Joe Paxton, superintendent of Clay County Schools, issued a statement earlier this week in regards to an incident allegedly occurring on a Clay County school bus. The statement is as follows:

There have been multiple media reports, including many on social media, regarding allegations of discriminatory conduct by one of our school employees.  Unfortunately, these outside reports have been inaccurate.

I can confirm that administration recently investigated allegations of inappropriate language of an employee. I cannot discuss the outcome of this investigation, or discuss matters that relate to specific personnel decisions taken. But please know that the Clay County Board of Education follows all applicable laws and policies in these instances. Anything less is not, and has never been acceptable by the school system.

Our employees are expected to comply with the Employee Code of Conduct mandated by the West Virginia Department of Education. Know that if our employees’ behavior does not meet the high standards set in the Code of Conduct, they are subject to discipline. That discipline is often progressive in nature, and may also include employees undergoing additional training on various issues such as sensitivity training to correct, correctable behaviors. Any suspensions are subject to Board approval after appropriate notice and due process is afforded to the employee.

I am proud of our employees and I believe that they have a strong history of being absolute professionals who dedicate their lives to the education of our students.  Rarely, personnel issues come up. When they arise, they are handled appropriately, within the confines of the personnel laws that govern public education. We always keep the best interest of our students and schools in mind when reaching an outcome. We also respect the due process rights afforded to the employee.

Although the media would like to know the “outcome” of the investigation, personnel laws that govern public education do not work in that fashion. I can say that it is expected that all employees provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for all of our students. Anything short of that is not acceptable.

Joe Paxton, Superintendent

Clay County Schools