Pleasant Valley director accused of ‘bullying’

Published October 12. 2018 01:15PM

<p>By Judy Dolgos-Kramer</p><p>jkramer@tnonline.com</p>

Pleasant Valley School Board Director Laura Jecker has been accused of bullying PV administrators and board members with a message she posted on her Facebook page.

Jecker shared a post from the Pennsylvania Department of Education promoting “Wear Blue — World Day of Bullying Prevention” on her Facebook page on Sept. 20, along with the message: “Our district should be promoting this but again bullying is not important enough to them. Parents, students and board members on the committee care but it is the admin holding back. Again it’s put on the back burner. Please send me your stories and concerns about bullying. Together we will take bullying head on.”

Jecker, prior to her election to the board, was a frequent attendee at board meetings and often addressed the board as a concerned parent regarding bullying. Jecker is also known for publicly praising teachers and others in the district for their accomplishments.

At the conclusion of Thursday evening’s board meeting, Director Dan Wunder called out Jecker for her post. Wunder noted that normally Jecker posts positive messages on her page touting the good news in the district.

Wunder said that he took her comments of Sept. 20 personally.

“As a teacher I did not tolerate it in my classroom. … As a principal (I) opened PVE with Be Safe, Be Kind and Be Respectful and stood in front of the entire student body of over 1,500 students a year and personally addressed anti-bullying with the entire student body,” Wunder said. “After my retirement in 2008 I organized, with the help of retired teachers, an anti-bullying effort that went into the elementary classrooms.

“I don’t know Mr. Triolo or Mr. Breiner well, but I hired Mr. Pomposello as a teacher at PVE and I know Mr. Seiler. You don’t want to be caught bullying in front of Rocco.”

Wunder went on to state that the district has an anti-bullying policy that has been in place since April 2016 and revised earlier this year.

Wunder cautioned Jecker in his statement by saying that board members should not attack administrators from their seats on the board.

“We must recognize our position of authority and that we sit up here and are seen by them in positions of authority,” Wunder said. “Given that, they are not in the best position to defend themselves.”

“When you attack someone in a position who is unable to defend themselves, it is called bullying.”

Wunder concluded by addressing a message to board President Len Peeters, who was not present at the meeting.

“I don’t know what your plans are to address this board’s current division, but it is my feeling that the public that elected us and the students we serve deserve better than the public sniping that is currently taking place. While healthy public debate in this forum is good and should be expected, calling others out contentiously in public is a disservice as to why we are here.”

Jecker was contacted for a comment but did not respond.

Tags
Comments
This doesn't surprise me one bit that a former administrator would make a claim like this. Pleasant Valley does a modest job at bullying prevention, but could do better. That is what Ms. Jecker pointed out. The old guard is only saying this because Ms. Jecker is "upsetting their cart". Business as usual must end at PV. As a former PV employee, I was personally bullied by an administrator just for speaking my mind. PV administrators only like "yes men". This is why they are bringing this charge, and NOT because Ms. Jecker is guilty of bullying.
I know several people who went to this meeting and said it was ridiculous how Ms. Jecker was called out on this. I am so thankful that Ms. Jecker is on the school board. She speaks for the people of the community and wants what's best for our students and staff. She is not about making sure her family get jobs. She is about making sure the right person gets the job.
This sounds like bullying at its finest. And Rocco not a bully, that's some funny crap right there. I have personally been bullied by him, and have witnessed him bullying others. Thank you Ms. Jecker for standing up for what you believe in. I applaud you.
I didn't want to name names, but I was also bullied by Rocco and one other. Those good old boy administrators are all out for themselves. I hope the younger, newer administrators don't fall into that trap.
Cheers to Ms. Jecker who seems to only be doing her elected job as a school director. In the current time of school shootings, bullying prevention is a priority.

Jeers to Mr. Wunder who seems to only have run for the Pleasant Valley school board to support his administrative cronies. It's about time these administrators are taken to task and I guess they wheel out Wunder when Jecker hits a nerve.

