This afternoon many faculty and students received an email from former ASW staff member Paul Lennon at the end of the school day.
We, as a Board, find Paul’s actions completely unacceptable, unprofessional, and inappropriate and the Board was previously informed about the allegations he outlined. We find this public disclosure improper and inconsistent with the accepted ASW code of conduct and policy, which provides all parties to such allegations, with the right to confidentiality and due process. His actions, along with rampant rumors and speculation, harm our school and undercut our sense of community. We must find ways to work together to bring cohesion, compassion, and support to all of our colleagues while dealing with these extremely difficult circumstances.
The Board also found it particularly inappropriate for Paul to send this letter to students in Grades 11 and 12. With the help of the IT staff, we have removed the letter from student accounts, but this may not be fully successful. We hope the faculty will help dissuade students from adding further to rumor and speculation. We would also note that Paul's access to any ASW systems has now been terminated and was only continued until today to facilitate the transfer of final files and information consistent with the terms of his resignation.
We ask you, respectfully, to disregard and delete Paul’s letter out of care and concern for those staff members in our midst whom this inappropriate breach will most harm. We prefer to hold those in our midst in our care and work together to openly address our concerns and revitalize and renew our school culture.
We hope for your earnest attention and understanding in such a difficult situation. Thank you for all you do. We look forward to continuing our work together with each of you.
Also, as a follow-up to our meeting last Wednesday morning, the Board of Trustees would like to hold our first focus group with faculty and staff in the MPR on Thursday, 18 January starting at 3:45 pm. This will be a chance to come and meet in small groups with Trustees to review a synopsis of the findings from Jane Foster’s report and to focus on the plan the Board of Trustees has in place to address these findings. This focus group is meant to be an opportunity for constructive, open dialogue between Trustees and members of the Faculty and Staff.
