The confirmation comes two weeks after Back was allegedly involved in an incident at Dixie Elementary School that resulted in a “halted dismissal.”
Call transcripts obtained via public records request from the Englewood Dispatch Center show a Dixie Elementary school official had called 911 on the afternoon of Oct. 23 to report that Back, whose children are students at Dixie, had approached the front door of the school despite having been prohibited from being on the grounds due to his alleged involvement in a Child Protective Services (CPS) case.
New Lebanon resident Collin Kenney is the parent of three Dixie Elementary School students. He said his kids arrived home on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 23, and told him there had been a “soft lockdown” at the end of the school day.
Kenney said he did not receive any communication from Dixie Elementary officials that day.
The incident took place just prior to dismissal, prompting school administrators to delay the release of students, Superintendent Greg Williams explained to parents in a statement two days later.
“On Thursday afternoon, administrators became aware of a potentially volatile situation during dismissal time. As a precaution, DES staff halted dismissal to avoid exposing students to any uncomfortable interactions,” Williams said in the statement, which was obtained by Dayton Daily News this week.
Williams did not provide specific details, but said the incident was brief and dismissal swiftly resumed as normal.
“We will always strive to err on the side of caution if we believe the school environment may be disrupted,” his statement continued. “We are thankful for our professional staff who followed safety protocols calmly and quickly. We are also very appreciative of your patience and support when safety protocols are activated.”
New Lebanon officials have not publicly addressed the Dixie Elementary incident, nor the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigation into Back.
Back did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, and Interim Village Manager Shannon Bemis declined to release a statement.
In response to a public records request for the police report from the officer who responded to the 911 call, Bemis said no report had been completed.
Kenney said he is concerned by the lack of communication from the village, and that Back has thus far remained in his council position.
“There’s been no statement and nothing was mentioned at the recent council meeting; everything is just carrying on like normal,” Kenney said. “... Typically, with any sort of legal or administrative investigation, the person would be placed on suspension until it’s concluded, and I think that’s a realistic expectation in this situation.”
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