If the allegations prove to be true, school officials say it is “unacceptable”.
by: Alexis Walters
Posted: Apr 21, 2021 / 10:16 PM EDT
Updated: April 21, 2021 / 10:16 p.m. EDT
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Youngstown City Schools employee is on paid vacation. District officials review derogatory voicemail received by a parent.
We spoke to the student’s mother, Heather Belanger, on Wednesday to discuss what the call was about and what problems she allegedly had.
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On March 18, Belanger said she received a voicemail from her daughter’s school – Paul C. Bunn Elementary.
The call came from a number at the school at 1:10 p.m. It was about the participation of Belanger’s daughter in online courses.
The message said in part: (Identifiable information has been removed)
I am sure this is not the message you would like. So I can call and let childcare know that they will reply to a voice message or that it will be left over when we call to see why your child is out of school.
Voice message from Paul C. Bunn Elementary
“She called about my daughter’s presence. The thing is, when I work my daughter has to be in daycare or with a babysitter and I can’t control when she signs up, ”Belanger said.
The message from the school continues:
I expect you to answer and talk to me like you have a purpose and not an ignorant person answering your phone. I’ll call you back in about five minutes and you have to get it together and not have someone else answer your phone, act ignorant and apologize for my language, but ****** ish (racial fraud). So, you’re going to bring it together and pick up the phone and have a little more sense and respect
Voice message from Paul C. Bunn Elementary
And according to Belanger, this wasn’t the first call from school.
“That’s after numerous calls I took from her when she threatened me with attack,” Belanger said.
Belanger added that after first learning about her daughter’s absences, she tried to put her on the right track to sign up for class.
“I took away the phone and took away the tablets. I reduced the screen time. She was fined for over a month, but the only thing I could do was go to work, ”Belanger said.
In the past few days after she said her daughter had gone to state tests and felt uncomfortable from the employee, Belanger decided to take further action and contacted the school board.
She said the school offered to schedule a meeting to try to meditate. She said the most shocking thing was to hear that the voicemail used racist slurs.
“To talk about a child, or a family, or anything, I don’t think it’s appropriate at all,” Belanger said.
We reached out to Youngstown City Schools, and spokeswoman Denise Dick said the clerk had been suspended for pay pending investigation. She said if the claim turns out to be true, it is unacceptable.