I don't know when this guy is up for election but let's show him the door. He is not representing Pleasant Valley families and students.
Mr. Wunder seems to be trying to draw attention away from the dark clouds that are currently looming over the PVSD by taking Mrs. Jeckers FB Post and blowing it way out of proportion! I feel that Mr. Wunder is coming off as the bully. Why didn't he address this privately? Was it really necessary to do it publicly? He came off as an old man who has a good old boy mentality! Mr. Wunder has been a board member for quite some time, and claims to be an advocate against bullying yet where is the proof? What has he done? He's done minimal regarding the zero tolerance/no bullying in PV before, during & after his time as a teacher, principal, and board member. He also named Rocco Seiler in his lengthy prepared statement. Mr. Seiler is one of the biggest bullies in that district! How do I know? I speak from experience and have been personally bullied by that man.
Mr. Wunder,
Lets talk about Joshua Krebs!
Lets talk about Coach Matt Kosciolek!
Lets talk about the inappropriate teacher/student sexual relationships! Lets talk about all the dirty little secrets PV has swept under the rug! I know I am grateful to have the Board President Len Peeters keeping Wunder and Piperato in line! Mrs. Jecker, keep on doing what you're doing! You are evidently making them (other board members) nervous because you don't stand for their shady shenanigans! #WeStandWithJecker and look forward to her rebuttal!
Thank you Jasmine for pointing out real issues that should be addressed in board meetings but rarely are. People need to read the minutes and question what they see! I don't know about you, but paying Krebs all these months has been a waste of tax payer money. Other astronomical attorney fees, pay increases for administrators, new positions being created and friends of administrators being hired? Enough already!
Well, well, well! Look at what we have here. The Pot calling the kettle Black! Dan Wunder what a classless move! Mrs. Jecker, keep fighting the fight! And for the record Rocco is a bully and a disgrace to the Pleasant Valley School District.
Dan Wunder could have very easily commented on Mrs. Jeckers FaceBook Post if it bothered him so much! But no! He had to prepare a long statement and read it in front of an audience at the Board Meeting! His attempt to try and publicly humiliate Mrs. Jecker was deplorable and back fired! It only brought more attention how important it is to vote out the posse!

Let me ask you this "Mr. Dan Not So Wunder-ful" Are you going to attack director Donna Yozwiak next because she isn't a "yes man" too?

It may have taken a while, but slowly and surely the good old boy posse is getting voted out! Perhaps then PV will no longer be the laughing stock of surrounding districts!

For the record- Mr. Seiler is a bully. Many have complained and brought our concerns to Piperato, perhaps we should have brought them to Mrs. Jecker? #Istandwithjecker
True! Why didn’t Dan Wunder comment on the Facebook post if it upset him so deeply?!
maybe he wanted a bigger audience? attention seeker? maybe he jumped at the chance to make a statement during the meeting because the board president wasn't there to stop him?
I stand with Laura Jeker! Everyone knows the anti-bullying policy at PV doesn't work. Never has. It's all smoke and mirrors. Laura knows that and wants to see real change. That is why I voted for her! She is the only board member that I have ever seen that has asked parents what we think. What changes we would like to see. To call her out at a board meeting looks like bullying to me. When I read her post on Facebook I was actually proud of her for mentioning the the other members. If you read school board minutes you will see that she has been asking about the anti-bullying policy and what the committee was doing. I believe her post was out of frustration. I can go on and on about my kids being bullied but I pretty much gave up on it and will just be happy the day my son graduates from PV. Keep fighting the fight Laura Jeker!!!
Wunder also stated that members should not attack administrators from their seats on the board. That should be the same for board members regarding an attack on other board members from their seat, yet on Thursday night Wunder went on a rant and attacked Jecker from his seat! Of course Wunder first had to list a bunch of nonsense in an effort to toot his own horn to make himself look good in the public’s eye! A typical PV Administrator tactic! Going into an elementary classroom doesn’t stop bullying! Attending or starting a committee against bullying is useless if nothing is put into practice!
Anyone notice how Wunder brought this up during the absence of board president Len Peeters? Why? Because Mr. Peeters would've shut Wunder down!

