Trip Elementary School parents feel betrayed by teacher's arrest
The Brief
Brad Miller feels betrayed by the teacher and school administration, accusing them of downplaying the situation after Brian Hill's arrest for inappropriate behavior with students.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Hill fondling Miller's daughter for over 5 minutes, contradicting the school's initial minimization of the incident.
Miller urges other parents to come forward if they suspect their children were victims, with his attorney providing an email address for reporting concerns.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Gwinnett County father is speaking out after his daughter's kindergarten teacher at Trip Elementary School was arrested earlier this month, accused of inappropriately touching students in his class.
What we know
Brad Miller said he feels betrayed by both the teacher and the school administration, which he believes tried to downplay the situation after 29-year-old Brian Hill was arrested May 5. Hill is charged with first-degree cruelty to children and simple battery.
"It's…I don't even have words. There's no words," Miller said.
What they're saying
Miller's attorney, Mitch Skandalakis, said they believe Hill engaged in inappropriate behavior with Miller's daughter and other female kindergarten students since the beginning of the school year.
"He was stroking her hair. He drew her close to him in an embrace. And again, this is bizarre behavior," Skandalakis said.
Miller said the school first notified families in a March 31 email titled "Staffing Update," which simply stated that Hill had resigned and was being replaced. Days later, Miller said the school principal called and minimized the situation.
"Oh, she just got patted on the head," Miller recalled being told.
But police later contacted Miller and showed him surveillance video of the alleged incident.
"He goes, grabs a chair, pulls the chair up right up on my daughter, and then proceeds to fondle her for over 5 minutes," Miller said. "Something like this should not get downplayed. An adult male touches kindergarten kids…it's just shattered. You know, all my belief and trust in the system."
"The damage has been done and there's a fork in the road," Miller said. "Either you protect kids or you protect your image and the optics of all of this. And unfortunately, it feels like they took the wrong path."
The other side
Gwinnett County Public Schools declined to comment on specifics, citing the ongoing investigation, but said in a statement that Hill was "promptly removed from the classroom and did not return to the school" once the allegations were discovered. Police were also notified immediately, the district said.
Timeline
March 31 - Miller receives an email from school officials titled "staffing update."
April 1 - He gets a call from the principal.
May 5 - Hill was arrested.
What's next
Miller is urging other parents who suspect their children may have been victims to come forward. His attorney has created an email address for families seeking to report concerns.
What you can do
Those who believe their child may have been a victim can email justicefortripkindergarten@gmail.com.
The Source
FOX 5's Eric Mock spoke with parents and guardians at Trip Elementary School for this article.
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