Inquiry targets NLV school principal

The principal of Priest Elementary School is being investigated by the Clark County School District, but a superintendent who confirmed the probe this week said she could not discuss the reason for the investigation.

A teacher at the school, Stephanie Burk, said Principal Linda Griffith faces allegations that she ordered certain students who misbehaved into a dimly-lit room on the school's stage.

Burk said Griffith has ordered three misbehaving students to go into the room during the past three school years.

Griffith said Thursday she could not comment on the allegations or the investigation.

"My bosses have made it very clear that I'm not to speak," Griffith said. "As much as I would love to, I can't."

Griffith has been the principal of the North Las Vegas school since the 2003-04 school year.

Marsha Irvin, superintendent of the Northeast Region, confirmed that Griffith is under investigation by the region. The probe began Oct. 8. She said Griffith is continuing to oversee the school while she is being investigated.

Irwin would not disclose the reason for the investigation, saying it's a personnel matter.

But she did say that putting misbehaving students in a confined room is against state law.

"Our procedures are certainly clear in terms of not having a locked timeout room," Irvin said.

Burk, who teaches second grade, said she reported the allegations to the district's Compliance and Monitoring Department on Oct. 1.

She said she reported the allegations earlier to Child Protective Services, but an official with that agency told her it couldn't investigate unless she believed abuse was happening in the student's home.

Burk said the room is behind the school's stage. Its walls and ceiling are painted black and the lights are dim. The back exit of the room is blocked by a wardrobe storage area, she said.

Burk estimated the room to be about 180 square feet with no restroom or water fountain.

Burk said she heard a student begging to get out of the room on Sept. 26.

"I could hear loud, muffled pounding," she said. "Then I heard screaming and crying. I asked a couple of teachers what was going on, and they said that 'the boy was in the room behind the stage again.' "

Burk said she has learned that during the past three school years, one student per year has been identified as a frequent troublemaker and forced into the room. The boy put in the room this school year is a third-grade special-education student, she said.

Burk said other teachers and school employees have cooperated with Griffith in putting students in that room, but the Review-Journal was unable to speak with any other teachers at the school.

Parents at the school Thursday had mixed feelings about the investigation.

Michele Walsh has a son in kindergarten at Priest. She said Griffith might be justified in putting a student in a dark room if the student had the potential to harm his peers.

"It might have to be done depending on the situation," Walsh said.

Tamica Jackson has four children at the school ranging from first grade to fifth grade. She said Griffith should not be allowed to work at Priest while she's being investigated. She said that if Griffith ordered misbehaving students in a dark room, she did so with the help of other school employees who deserve to be punished.

Jackson said she couldn't imagine how traumatic it would be for a child to endure that form of discipline.

"You go to school to learn, not to be put in a dark closet," Jackson said. "That's got to be devastating for a child."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or (702) 799-2922.