SOLON, Ohio -- Three parents in the Solon City School District urged the Board of Education Monday (Aug. 21) to provide more transparency regarding a sexual abuse case in the district and how the board intends to handle such issues going forward.

The comments were made in the wake of a federal lawsuit filed last week against the school board and district administrators by three former Solon High School students for alleged negligence in sexual harassment and abuse by former band director Edward Kline.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday (Aug. 17) in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio. It states that the district knew about accusations against Kline for more than a decade before he was arrested, yet did nothing to investigate.

Kline is serving a 3.5-year prison sentence for molesting band students while working as the district’s band director and music instructor between 2004 and 2018. He worked with students in eighth grade through high school.

In February 2022, Kline pleaded guilty to 11 counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of sexual imposition. He is expected to remain in prison until August 2025.

Ashley Beavers said it was “very disheartening” to hear the news about the lawsuit.

“I was very disappointed to see that come out and find out through the news, and it reopened up some things because this was an event that happened at the school,” she said.

“I never imagined having to talk to my daughters and ask them what would they do if a teacher touched them inappropriately. So I had to have that conversation again, and this really made me think about the situation of what happened (between 2004 and 2018).

“It’s shocking to me that (Kline) was here, and no one had seen his actions until later on, towards the end of his (tenure with the district).”

As a parent, Beavers said she’s struggling with the fact that Kline “had committed so many gross acts with so many children of Solon High School and maybe even the middle school.”

“If anyone had any thoughts, comments or concerns and chose not to say anything before the actions actually happened, it’s disappointing because one of the things the school teaches kids is if you see something, say something,” she said.

Beavers noted that she had an “extensive” conversation with Superintendent Fred Bolden earlier in the day on this issue, in which they discussed the district’s policy.

“I want to ask that if anyone knows of anything or has heard of anything to go to the administration,” she said.

“I think it’s important that (the board lets) the community know what you have set in place for this type of incident, because it’s hard to read. It’s hard to see that this is getting hashed out again in the community, and I know I’m not the only parent who struggles with … is the administration doing enough, is the board doing enough, are you guys receiving the complaints and what are you doing about it?

“So I’m asking nicely and respectfully that if you can review your policies and maybe make a statement to the public and say, ‘This is what we actually have put in place, this is our protocol, this is the plan that we follow,’ I know that would make me feel better because it makes me feel like you’re watching,” she continued.

“It makes me feel like you’re present and you’re seeing what’s going on. We don’t need to have questions of ‘are my kids safe?’ I want to believe that my children are safe here, so I’m asking for that transparency, please.”

Michael Drozhinskiy, another parent in the district, said it was “shocking” to learn of the lawsuit.

“(Kline) was here for years and years, and somehow the public did not know almost anything, (at least those) who I’ve talked to,” he said. “It seems to be that this was going on for years, and no transparency whatsoever.”

Drozhinskiy said the board owes the Solon community a statement “if you knew anything about what was going on.”

“I understand you cannot respond directly to what I’m talking about,” he said. “But I am asking you to just do the right thing and make a statement -- personally, as a group, as a board or whatever.

“Maybe we’re wrong for thinking about what you guys knew or did not know, and the (Solon High School) principal obviously, as well, or the administration. So please find it within yourselves … to do the right thing.”

Julie Muravin, the third parent who spoke, told the board, “I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed, frustrated and disgusted I am at the recent news.

“As a mother, my deepest fear is for my children to be harmed and violated in the most dark and devastating ways that -- regardless of their personal strengths and personalities -- is sure to have impact on them psychologically, physically and emotionally, all throughout their lives,” she said.

“You allowed a predator in our school until 2018. Kids and young adults got hurt under your watch. You failed to do your job.

“Timing and circumstances do not matter and do not excuse you in any way,” she continued. “You’ve been elected to know and be informed in order to protect.

“(Solon High School Principal) Erin Short was hired to protect kids who are under her care every single day, first and foremost.”

Muravin said she has a daughter and a son, and “God help that monster that decides to come close.”

“I know that’s how many parents feel,” she said. “Trust is a very delicate thing, and it’s been severely damaged.

“I can’t trust this board, and I can’t trust Erin Short when my kids will be in high school.

“The answer to this should not be me looking for a private school option to replace the school,” she continued. “The answer should be for individuals who are liable and responsible to resign from their current positions.”

District responds to comments

The board did not respond to the parents’ comments, as its stated policy is to not directly address public comment.

Tammy Strom, the district’s communications director, issued this statement after the meeting:

“The district does not generally comment on pending litigation. We empathize with Mr. Kline’s victims, but we dispute the allegations against the board and our administrators.

“The board’s formal response to the allegations will be detailed in our answer to the complaint submitted to the court.”

In an interview, Strom said it’s inaccurate to say that the district has not communicated with its families and the media in the past regarding Kline’s case.

She noted that several emails were sent to Solon Schools families in 2020 and 2022, keeping them informed of what the district was aware of regarding the case and what action it was taking.

In February 2022, after Kline was sentenced, an email to families indicated that the district “did receive an anonymous report in 2015 and attempted to follow up with the individual for more information.”

“That individual reached back out in 2018,” the email continued. “The information from the 2018 interview, as well as the anonymous report, was provided immediately to the Solon Police Department, and the district fully cooperated throughout the entire investigation.

“Additionally, the district submitted a report to the Ohio Department of Education Division of Educator Misconduct.”

Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.