We <3 Len Peeters!
Electing Mr. Peeters and him becoming the Board President was the first step in the right direction for our school board and our community. He is a man of his word and is not swayed by the administration. I am eager to hear what he has to say at the next board meeting.
As a current employee of the PV school district I am aware of the negativity that goes on within the school walls and is quickly covered up. Mrs. Jecker is approachable, was present during opening day ceremonies (along with Mr. Peeters and Mr. Delbert - something that is a rare occurrence by board directors), and visits our building during open house and regular school hours. Mrs. Jecker reached out to many of my colleagues to ask how she could help make our transition less stressful during the mold issues at our building. She even took the time to visit the HS Library with Ms. Yozwiak when it re-opened to make sure everything was taken care of properly, and addressed concerns she spotted and others that were brought to her attention. Mrs. Jecker takes a genuine interest to all faculty and staff, to our comments and concerns and takes ACTION.
She has publicly supported faculty and staff prior to taking her well deserved seat as a director on the board! Mr. Wunders attack on Mrs. Jecker Thursday night came off as someone who is jealous of her ever growing popularity! Shame, shame Mr. Wunder, those who live in glass houses should NOT throw stones!
Mrs. Jecker, I'm sure you're reading these comments and we want you to know that we fully support you and will continue to do so. We believe we can bring our concerns to you without fear of RETALIATION. We believe that you have our best interest in mind. We believe you want what is best for the pvsd and the community at large. We believe in you. YOU ARE NOT THE BULLY! Rocco Seiler holds that title.
We are tired of the cover-ups, nepotism and bullying that goes on within our buildings and it is evident that certain board members are fearful that you are not afraid to call them out on each of those issues. We look forward to the next board meeting and hearing your response.
This is ridiculous! Is this really newspaper worthy? After all the stuff that our district has been in the press about, now this! I think Ms. Jeker is wonderful! She has the biggest heart! She is always there to help at school functions and truly cares about our community! Is she a bully? NO! FAR FROM IT! I feel better knowing she is on the board, on our side and not taking anyone’s crap! I know that she can’t do it alone, however a lot of people don’t speak up or go to board meetings because of the fear of retaliation on their children that go to school at PV. I don’t want my child to start having issues at school because I spoke up! So intimidation is a factor from admin and some of the board members when it comes to speaking about concerns! This article is sending the wrong message to our children, our community and paints a picture of Ms. Jeker that is just not true! I voted for Ms. Jeker and I will again and again! This was handled very unprofessionally, but she got your attention! Listen to what she has to say. She will make a difference. She is not one to turn a blind eye or agree with people just for the sake of making friends or making others happy! I still and always will support Jeker!!!!
This is so typical & sad. Why would Mr. Wunder do this drawing more negative attention to PVSD & our community. Mrs. Jecker is a force to be reckon with and the old timers don’t like it! There was nothing wrong with her fb post and only someone who is guilty of bullying would take offense to it. Mrs. Jecker has been trying to improve the bully policy in PV schools (or rather the lack of a bullying policy that exists) for quite sometime. Just read the approved board minutes if you need proof. Mrs Jecker has done more in the short amount of time she’s been a board director then Mr. Wunder has in the years that’s he has been a board director. If you read the minutes and pay attention to who votes on what, it’s clear that Mrs. Jecker votes in support of the community and PV faculty and staff. Wunder and certain other board members vote on the side of administrators. Take a look at the votes when it came time to give Piperrato a raise. Wunder voted on a much larger pay increase for the superintendent (who insists on protecting Joshua Krebs which in turn cost us tax payers more money!) Mrs. Jecker along with a few other directors felt Piperrato didn’t deserve such a substantial amount. (When Piperrato signed on as superintendent, it stated he would get a raise on his 1 year anniversary). Mrs. Jecker voted for a raise but at a lower percentage! Mr. Wunder also names Rocco Seiler, Pv’s biggest bully. It seems to me that the good old boys don’t like the fact Mrs. Jecker voices her opinion, calls them out on issues and can’t be bought! The good old boys are losing their leverage and can no longer pull the wool over the public’s eyes! Thank you Mrs. Jecker for standing your ground against these bullies! You have my vote and my support.
I didnt see Mrs Jecker's post on Facebook, but I was at the board meeting and what I saw was Mr Wunder setting an example of what a bully is. This shouldnt have been addressed at a board meeting, but in a private setting. Why wait to do this in public rather than private?

