Parents packed an Atlantic, Iowa, school board meeting demanding answers about their children's safety after allegations surfaced that a counselor sent inappropriate messages to students.
The Atlantic Iowa School District called an emergency board meeting for the resignation of a counselor, but the meeting was cancelled at the last minute, leaving angry parents without answers.
The counselor has not been arrested or charged with a crime.
Candice Ross said the counselor began making inappropriate comments to her daughter when she was a 16-year-old student at Atlantic High School.
"He took her cell phone at one point, went through her Instagram, and we had gone to Florida the year before, and he went through her, like she had pictures in a swimsuit, and he would go through those pictures and tell her like, well, you really look like you belong in Miami in this bikini," Ross said.
Ross said the counselor sent messages to her daughter shortly after her 18th birthday.
"It started at 1:50 in the morning, um, and then, uh, he just said lots, lots has changed since I spoke to you last. Do you care to catch up? Also, I feel bad about how we left things when you graduated. I hope you know I truly did care for you," Ross said.
Ross reported the counselor to the district while her daughter was still a student and again after she graduated. She believes the school never investigated her allegations.
"I don't think anything was ever investigated. I really think they were more worried about their own reputation as a school and not overly concerned with how the kids, what the kids were going through," Ross said.
Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen did not respond to requests for comment.
The Atlantic Police Department released a statement about the investigation:
"The Atlantic Police Department has been investigating and looking into the information that has been provided. We take the safety of the children and community that we serve very seriously and will continue to handle this investigation thoroughly."
Ross hopes the school makes a public statement about the allegations and that the counselor is fired rather than allowed to resign.
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