Monroeville teacher suspended

MONROEVILLE — A Monroeville High School teacher was placed on leave while under investigation for unprofessional conduct. According to her personnel file, which was obtained through a public records request made by the Register and Reflector, social studies teacher Holly Bauer was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 27 "pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of unprofessional conduct." A notice informing Bauer of her suspension does not specify what she was being suspended for and the district's superintendent, Kristin Kaple-Jones, did not specify the cause for the suspension when asked by the Register and Reflector. Other documents in the file indicate that Bauer had previously been reprimanded in June 2022 for an "inappropriate and unprofessional relationship with a student, including by engaging in or permitting unwarranted physical contact with (a) student while in (their) classroom, and by using the student in furtherance of personal errands." A disciplinary letter in the file from May 2022 appears to include a photo of Bauer and a student, which appears to show Bauer reclined in a chair while on her phone while a student standing behind the chair leans over them. It wasn't clear if the suspension issued this month was related to the prior reprimand. When asked, Kaple-Jones said an investigation was ongoing and declined to answer further questions about the suspension. Prior incident A May 26, 2022, notice from Kaple-Jones to Bauer included in the personnel file states if the allegation of inappropriate conduct with a student were true, her actions would be considered to be against "staff conduct," which requires teachers to keep a professional relationship with students at all times, prohibits fraternization with students and requires teachers to avoid the appearance of improper relationship with students. The May 26, 2022, notice also refers to a meeting from three weeks prior, May 5. In this meeting, Bauer was also directed to "maintain an appropriate professional relationship with the student in question." Bauer and Kaple-Jones met the next day on May 27, 2022. The superintendent gave Bauer a written reprimand on June 1, 2022, according to personnel file records. This reprimand ends by warning that "additional, more severe disciplinary action, up to and including suspension without pay or termination," would be possible in the event of further misconduct.