Do you want to know whats discussing? Coach Kosciolek trying to get rid of the 2 children with special needs that help as managers on the football team. His words were "I dont want to babysit these retards". He got rid of Riley Clifford. When he found out that Harrison Jecker was Laura's son, he said "I guess I have to deal with this one".

Mr Seiler preaches about Positive is Powerful, yet he is not Positive behind closed doors. He only uses you for his self needs.

I never met such a corrupt district in my life! You all are disgusting!

You have a football coach that throw temper tantrums at his students and curses in the locker room and throws things. You have an Athletic Director (Mr Percy) who gives 2 sh^ts about the kids that play sports. You have a Soccer Coach who passed away and you all threw that under the carpet real quick. When painting the bear paws, the kids made a tribute to him with his initials and number on a paw and next thing you know it was painted over as if it was never there.

This district constantly shuts down new ideas to do things for students and you always here "its a liability". All you guys do is make excuses after excuses after excuses.

I think Mr Wunder owes Mrs Jecker a public apology and you should get that verbally as well as in writing and let them post that in the paper! I dont know Mr Peeters, but if he wouldnt condone of that behavior, than that is a low blow. Have some class! Something this town lacks!

Mrs Jecker, you are a valuable asset to the school and our community. As long as I am living here, you have my vote.

#ISupportJecker #IStandWithHer #PVSDIsCorrupted
Very well said! As a football mom myself I am disappointed that the one waterboy got to stay because of his connection to a board member while the other was relieved of his duties. When I questioned his whereabouts I was quickly shut down and the conversation was diverted. I am glad that the football coach was suspended after hearing what goes on in the lockeroom and on the field. Very poor sportsmanship in my opinion. But this is about Mr. Wunders attack on Mrs. Jecker. It was wrong, but Mrs. Jecker, after hearing about this waterboy I am disappointed that you havent addressed that issue? If your son was relieved from his position of waterboy would you have fought for him? Protecting our children from adult bullies is the same as protecting them from peer bullying. The behavior of the Blue Crew during the homecoming ceremony was also an embarrassment. They were openly bullying while administrators stood by and watched. What example are we sending to our youth? There should be consequences for such behavior but when the administrators themselves are acting inappropriately what do you expect? I can’t wait for my children to graduate!
I heard about this at Saturday’s game. I was happy that the head coach has been suspended for an undisclosed amount of time. He should be fired after the way he talks to our boys. You can hear him from the bleachers and it’s disgusting. I hear the way he talks to them and the temper tantrums he throws in the locker room are crazy. The team has no spirit and I pity the senior players on there last year on the team. Pv players are now turning on each other and fighting in and out of the locker room and on and off the field. It’s a damn shame about that waterboy. I remeber coach versuk including them last year and letting them participate. I guess people only care when it effects them directly. I wasn’t at the board meeting but know Mr. Wunder from having my children have him as a principal at PVE and Mrs Jecker from volunteering. I don’t care for either of them.
this is all a bunch of bs. the coach doesn't give two craps about pv and board people only care about taking care of their own. district is filled with lies, cheaters and corruption. Jecker being called out is not surprising. my kid doesn't get special treatment but hers does? she's just as bad as the rest of them.
You obviously don’t know Mrs. Jecker very well. How many meetings have you attended? Have you contacted her about your son? I know she replies quickly and is on top of issues. Don’t just assume she is one of them because she is FAR from it.
Just saying, its ok for her son to stay as a water boy but not for the other kid? and i do know jecker and I'm not a fan of her or her narrow minded opinions. my kid works hard and doesn't get the special treatment that her son is getting. but then again, she's a board member and I'm not. she was contacted and knew of the situation and yet her son is there and other kids aren't.
I know Mrs. Jecker and I know she has questioned Riley’s dismissal from the team. As a board member she has no control over coaches actions or personnel issues. She did tell me she has brought it up but, it falls on the building principal because the coach is his employee. She has been vocal about it but as you know she has an uphill battle. She also contacted the coach regarding her son and said if he is disrupting the team she would keep him home. She does not want any favors personally or for anyone in her family.

