PARMA, Ohio — Amid a circulating controversial video of Greenbriar Middle School Principal Jill Schissler, Parma City Schools has accepted her resignation.
Cell phone video captured by a Parma City Schools parent in March 2024 shows Schissler in a heated conversation with what appear to be students.
"Her behavior is deplorable!" Schissler said.
Schissler can also be heard saying, "Hey, how about you shut up? Thank you."
There are also questions from parents about whether Schissler asks, "You wanna go? You wanna go? You wanna go?" to instigate a fight.
The parent who recorded the video said they sent it to a former school board member two weeks later, who then forwarded it to then-Superintendent Charles Smialek.
Following this, a Human Resources Department email to Schissler called her for an investigative hearing on April 19 in response to questions in regard to allegations of employee misconduct, "more specifically allegations of unprofessional conduct while interacting or dealing with students."
Four hours after the investigative hearing, Smialek sent Schissler an email saying, "I appreciate the background that you shared. I also appreciate the need to trust our professionals to know their students and employ their best judgment as they work to end disruptive or potentially disruptive behaviors."
Smialek then told Schissler, according to the email, to be mindful of two considerations:
- "You are always on stage and the brightest light will always shine on the Principal. While some will understand and appreciate atypical means of curbing inappropriate behaviors, others can question when such falls outside of the traditionally expected norm."
- "Placing your face in close proximity to an upset student can result in unanticipated consequences, most of which are negative for both of you."
That email sent to Schissler concluded the matter, according to the document.
To be clear, this situation did not result in charges or legal action.
Regardless, there were mixed reactions among those who commented under a post sharing this video on Facebook.
Hilary Jackson is the person who shared the video on behalf of the parent who pressed record.
"What I saw, in my opinion, was a woman that was pushed very, very far and exploded," Jackson told me on Friday. "I'm not, you know, ignorant to the fact that there are kids that do behave terribly and that need, you know, some serious intervention. Do I think that kid was completely innocent and wasn't deserving of being disciplined? No, no, however, is it ever appropriate to swear at a student? No."
She described the video as unprofessional and concerning.
"That parent recorded that video because that behavior was concerning to the point where a parent felt like they needed to pretend that they were on the phone to capture that, you know, in case something were to have happened, so it was obviously a really hostile situation where a parent felt like they needed to have it on record," Jackson said.
Not only is the video upsetting to Jackson, but she also accused Schissler of not reporting previous inappropriate behavior from a staff member.
Because of this, Jackson said she has been calling for Schissler's resignation for months.
"There were situations that were brought to my attention that I can't fix, you know, I can't fix everything. I'm not Jesus, but I can at least share their (parents') stories and speak to the board on their behalf if they are too afraid to do so," Jackson said.
I reached out to Schissler for comment via email, but did not hear back.
At Thursday night's school board meeting, there were teachers who vouched for Schissler.
Public comments were off-camera, so those speaking could not be seen, but they could be heard.
One sixth-grade teacher at Greenbriar Middle School said, "She has been our principal for nine years. She’s a mentor to many, including staff and students, starting mentoring programs for both. She has brought and cultivated a growth mindset and family to GMS."
That same teacher added, "There was context to that, that there were events leading to that and events that occurred after that, and did anyone ever think to ask?"
Another teacher said, "Even if she has had 100 complaints, which she has not, that means that less than 3% of the parents of the students who are in her care are unhappy with her performance. She greets students at the door every morning, she is in the hallways and in the cafeteria, she is present in the classroom. She cares about kids. She is by far the most impactful and exceptional principal I have ever had the privilege to work with."
The school board accepted Schissler's resignation Thursday night.
"For it to have to come to this and, you know, to have some sort of public outcry in order for her to submit her resignation, it's sad," Jackson said. "I'm going to consider this a win, that for the first time in a long time, the district is listening to families and they are accepting her resignation instead of a reassignment."
Jackson said she hopes this situation shines a light on why parents should come forward with concerns.
I reached out to the Parma City School District for a copy of Schissler's resignation letter on Friday, but did not hear back. I also asked when her last day would be and for information on 2024's investigation, but didn't get a response to that either.
The cell phone video, again, was recorded in March 2024.
While it's circulating on social media right now, it's unclear if that's what led to the resignation, as neither the school district nor Schissler has stated so.
