DOCS: Video shows North Elementary vice principal striking student’s head - WDTV

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - Security video showed a Morgantown administrator striking a student in the head, according to court documents.

After an eight-year-old student became “disruptive” in a classroom, staff members, including North Elementary Vice Principal Carol Muniz, went to escort the child to another room.

During the escort, the student “actively resisted,” at which time Muniz raised her hand, made a fist, and struck the student in the head, investigators wrote in a criminal complaint.

The complaint itself was not for Muniz, but rather North Elementary Principal Natalie Webb, who was charged with failing to report the situation.

The charge against Webb is a misdemeanor. As of Thursday morning, court staff said Muniz had not been arraigned on any charges.

Webb was made aware of the situation within minutes, the complaint says, adding that Webb indicated on two separate occasions that a report would be filed with Child Protective Services.

No report was made until Webb was told to do so by Board of Education staff when they were made aware of the situation on Feb. 7 -- 12 days after Muniz allegedly struck the student.

5 Investigates obtained a phone call made Feb. 7 by Monongalia County SafeSchools Director Adam Henkins to 911 in which Henkins told the dispatcher he needed to make a belated report about a “crime against a child.”

“It was just reported to me that we had a teacher abuse a child,” Henkins told the dispatcher.

During the call, Henkins said the abuse happened “a few days ago.”

The district sent a letter to families a week later saying Webb and Muniz were placed on leave.

Ron Lytle, Mon County Board of Education President, told 5 News at the time the reason for the delay was due to a “lag in communication” between the school and the central office.

A total of five North Elementary staff were placed on leave during the investigation. Two have since returned and the contract of another, a substitute teacher, was not renewed.

Monongalia County Superintendent Eddie Campbell told 5 News that Muniz has since retired and Webb remains on unpaid administrative leave.

Below is the full statement from Superintendent Campbell:

In light of the recent information surfacing in the media regarding the investigation at North Elementary, this statement provides some clarification of the events that have been made public pertaining to the misdemeanor charge brought against Ms. Webb.

As required by West Virginia Code, upon the commencement of any fact-finding investigation involving conduct alleged to jeopardize the health, safety, or welfare of students or the learning environment of other students, whether being conducted internally, or in cooperation with police or Department of Health and Human Resources, it is required that the affected employee be placed on leave.

Upon learning of the initial incident involving Ms. Muniz and Ms. Webb, I immediately took such action and launched an investigation.

West Virginia Code also provides that an employee charged with the commission of a misdemeanor with a rational nexus between the conduct and performance of the employee’s job is to be placed on leave.

As a result of the recent criminal charge, Ms. Webb’s initial leave will continue as mandated by law.

As the media is aware, employees of a county board of education have certain due process rights. It would be contrary to those due process rights to provide specifics at this time on findings from the various investigations, or to specifically address the employee’s future status other than to say the school system has followed all appropriate steps as it relates to removing Ms. Webb, and all others involved, and will follow the same appropriate steps in moving forward.

The school district will continue with its internal, independent personnel process, along with monitoring and cooperating with the outside investigations by DHHR and law enforcement. However, the school system is not beholden to the outcomes from either the DHHR or law enforcement from a personnel standpoint.

Although the school district understands the desire of an expedited conclusion, the process of all the separate and independent entities, is not focused on speed, but instead focused on thorough and accurate findings.

The next step in the process as it relates to Ms. Webb’s employment will occur in the very near future, a process that will comply with the due process rights afforded to public employees.

In response to the May 11, 2023 Dominion Post article, the school district would like to clarify that the classroom with the five students on the autism spectrum is separate and apart from the student who was struck.

The district investigated three separate matters, all of which came out of the initial report of the striking of the student. The reference to the parent who stated her child had stopped sleeping has nothing to do with the striking of a student and her child did not witness that incident. The substitute teacher referenced in the Dominion Post article was terminated and neither aide has returned to North Elementary.

The school district is also aware of the charge brought against former employee Ms. Muniz. As prior media reports indicate, Ms. Muniz is no longer employed by Monongalia County Schools.

The school district, as mandated by law, has previously taken appropriate steps in notifying the West Virginia Department of Education, the licensure agency, of all information relating to Ms. Muniz’s ultimate charge.

Until the full investigations of all incidents conclude, Monongalia County Schools will continue to cooperate with the legal system and law enforcement while ensuring the due process rights of all involved.

911 call reveals North Elementary teacher was reported for abuse

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DOCS: Video shows North Elementary vice principal striking student’s head - WDTV
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