Counselor sold students fetus dolls, Norfolk principal says

NORFOLK

A guidance counselor sold Oakwood Elementary students models of fetuses for a buck, and an administrator knew about the distribution of the life like figures for a month before the division took any action, according to a letter written by Principal Sheila Tillett Holas.

Scott Burton continued to give the 4-inch models to children for free after she told him in October to stop the sales, Holas wrote in a May 26 letter to the School Board. She did not learn until April from a teacher that Burton was still distributing the dolls, she wrote.

"I operated under the belief that the problem had been resolved," Holas stated in the document, which also was sent to the City Council.

The Pilot received a copy of the letter in response to a Freedom of Information Act request that it sent the city. Holas did not return a phone call to her home Thursday, and Burton could not be reached.

According to a three-page chronology Holas included with her letter, she told Chief Operations Officer Michael Spencer about the dolls on April 16, shortly after she learned that Burton had ignored her earlier request.

"I then asked him, 'What should I do about this?' Mr. Spencer stated, 'Let's hold off on that,' " Holas wrote in the document. Superintendent Stephen Jones intervened, however, in May after inquiries from The Pilot, Holas wrote.

Spencer said Thursday that he was not at liberty to speak about Holas' letter. Because the letter is tied to a confidential personnel matter under investigation, "to some extent, she has me at a disadvantage. It is her perspective and her response," he said.

He added: "I certainly didn't receive any information in an off-handed manner; what she kind of implied in her chronology is that I blew her off."

Although Holas sent her letter to the School Board last week, board member Jim Driggers said the division's lawyers told members not to read it while the investigation is ongoing.

Driggers said the lawyers advised that if Holas is ultimately held blameless, the board would have no reason to read her letter. If she is disciplined and appeals, the board would hear that appeal and read the document at that time.

Regardless, Driggers said he wants to review the letter. "One way or the other, we will read it."

Board member Karen Jones Squires said she is waiting to hear all the facts before judging Holas' actions. She called the distribution of the fetus models "quite inappropriate."

The division has said that 80 to 100 models of fetuses were given to children at Oakwood. A spokeswoman said no investigation of the distribution began until the division received an inquiry from The Pilot on May 18.

The dolls are soft to the touch and are pink and brown. Each came with a card describing early stages of fetal development.

Holas stated that she learned of the dolls last fall after overhearing Burton speak to a co-worker. When she asked him who he was selling the dolls for, Burton replied, "for a man who is in need." The document does not identify the man Burton cited.

Burton said he'd sold about 10 dolls. Holas told him nothing could be sold at the school without her permission and that all sales must stop. She then asked him to return the students' money but dropped the request after Burton said he couldn't remember every child.

Holas said that from October through April 16, no staff member mentioned the fetus models and no parents complained or inquired.

Holas said that after learning about the models on April 16, she e-mailed Gloria Hagans, interim executive director for elementary schools. Hagans did not respond.

The same day, she was also told by Spencer to "hold off," she wrote.

The chronology cites no intervention by the central office until May 19: "Received a call from the Superintendent about the newspaper asking questions about the fetus and he asked to have the baby sent to him."

The next day, Spencer met with Burton and Holas in her office and told the counselor he was being put on administrative leave with pay, the chronology stated.

A day later, May 21, Spencer called Holas to tell her the superintendent was putting her on leave after Burton implicated her in the incident.

According to Holas, Spencer also told her "there was no implication of wrongdoing on my behalf at that time."

Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com

Below: Principal's letter and chronology to the School Board