted 4-1 to consider Interim Superintendent David Riley for the district's vacant superintendent position at a Wednesday meeting.

The resolution gives board President Marti Milliken Dixon the authority to negotiate a contract with Riley.

Board member Michele Krieg said she voted no out of concern for the whole district.

"Our special education department is in disarray and I want to see more progress and corrections from Mr. Riley in this area before we place him at the helm of the district," she said. "We have had so much change and disruption in Geneva and I am a hard sell when it comes to leadership, I will not go down the path of least resistance. Mr. Riley is very focused on supporting our Director of Student Services and my decisions are made from the standpoint of serving students and families, not adults employed by the district."

Board member Brock Pierson said he voted yes reluctantly.

"I'd like to abstain for more information," he said. "But in good faith, because I hope this will give us more perspective language, I'm going to vote yes on this. I really want that caveat just to be known."

Riley has been interim superintendent since the district parted ways with former Superintendent Terri Hrina-Treharn in late August.Riley previously served as substitute superintendent after Hrina-Treharn was placed on paid administrative leave in February.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to place transportation supervisor Charlotte Leonard on unpaid leave beginning Friday.

The resolution alleges, "Ms. Leonard has engaged in an established pattern of poor professional judgment and poor communication, failure to competently perform the duties of her position, failure to comply with the requirements of state law, and violation of Board policy."

The resolution specifically alleges Leonard failed to report an incident on a school bus from December 2023, after she saw a recording of the incident.

That resolution alleges Leonard sent a parent to a different drop-off location than the one their child was going to in June 2023.

It alleges she used work devices for personal matters and failed to train staff.

During the meeting's public comment period, a junior at Geneva High School said boys at GHS have not been been disciplined for sexual misconduct and assault.

"There has been an abundance of high school boys who have been going out of their way to make really uncomfortable comments towards a lot of the female students, or just overall trying to be inappropriate with them," she said.

The student said friends of hers been victimized, and one was disciplined after she defended herself.

Milliken Dixon said she was sickened to hear about the situation.

"Something will be done immediately," she said. "Any type of sexual assault is absolutely unacceptable, and if it's happening in our school, we're stopping it right now."

Parents commented on how they felt Geneva elementary schools were not safe for their children because of constant disruptions.

One parent, Kristi Byrnes, said her child's elementary school is not a safe environment.

"She has even struggled to want to go to school this year," she said. "They're a product of their surroundings. When they're not safe in their classrooms, they don't want to go."

Byrnes said Geneva elementary schools should have better special education and emotional disturbance classrooms.

"We're trying on our end, but we need your help," she said.

Amy Wood said her child's school environment is not safe, nor is it following proper policies.

"When you ask a child how their school day was, and they come home and say they're overwhelmed and don't want to come to school at that age, there's a problem," she said.

Wood said she's heard about children constantly running, fighting and yelling.

"This is not a principal problem," she said. "This is not a staff problem. I'm sorry, but at this point this is an administration problem. I have spoken and I have spoken until I am blue in the face."

Pierson said incidents at the elementary schools will be investigated.

"I'm going to look into this now and be reactive. I will do my best to try and get an answer within the ability I can respond to," he said.