PHILIPSBURG–Kerry Heron wants her name cleared by the Advanced Vocational Education (AVE) board that oversees National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), which stated that she had filed a complaint against former NIPA Care Teacher Farrah Busby-Richardson for being involved with sharing inappropriate content in a school group WhatsApp chat.
Heron said on Sunday, after hearing Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs give false statements about her filing a complaint against teacher Richardson, “I would like to clear my name. The Minister and the board of NIPA do not know anything about me. It is wrong for them to make up false claims and reports that involve me.
“I went to the school a few weeks ago to speak to the social worker about my daughter and some boyfriend that goes to the same school. During this discussion the WhatsApp chat group was brought up, because the students were sharing videos and pictures that I did not find appropriate, although they are adults. I got very upset and I took my daughter’s phone and asked them if this is what they are sharing with each other in the chat.
“At the time Ms. Farrah was on sick leave, but she happened to see the argument I was having with the students who were disrespecting me and Ms. Farrah came in the chat and told her students to stop it right now.
“The only thing I mentioned in my complaint was the teacher’s name during my conversation with the social worker Peterson. A second time I mentioned Ms. Farrah’s name was when I told the social worker that another student Jackie was telling boys not to talk to my daughter and the manner she did it really upset me.”
The concerned parent called Richardson the next day and was assured by the teacher that she would deal with the issue.
Heron said, “Teacher Farrah made it clear to me that she does not tolerate drama or bullying in her class and I appreciated the way she handled it.
“When I read the papers, and heard the Minister of Education giving false information about a report I made, I deemed it necessary to clarify the events, because the social worker Peterson is a liar if she said I filed a complaint against the teacher and she is violating laws by doing this. Where is this complaint? If I filed a complaint and a report was made that led to an investigation, where is my signed copy of my complaint?”
She is calling on Minister Jacobs and the NIPA board to clarify their statements and remove her name from these lies and false stories of a complaint immediately.
“I’m a Christian woman and I raised my child in a Christian home and these kinds of stories are not godly-like and that school and the board are spreading lies and false complaints. I am very upset and want my name cleared and these people need to keep me out of their mess at NIPA. Something is seriously wrong with that school,” concluded Heron.
Richardson had already provided a detailed account of what had taken place in an extensive letter to the board. When she was made aware of the complaint filed by the parent, she wrote in a letter, “The efforts to divert attention from the real issues are woefully inadequate and unsuccessful.
“The inescapable fact is that you have found, and will find, absolutely nothing to show that I ‘exchanged’ pornographic or sexual material with my students that are the crux and core of your ‘investigation.’ If you cannot prove this decisively and beyond doubt your investigation comes to an abrupt halt. Anything else is merely a red herring and a distraction.
“You attempt to discredit and discount the students’ letter and chat history submitted as part of my ‘defence,’ but with the next breath admit that the facts stated by the students ‘must be made part of the investigation.’ Accordingly, I look forward to your interviews with the students in accordance with your commitment to involve them in this search for the truth.
“One month ago, I was made aware of a complaint a mother made against my students, not my person. Ms. Peterson [the social worker who took the complaint – Ed.] spoke to me a month ago about a complaint against the students and their chat group, to which I responded by stating I have no control over the chat group because they are all adults.
“Ms. Peterson also told me that the parent stated: ‘Miss Farrah intervened in the chat not once, but twice, and calmed down the debate between the students and myself.’ With that being said, I see no reason to defend this complaint because from the last conversation with the social worker, the complaint was levied against the students only.
“I fully support my students’ recollection of the incidents and I confirm the accuracy of their statements. I have nothing further to say pertaining to this matter and your emails will be automatically disregarded if sent.
“I consider this harassment and a conspiracy, given the fact that the student whose parent filed the complaint confessed in the presence of several students and in the presence of my construction workers that (in her presence) her mother clearly stated to the social worker that the way in which Ms. Farrah handled the debate over the sharing of material was entirely proper and appropriate.”
Meanwhile, Richardson has resigned from the school and hopes that the clarification from the parent and students will refute the allegations made against her by the NIPA board.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67517-nipa-parent-wants-name-cleared-by-board-minister
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