Is this actually abuse?

The definition of abuse comes from multiple sources, such as the Mayo Clinic, research, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Is this really isolation? They say they were watching the kids in the hallway.

Our definition of isolation comes from the dictionary. It is supported by the Federal Government’s Civil Rights Division.

What is happening with the Department of Education?

Multiple divisions of Minnesota Department of Education are investigating. Including the Maltreatment division, the Exclusionary Discipline Division, and the division that oversees the authorizers of charter schools. These investigations take time. We will update this page with new information as available.

Have you filed complaints anywhere else?

Reports of maltreatment to MDE are automatically filed with the local sheriff’s office. Thus, it has been reported to the Ramsey County Sheriff.

Emily Bowar has been reported to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB).

Shirley Volk has been reported to the Board of School Administrators (BOSA).

What do you want us to do with this information?

Whatever you wish to do with it. Anything. Nothing.

We want you to be informed of the abusive practices at Oak Hill Montessori Community School. With that information, you can make your own decisions on how to proceed.

If you are a current Oak Hill family, and want to help, you can make your feelings known to the Executive Director, Shirley Volk, and to the School Board.

If you are not currently an Oak Hill family, we wanted you to have this information before you make a decision to send your child into an abusive environment.

Is everyone at Oak Hill complicit in this?

Absolutely not. Oak Hill Montessori Community School is staffed by highly trained, trusted, caring individuals. The vast majority of the staff are wonderful people, caught in a situation with a bad “leader,” and an abusive, toxic co-worker.

Some of the staff have been in contact with us after the launch of the site to make it clear they felt uncomfortable fighting Ms. Volk due to fear of retaliation, and a desire to keep their jobs. We understand that, completely.

Those who are guilty of these atrocities, and those that have defended them, are named specifically. Anyone else is to be presumed innocent of everything except not doing enough to stop it, if they knew it was occurring.

What would you do if you had a magic wand? In other words… what do you want to happen, now?

If it were up to me, the end result of this would be that Ms. Volk and Ms. Bowar would be terminated from employment at Oak Hill, with cause. The rest of the staff would report what they know to the department of education, and Ms. Bowar would face the legal consequences of her abuse against our daughter.

The school board would immediately meet and put into place new policies to prevent this from every happening to another child, again.

After that, I would hope Oak Hill would fulfill its charter and move forward as the place it claims to be.