Medford School Board Member speaking out on Officer Doney's reassignment

MEDFORD, Ore. – A member of the Medford School Board is concerned that a school resource officer, or SRO, was removed from his position for meeting with him about security issues on campuses.

The school district and police department deny that’s why the officer was reassigned.

Michael Williams joined the Medford School Board last summer.

He has kids in Medford schools himself and says the safety of children is paramount.

That’s why he’s speaking out about Officer Josh Doney’s reassignment.

But he’s clear, his opinions are his own, and he doesn’t speak for the school board.

“I think that there’s a breakdown of trust in our community,” says Williams. “Whenever it comes to particularly our institutions of education, and my hope is to provide the clarity that will hopefully restore some of that trust.”

Williams says he initiated meetings with multiple SRO’s this spring, to learn more about security at Medford schools, and better understand the system he’s now helping to govern.

It was his meeting with then SRO Josh Doney at South Medford High that led him to believe the district could do more to better track troublesome students and to take prevention more seriously.

It also led to additional safety discussions at school board meetings.

But Williams says someone at the district office didn’t like him speaking with the SRO’s.

Now he worries Doney was moved from South for speaking with him and nothing he’s heard from the district so far has made him feel any better about it.

The result of that person making the choice to tell the truth and to see what happens. Because they made that choice it created tension that was palpable that I was clearly aware of. And that tension very reasonably led to that separation from that SRO from their position at south. That’s a fact… I can say that.

Williams says Doney is loved at South, where he’s an alum, and Doney even taught an ethics class there.

Medford police have already said Doney’s move was not discipline-related.

MPD says transfers between departments are common and won’t comment on personnel.

We reached out to the union that represents Medford police officers to get their take.

Officer Doney is actually the president of that union and we never got a response.

We asked Medford School Board Chair Cynthia Wright about some of the concern in the community about the reasons behind Officer Doney’s reassignment.

She said quote-

This was a personnel issue and the decision was made by the Medford police department to transfer officer Doney back to patrol. The Medford school board has received very transparent information about the safety and security issues that we face by our district leaders, including a comprehensive presentation at the March 7th meeting which you can find online. Safety and security continues to be one of our very high priorities.

Medford’s teachers union has already said losing Doney at South is a huge loss for Medford schools.

NBC5 News received the following update on MSD safety measures and SRO transition from Medford School District Superintendent Bret Champion.

Subject: Update on MSD Safety Measures and SRO Transition

Message

July 24, 2024

Greetings, MSD Community.

We’re reaching out to address continued concerns raised on social media after the reassignment of one of our school resource officers (SROs) from South Medford High School back to patrol. Safety and security are among our top shared values, and we have already hired a new SRO for South, who will be announced soon. All MSD schools will have an SRO and/or marshal coverage next school year.

SROs are employed by the Medford Police Department and contracted to provide a service for MSD. SRO Josh Doney was not transferred due to a conversation with a Board member as alleged. The transfer was due to an accumulation of concerns with regard to the MSD SRO Standards and Expectations. MPD and MSD mutually agreed that Officer Josh Doney’s transition back to patrol is in the best interest of both parties.

The conversation around the SRO change has brought to our attention questions about safety, student discipline, and communication. Here are a couple of key points for your information.

Four firearms have been found at MSD campuses. Two were at South, one at Spiegelberg, and one at North. All four were found in the last two years. This aligns with a state and nationwide increase in gun activity.
Firearms are strictly prohibited on MSD campuses or at school-sponsored events. Any student found with a firearm on an MSD campus or at an MSD event is and has been expelled for at least one year per Board policy. No student ever returned before the one-year expulsion. How students are returned to campus depends on the situation. Every situation is different because we’re dealing with humans and unique circumstances. The District follows Board policy, district procedures, and state law regarding expelling students with a weapon. This year, we have strengthened the process for tracking students while they are expelled to include more frequent check-ins throughout the expulsion and updated specific steps/procedures for re-entry. We do have the ability to extend an expulsion beyond a year when the situation warrants that extension. When any student is expelled, they are offered options for alternative placement for their education. (For example, providing online instruction or home tutors.)
In all four instances where guns were found on MSD campuses, staff and families were notified within 24 hours. You have a right to information about safety issues at your students’ school or place of work. We make every effort to communicate safety issues in a factual and timely manner. In emergencies like lockdowns, our standard is to communicate throughout the situation to keep you informed from beginning to resolution. Always ensure your information is current by checking your ParentVue account or calling your school’s front office.

This topic was discussed in front of our Board in a public meeting on March 7, 2024. To view the presentation, click here for the video.

As I said in a shared statement with the Chief of Police earlier this week, it takes a community to keep our students safe, and nothing matters more to us.

We emphasize if you see something, say something. Our SafeOregon tipline is available 24/7 to report any safety concerns.

MPD and MSD have the longest-standing SRO program in the State of Oregon and conducted the largest community emergency response exercise in state history last summer. We also recently expanded the program to include several school marshals shared between our MSD elementary schools. The Medford Police Department and the Medford School District make every decision based, first and foremost, on the safety and security of students and staff and our community.

Respectfully,

Bret Champion

Superintendent