At a public forum held Tuesday at Hanover's elementary school, officials from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights criticized the school district's handling of a sexual harassment case.
In July, the OCR cleared a male teacher at the Bernice A. Ray School of a sexual harassment charge filed in May, 1993 by two fifth grade girls.
When the school district investigated the case, several complainants were unsatisfied with the results. One of the girl's parents summoned the OCR to review the district's handling of the records.
But the case is officially closed now, after a decision reached in a three-hour private meeting yesterday between members of the OCR, representatives of the two complainants and school district officials.
The OCR found that the district had "not adequately responded" to the complaint but "the district, complainants and the OCR consider the matter closed."
"It was really disappointing because it wasn't really a forum," said Candy Lee, a biology research associate at the College, in a telephone interview after the forum. "The OCR tried not to talk about it ... The horrible thing is that it has been going on for a year and a half."
The girls alleged that the teacher touched their shoulders, rubbed their backs, thighs and heads, played with their hair and felt through their shirts for their bra straps, the Valley News reported yesterday.
Those involved with the case were not allowed to speak about it at Tuesday's forum.
The OCR found that the school district was at fault for improper documentation and a lack of investigation into the findings.
Tom Hibino, the director of the OCR's regional office in Boston, Ma.ss., said, "Procedures that were in place will be strengthened. The district agrees to implement those policies and procedures as revised."
"The complainants and the district consider this matter closed," Hibino said. "If they can accept closure, I'd like to think that the rest of us can also."
But the response left many who attended the forum questioning the actual outcome of the case.
"In my opinion, the OCR report was remarkably charitable toward the school administration," Hanover resident Bill Clauson said. "It was an exercise in saving face. It's an attitude that I hate for my children to see."
Twelve-year-old Maren Speck, one of the two girls who accused the teacher of sexual harassment, spoke to the Valley News Monday about the finding.
"They just wanted to pretend ... that they didn't do anything wrong," she said. "Instead of addressing our complaints they ignored them."
Speck also wrote a letter to the Valley News and the school district. But school employees Tuesday defended the district and the teacher.
Several Dartmouth students also attended the public forum.
