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EDUCATION
THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17-23, 2019 • Page 10
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Residents line up to attend the DCSD Board of Education meeting Jan. 7.
BY TAYLOR ROBINS
taylor@dekalbchamp.com
Parents, students and others
interested parties attended
DeKalb County School
District’s Board of Education
meeting Jan. 7 in hopes that
they could sway the board’s
decision on Henderson Mill
Elementary School’s James
O’Donnell’s employment fate.
The Henderson Mill
Elementary coach was
suspended as a result of how
he allegedly disciplined a fifth-
grade student.
According to DeKalb
County parents, before
Thanksgiving break, the
coach sent a student out of the
gym for spitting on the floor.
Since the gym was full, the
student was asked to stand in
the doorway in O’Donnell’s
line of sight, they said. He
was asked to stand under the
door awning that connects
the school’s gym to the main
building during rainy and mid-
40s weather.
According to DeKalb
County parents, other students
observed the reprimanded
student dry “late in the class.”
The student allegedly “ran
around” in the rain and went
home wet, according to
DeKalb County parents.
O’Donnell was suspended
and allegedly told by school
district officials to retire or
be fired after an investigation
was completed by the district.
DeKalb County School
District’s board has not
announced any resolution to
the suspension of O’Donnell.
“There is a lot of anger and
frustration in our community
about [O’Donnell’s] ongoing
suspension,” said supporter
Julie Herron Carson.
Parents and students of
Henderson Mill Elementary
noticed O’Donnell’s absence
upon returning to school Jan.
7. His absence prompted a
group of supporters wearing
matching shirts to attend
the Jan. 7 DCSD board of
education meeting.
“He is really a part of our
family in many ways,” said
supporter Charles Hankla. “I
had had him as my PE. teacher
from 1980-1988 and two of
my daughters had him for six
years.”
Supporters did not get
a response from the DCSD
board as the meeting was a
community input session only.
Some of the same people
also attended the “On the
Scene with Dr. Green” DCSD
event on Nov. 29, to show their
support for the coach.
“This is a personnel
matter,” said DCSD
Superintendent R. Stephen
Green on Nov. 29. “It’s
confidential and under
investigation as we speak. I’m
not at any liberty to engage
with you or talk with you
about this. All I can say is that
you’re entitled to your opinion.
I will sit and listen.”
Supporters have also made
a “Support for Dr. James
O’Donnell (OD) Henderson
Mill Elementary School”
Facebook page, which now has
857 members.
BY TAYLOR ROBINS
taylor@dekalbchamp.com
Area residents make President’s List at Georgia
Southwestern State University
Justin Byers of Atlanta, Olivia King of Decatur, Jessika
Marlow of Stone Mountain and Jarome Wilson of Stone
Mountain have made the fall 2018 President’s List at
Georgia Southwestern State University and were among 600
students recognized for scholastic achievement.
Woods makes fall 2018 Dean’s List
Lynnette Woods of Decatur was named to the fall 2018
Dean’s List at Georgia Southwestern State University.
To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must earn a
semester GPA of 3.5 or better and take a minimum of 12
credit hours.
Area residents graduate from Georgia Southwestern
State University
The following DeKalb students were among
approximately 426 students who graduated from Georgia
Southwestern State University during the fall 2018
commencement ceremony held Dec. 12 in Convocation Hall
of the Student Success Center:
Lakeia Aaron of Decatur earned a bachelor of business
administration degree in accounting; Natelie Williams of
Lithonia earned a bachelor of business administration in
management degree; Gabrielle Pointer of Lithonia earned
a bachelor of science degree in psychology; Sidney Walker
of Decatur earned a bachelor of science in political science
degree; Cecilia Chavis, of Decatur, earned an educational
specialist degree in early childhood education; Mary Jones
of Decatur earned an educational specialist degree in early
childhood education; Danisa Ross of Tucker earned a
master’s degree in business administration.
Dean’s list at Coastal Carolina University tops 2,400
More than 2,400 students at Coastal Carolina University
were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2018 semester.
That’s more than 23 percent of the student body earning a
GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Local students earning a spot on the Dean’s List are
Jacob Vaughan, an intelligence and national security studies
major of Decatur; and James Williams, an English major of
Stone Mountain.
Belmont University announces fall 2018 Dean’s list
Amy Coon of Tucker was named to the Dean’s List at
Belmont University for the fall 2018 semester. Eligibility is
based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality
grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.
S150M in student loan debt to be canceled
U.S. Department of Education will cancel $150 million
in student loans after a judge dismissed Education Secretary
Betsy DeVos’ bid to block an Obama-era rule on the matter.
The debt forgiveness applies to about 15,000 student
borrowers who were eligible for “closed school” loan
discharges. Roughly half of the canceled debt belongs to
students who attended Corinthian Colleges, a chain of
for-profit schools that shuttered in April 2015, with the
remaining debt tied to students who attended schools that
closed from 2013 to 2018.
“On Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, we will begin emailing
borrowers to inform them that the company that handles
billing and other services related to their federal student
loans will discharge some or all of the borrower’s loans
within the next 30-90 days,” the department said in a press
release.