I think the coach should request a para be at the games so he does not feel he needs to babysit. Coach Versuk and Ward never had. Problem with managers why does this coach?

The problem with the school board is you have 4 people doing what’s right for the district and 4 who have been there too long because of their name and never consider what is best for the district and 1 who seems lost and has decided to tag on with the wrong 4. If people want changes they need to fight for the change at the polls in May 2019. Mrs. Jecker is only 1 board member and has done so much already so help by going to a meeting.
I dont know if you were addressing me in your comment. I back Laura up! I know she doesnt expect or ask for favors. These are 2 innocent kids that are not a problem. My post/comment was directing it towards the coach that he is a BULLY. Meanwhile the article is trying to paint a picture that she is.

They need to address who the real bullies of the school and it isnt her! I feel this is an uphill battle and we all need to stand tall and not back down.

I personally know some parents are looking at Academy's/Private Schools to send their kids because everything with PV is so Corrupted.

But trying to not get off the topic....Mrs Jecker shouldve not been called out and I hope she addresses this at the next meeting or Mr Peeters addresses. Would love to see a rewrite on this article.
i agree with most of what you are saying. i will stand with you all in getting rid of bullies and playing fair! yeah, Jecker shouldn't have been harassed by wunder and he should publicly apologize for his behavior. I stand on the side of what is right.
You state Mrs. Jecker has no control over coaches actions or personal issues. But she does have control over what activities she lets her son participate in. So why does she continue to allow her son to be in an environment when the coach clearly stated he'd rather them not be there because he isn't a babysitter? He is there to coach. Mrs. Jecker continuing to let her son be a waterboy in an environment that seems unsafe around a coach with erratic behavior makes me question what her motives are? Is it so she can say he is part of a team? Is it for her own satisfaction? Mr. Cliffords son enjoyed being part of the team but made the tuff decision of pulling him because he cared more about the welfare of his son. If Mrs. Jecker is aware of all this I don't understand why she feels its more important for her son to hand out water? I'm sure Riley was upset, but its the perfect opportunity to teach about different outcomes in life. Not everyone gets a trophy. I've also been told Mrs. Jeckers son has a full time paraprofessional during the school day, if thats true why isn't someone there to guide and help him or keep an eye out for him? The head coach is right, he is there to COACH the team. I'm not saying Mrs. Jecker isn't doing a good job as a board director, but letting her son remain a water boy around the very type of environment she so strongly claims to support confuses me?
I'm not sure why Mrs. Jecker keeps her son on the team, her son is more verbal than my son so maybe that is the reason why.

I do commend Mrs. Jecker for keeping her son on the team. I think if my son were more verbal (so he could relay to me what people said to him each day), I would have possibly kept him on the team...but he isn't, so we felt it was in his best interest to pull him from the team. But Mrs. Jecker's son has just as much right to be on that team as anyone else.

As for a teaching opportunity, yes it was a teaching opportunity....but my son only grasps so much in the way of abstract thoughts. You give him a task to do and he does it and does it well, but trying to explain to him more than the fact that the coach is an asshole and a bully? He just wouldn't get it. He might end up thinking it was his fault. It's hard to explain.
But maybe this is a teaching opportunity for Mrs. Jecker as well, maybe she is trying to teach her son how to stand up for himself. Her son may be the type of person that can express himself verbally. I don't know, but I'm sure she knows what is best for her son.

