Update

Dear Parents and Hemlock Community:

This communication is regarding allegations made against one of our Hemlock Middle School Teachers that you may have seen or likely hear about as these allegations appear in a public forum.

Right now, I cannot provide any information as our district does not comment on the specifics of pending investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, particularly when they involve confidential information about former students. However, the district takes its responsibility seriously to both safeguard and nurture the children entrusted to us. The District also has policies and procedures in place to investigate and handle any allegations of employee misconduct that protect student safety and an employee’s due process rights.  That said, the complaints concern allegations dating back several years, and at this time, there are no allegations by current students. We appreciate the trust and confidence that our families place in Hemlock Public School District, and we will continue to work to maintain that trust.

I  would encourage you to take this communication as an opportunity to talk to your child(ren) about potential abuses of position/authority and urge them to speak out to you or others if they experience any questionable behavior by adults or their peers.

If you have any specific information regarding this situation that might be helpful to our ongoing investigation, please reach out and let me know. In the meantime, I would encourage you to direct any questions or concerns that people may have my way. I can be reached at my office at (989) 642-5282.

Sincerely,

Don Killingbeck
killingbeck@hemlockps.com