Some Carroll County parents Thursday voiced support for a local teacher accused of having inappropriate physical contact with a 10-year-old student.
Denise Strozier has accused Jodi Kilpatrick, a teacher at Temple Elementary School, of forcing her son into a bizarre confrontation with her at school and forcing him to lick her toes in front of more than a dozen other children in exchange for candy.
Strozier says the teacher then openly joked about it at school and in a note she wrote in her son�s yearbook.
Nicole Stephens, whose daughter was one of Kilpatrick�s students, said the incident didn�t elicit much reaction at the school when it first happened.
�[My daughter] heard about it in the lunchroom with the other kids, but nobody seemed to be upset about it -- none of the kids, the kid that did it, didn't seem to be upset. So, that's where it ended,� Stephens said.
The parents that 11Alive News spoke with said they do not know exactly what happened that day between Kilpatrick and the 10-year-old, but said Strozier's accusation was likely the result of a misunderstanding.
�Well, my first reaction was nothing inappropriate happened because that's just not Jodi,� said Jennifer Foster.
�I was just so sad to see this happen to her, because it's just not who she is,� said Jennifer Applegate. �She's just the kind of teacher that you would want your child to be in her class.
Dina Shumake said the accusation could scare teachers away from befriending their students.
�Jodi's there for them, and now, you know, what is this telling our teachers -- you can't even get close to them,� Shumake said.
�They just aren't going to know what's appropriate and what's not, and it's going to scare them into thinking that any little thing could be misconstrued,� Applegate said.
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which oversees teacher certification, has no record of any complaints or actions against Kilpatrick.
The Carroll County superintendent's office is not saying when the school board will decide to punish her, or clear her, in this case.
Kilpatrick could lose her job, but she is not facing any criminal charges.
4 comments:
I know Jodi and this is the most crazy crap I have ever heard. She can't comment due to the school board, but believe me those of us that know her know what really happened. I just want everybody to wait before they pass judgement on her because this is far far from over.
You are right it is far from over that is why she is appealing the ruling against her made by the professional standards commission. And that is why I guess she has been taken out of the 4th grade and put in kindergarten.
Yes the mother was allowed to speak at the November board meeting. Mrs. Kilpatrick being at Temple Elementart School has become come a safety issue for not just one but all 3 of the mother's children. They are constantly harrassed and bullied and have even been assaulted this school year. So we all say goodbye and hope to never see Jody Kilpatrick again at Temple Elementary School. I encourage those who are in support of this teacher to make sure that you have all of your facts right. I would hate for some of you to end up looking just as foolish as Kilpatrick and our school system.
ahaha shes now in ithica elemartary!
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