Notification of ICPS assessment regarding Wilkinson Elementary
Williston, N.D. (April 12, 2024) The Williston Basin School District #7 received a letter of notification of the Institutional Child Protection Services assessment regarding Wilkinson Elementary School from the North Dakota Department of Children and Family Services. The District issues this press release today, now that investigations have concluded, to maintain transparency in its communication and to emphasize its dedication to ensuring the health and safety of all students it serves.
The letter states, “This letter serves as notification that students of Wilkinson Elementary have been identified as victims in a report of suspected institutional child abuse and/or neglect received by the North Dakota Department of Children and Family Services on 12-21-23. The report was regarding the students of the HEART room continuously being put in the quiet room, at times forcefully, being exposed to this, and the staff of the HEART room continuously being on their phones and thus not providing special education services to the students.”
The letter identifies twelve (12) Wilkinson Elementary victim students (whose identities are protected under FERPA regulations). The letter also identifies staff involved, including the HEART room SPED teacher (formerly employed by Wilmac), the Wilkinson Elementary Principal (employed by WBSD#7), and five (5) paraprofessionals (formerly employed by WBSD#7).
An assessment of the reported incident has been completed by Child and Family Services Field Services Specialist staff and reviewed by the State Child Protection Team on March 28th, 2024.
In the assessment concerning Wilkinson Elementary, it was determined by the ND State Child Protection Team that the school is indicated for neglect/abuse of the students of the HEART room. The Team’s determination indicated that the students were neglected/abused by Wilkinson Elementary School. The adults listed in the assessment are identified above by title.
Based on initial reports District Administration determined that employees listed above violated the expectations of the District to ensure the safety of students. An immediate separation of employment and/or administrative leave was initiated as per District Policy. The Wilkinson principal named in the report submitted his resignation today. The board will act on this resignation at the April 22, 2024 board meeting.
Please note that according to State Law, the subject of an institutional child abuse and neglect report is the institution/school and not a person. Therefore, the ICPS is only able to decide on the institution/school. ICPS looks at whether the institution/school has appropriate policies and procedures in place to keep children safe. ICPS is not able to decide whether child abuse and neglect on an individual staff or whether a staff person has committed a crime.
During the assessment process staff members were interviewed, policies and procedures were reviewed, a walk through the HEART room was conducted, students and parents of the HEART room were interviewed, and a video of the HEART room was reviewed. Not all of the students in the HEART room were interviewed due to their communication limitations, and the majority of the staff involved were not interviewed either due to refusing to do so, or scheduling conflicts with their attorney. Law enforcement was also involved and turned over their report to the attorney general’s office for review of possible charges. The North Dakota School Board Association’s General Counsel conducted an independent investigation of the Wilkinson Elementary School Principal on behalf of the district.
In a video from November 27th, 2023, students can be seen placed into the quiet room and the door then locked, staff members leaning against the door holding it shut with their backs, placing a chair in front of the door, and sitting on it with their backs to the students in the quiet room, turning the lights off in the quiet room, and slapping on the door with their hands. Students appeared to be placed into the quiet room for no reason and were not observed to be physically acting out towards staff or other students before being placed into the quiet room. One student was continuously in the quiet room for approximately 50 minutes and was in there for well over an hour in total throughout the day.
The school/district does have a policy regarding restraint and seclusion, along with an electronic use policy. Upon learning of the incident, the District placed all staff involved on administrative leave. The District reviewed 4 days of video footage captured inside the classroom. Based on the video footage and confirmed inappropriate actions, the 5 paras involved were subsequently terminated. The SPED teacher resigned in lieu of termination. The principal remained on administrative leave pending final disposition of the independent investigation. The District also put out an initial press release regarding the incident and contacted the parents of the students involved.
The Department recommended the District continue with the proactive, corrective action steps it has already put in place (CPI training for all staff of the school, removal of the locks from the room, ensuring staff follow the restraint and seclusion policy of the District, and that school administrators are doing regular observations of the classrooms). The Department also recommended continued staff training on seclusion/ quiet rooms and periodic walkthroughs to document the physical condition of rooms and any changes.
At the conclusion of the Notification of ICPS assessment concerning Wilkinson Elementary, the Children and Family Services Field Specialist stated, "We appreciate the cooperation of you and your staff throughout the assessment process."
Williston Basin School District #7 will be working with North Dakota Department of Public Instruction officials regarding the corrective action plan, which will be created and submitted within 60 days of the initial report.
WBSD7 Restraint and Seclusion Policy
With regard to the current staff of Wilkinson Elementary School, District Administration is not only confident in the current staff of Wilkinson Elementary School but also optimistic about the bright future ahead for our WBSD#7 students and staff. Dr. Faidley's firsthand observations during his tenure as acting principal in January underscored the exceptional dedication, passion, and commitment of our educators towards providing a high-quality education. With such a dynamic and motivated team in place, we anticipate continued success and growth, both academically and personally, for our students. Moreover, the collaborative efforts and innovative teaching approaches of our staff promise an enriching and empowering learning environment, setting the stage for a promising future for all involved in the WBSD#7 community.
NDSBA Investigation Report of Wilkinson Principal
ND ISPS Assessment Report of Wilkinson School
For more information, contact:
Paula Lankford
Director of Public Relations
Williston Basin School District #7
(701)572-1580 ext.01023
paula.lankford@willistonschools.org
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