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In a press release issued Friday evening, Superintendent of Schools Winifred Hamilton said the district has heard his message.
"I assured State's Attorney Cohen that I took his message very seriously," Hamilton said in the press release. "We discussed immediate next steps, including additional training, uniform internal procedures and practices, and monitoring."
Hamilton, along with school board president Geoff Alswanger and Ted Jankowski, the city's director of Public Safety Health & Welfare, met with Cohen and Senior Assistant State's Attorney Maureen Ornousky.
Stamford High School Principal Donna Valentine and Assistant Principal Roth Nordin were arrested by city police in October and charged with failing to tell the state's Department of Children and Families about allegations that English teacher Danielle Watkins was having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male student. Watkins was arrested in July, and her court case is pending.
On Wednesday, the two principals were granted accelerated rehabilitation, a probationary program that will allow them to have the criminal charges cleared from their record.
Cohen was caustic in his comments about the bureaucratic culture in the school district, which he said was more interested in protecting the institution than the children it served.
In the release, Hamilton said she has requested a meeting with area DCF Director Jane Guckert and DCF Intake Supervisor Kathy Bella as well as senior school district staff to ensure the school system has mandated training and uniform practices and protocols. Every employee will be issued a card with the written protocol outlining the procedures to follow in such cases.
"Additionally, I plan to work with DCF regularly to monitor our procedures and progress and to ensure that we are in complete compliance with all regulations and are safeguarding the children in our charge," she said.
Both Valentine and Nordin have been on paid leave since their arrests. Hamilton said an assessment will be done on possible disciplinary actions and making changes to district policies.
Valentine and Nordin will not return to Stamford High School until that is completed, Hamilton said.
Read more about the court case and the prosecutor's comments here on the Daily Voice.
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