Parents, students protest Milton-Union Local Schools’ superintendent, school board

WEST MILTON — Parents and students lined the side of the road Monday morning protesting Milton-Union Schools’ superintendent and the school board.

This comes after the parents of a West Milton boy filed a lawsuit against the district claiming no one investigated the sexual assault of their child after they complained.

>> Previous Coverage: Parents sue local school district, say no one investigated custodian on claims of sexual assault

News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson was there for the protest and spoke with students who joined in.

Parents could be heard chanting “Protect our kids” as they stood together in protest as kids walked into school.

“We are letting the community know full force that we have a problem with our school district and we are in support of the victim and other people who are being bullied,” said Juliann Price, who attended the protest.

Their problem with the school district comes after a former custodian, Jerry North, was arrested in May after allegedly sexually assaulting a 7-year-old boy in the school bathroom.

>> Previous Coverage: Milton-Union School District custodian accused of sexually assaulting child on school property

The parents of the boy filed a lawsuit at the end of September saying the mother told several district employees about the alleged assault but said none of them investigated North.

Price said she stood in solidarity with the boy’s parents Monday morning.

“We want the superintendent gone. The school board is not going to help us, they are going to back him,” Price said.

A group of high schoolers ran from the building and over to the protesters in an act of support.

“We came from breakfast. We were trying to get other kids to join us but not a whole lot were, they threatened suspension on us,” said Abigale Goudy.

Goudy said her parents knew she was going to be a part of the protest today and that they encouraged it.

News Center 7 asked Price how she felt about seeing students leave school to join the protest.

“Stand up for what you believe in. People may threaten you and whatnot, but know that you got a bunch of people behind you that will fight this and just know that we can be trusted, teachers can’t right now,” Price said.

There are also some parents who decided to keep their kids home from school today.

News Center 7 reached out to the superintendent this morning asking for comment on the protest and we are awaiting a response.

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