I also don't agree with the 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality. I know coaches have to be tough, but they are there to 'watch' our children. He is the head coach, he isn't there to just coach. It is his responsibility to keep all his players safe. Now, maybe they do not need as much supervision as my son, but the safety of his team is still HIS responsibility. If the coach did not want to take on the responsibility of keeping an eye on my son (which I did explain to him), then he should have said just that in the beginning...and I would have respected him for his decision.

Again, I do appreciate that people did notice my son's absence from the team. And I agree with much that has been said in defense of Mrs. Jecker....and we do need more people like her on the board.

Just to note, I'm Riley's mom. Mrs. Clifford ;)

Just to clear things up; my son (Riley Clifford) was not 'relieved of' the position of being a manager. WE pulled him from the team after the coach said to us 'we are not here to watch anyone'. (after I did explain to him in an email that my son did need someone to keep an eye on him). At that point we felt the coach did not have our son's safety in mind so we pulled him from the team. Also to note: no one has approached us or reached out to us to ask why our son is not on the team anymore.
The school has paraprofessionals with students during the day, so why can't they have one with your son to keep a watchful eye out for his safety? Its obvious the board members son who is the current waterboy needs assistance to help him perform his duties and could benefit from having someone with him too. My friend had her child on the track team and a paraprofessional attended the track meets and another friends son was part of the marching band who also had an aide with him at all home and away games. I think the few comments regarding your son show that people care and want to make sure that he is being treated fairly.
In the past Coach Versuk and two other coaches always kept an eye out for Riley. Coach Versuk would text us about anything we needed to remind Riley about (what clothes to wear for the day: depending on weather, or if they had a specific t-shirt to wear for practice so they all would look uniform, if he needed sunscreen, etc.), he would let us know when Riley had to be there to catch the bus for away games, etc. During a game Riley knew what to do, but the other coaches would always make sure he was safe. I received nothing from this coach, not a word; and I never really considered asking about a para. So when we asked 'who would be watching out for Riley?' Coach Kosciolak responded "we're not here to watch anyone." That made our minds up that this wasn't going to work. I also find his comment appalling since he is the head coach....he is responsible for ALL of the players/managers on his team. It's better this way, I don't want someone like Kosciolek around my son. I do appreciate everyone's comments, it's really nice to know that people were asking about my son.
Thank you for calling out the football coach. Riley is my son, we pulled him from the team because we knew the coach didn't care about his safety. I did tell the coach that my son would need some guidance and someone to watch him. Anyone who knows my son, knows that he doesn't need a lot of 'watching' but he does need reminders at times. After agreeing to let him be a manager again, we were told a few weeks later (when we asked who would be watching our son at the away game) "We're not here to watch anyone" by the head coach. At that point we felt the coach did not have our son's safety in mind, so we pulled our son from the team. With that mentality, I also have to question if he really has anyone's safety in mind.
Very disappointing that board member jecker didn't pull her son off as a waterboy after being aware of that and why not? does she not care about her sons safety? anyone who watches from the side lines can see that her son needs a lot of reminders. many people went to jecker and told her about their frustration with the coach. your decision to not have Riley participate shows you are a responsible parent. Riley did a great job and he is better off not being around a coach that acts the way he does.
This is about Wunder and Jecker. Wunder was wrong for what he did at the board meeting I'm sure this won't be the last time we hear about it.
Sorry Mr Clifford for what you experienced. Its a shame that its been a PV Tradition to make kids with special needs feel a part of "a team/group" and how your son was alienated.

This entire district, I just dont get.

Thats why more and more we need people like Mrs Jecker to be our voice of the community for us and our children

Classified Ads

Event Calendar

<<

March 2025

>>
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
      
     

Upcoming Events

Twitter Feed

Back to Top

ABOUT TIMES NEWS

594 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive West
Lehighton, PA 18235