Parent protests punishment in student assault case at Prattville Junior High

PRATTVILLE ― The parent of an Autauga County school student alleges that Superintendent Tim Tidmore went against policy when he allowed another student to be released from the system’s alternative school early.

The parent, Matthew Short, is an employee of the schools, who serves as physical education coach at Prattville Elementary School. He was hired in 2005 and has served as an assistant football coach at Prattville Junior High School since 2008.

The student in question was sent to the Second Chance program, the alternative school, after allegedly physically assaulting Short’s son, who is a student at the junior high.

Short addressed the school board during its Thursday night meeting. The student was sent to the alternative school for 10 days, pending an administrative hearing, Short told the board. According to Short, Tidmore allowed the student to return to the junior high after three days.

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He told the board that Tidmore was “intimidated,” into allowing the student to leave the alternative school early. Short did not go into detail as to who allegedly intimidated the superintendent during the meeting. In a follow-up interview, he declined to elaborate on the alleged intimidation.

“I just want school policy followed,” Short said. “If the superintendent doesn’t follow policy, how do you expect teachers to follow policy? And it trickles down to the students.”

Tidmore, after the meeting, said board policy bars him from commenting on disciplinary matters involving students.

Short referred to the system’s student Code of Conduct during the meeting, which reads there will be no early releases from the alternative school. The handbook is posted on the system’s website, acboe.net, under the polices and manuals tab.

The "no early release" language is on page 19, Paragraph G, section 4 (b) which reads “Students enrolled in the Second Chance Program will remain in the program until their assigned time, plus any additional time added by the Second Chance Program personnel, is completed. There will be no early release.”

Short’s son and the student got into a “shoving match” in the school locker room. He was called that afternoon by a PJHS administrator and told of the incident and said any discipline would be handled at the school level. He called the incident an “Intermediate” offense as spelled out in the code of conduct, to be handled at the school level.

The administrator told Short that Donny Burnett, the athletic director, would decide on discipline.

“I had no problem with letting coach Burnett handle things,” Short said. “I didn’t want my son treated any different than any other student. And I know from working as a coach with the football program that coach Burnett is fair.”

The discipline was to be meted out the next day, but the student didn’t go to school that day, Short said. The following day the student did go to school and, according to Short, worked with other students to set Short’s son up, he said

A group of male students allegedly blocked the hall and Short’s son took another hall where the student came up behind him and grabbed him around the neck, Short alleges. That is “aggravated battery and a major offense,” according to the handbook, Short said. Such as offense calls for assignment to the alternative school, he said.

He declined to comment on if he is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the second alleged assault.

Short said he’s not worried about repercussions after addressing the board.

“Not at all,” he said. “I’m just standing up for my son and for what’s right.”

Short asked the board to conduct an investigation into the matter. Board President Kim Crockett said the board will look into the situation and contact Short to let him know what has been decided.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Parent protests punishment in assault case at Prattville Junior High