A brave parent standing up for his kid

Were former Washington Elementary School Principal Terry Eisenbarth's birthday “whappings” out of line? Opinion still is split in Mount Vernon.

But according to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, they were enough to warrant possible disciplinary action against his teaching license.

After investigating two separate complaints against the former administrator, they've charged him with physical abuse of a student and two counts of unethical practice.

They've scheduled a hearing on the matter next month, which should bring some much-needed clarity to the controversial case.

And some closure, which can't come soon enough for at least one Mount Vernon parent who expressed concerns early on about Eisenbarth's behavior - and paid a price for it.

This dad told me Friday when his son started acting out last year, at first he figured the child was just being naughty.

It was only when they found out about the birthday “whappings” that everything started making sense.

It seems the incident activated the boy's post-traumatic stress disorder - he'd had a very painful early childhood, dad told me.

“We should have been asking questions sooner,” the dad told me. “Never, ever again.”

But why weren't parents told about the birthday spankings? Not given a chance to opt out? That makes this dad as mad as anything.

After all, the school has notification systems for all kinds of events and activities - why keep the “whappings” a secret?

Even more frustrating, he said when the family complained to the school district, Superintendent Pam Ewell and certain school board members dismissed their concerns: “They didn't take it seriously at all.”

So they persisted in their complaints - making some people very angry that they were airing the district's dirty laundry. He says their responses were often ugly, even frightening.

“How could you do this to our town,” at least one person asked him. He's been spit on, screamed at, threatened - a dad just standing up for his kids.

But it's only because of brave parents like this dad - maybe you've guessed by now why he's asked to remain anonymous - that we'll get clear answers about what happened last year at Washington Elementary.

Only because of them that Eisenbarth will be held accountable for any unethical or abusive actions he may have taken.

Stow the anger and the epithets. If you ask me, parents like these deserve a parade.

Comments: (319) 339-3154; jennifer.hemmingsen@sourcemedia.net