Labor Day Weekend was ripe with public discourse surrounding a dove hunting photo/video and Facebook post made by an 11 year old girl here in Mattoon… but it wasn’t the post itself that caught the community’s attention but a comment instead. Well, the nasty message left on the little girl’s post has now landed a Mattoon School District employee on administrative leave.
The girl had posted a picture of herself with doves she’d harvested on a recent family hunting trip, and according to her father, a district staff member responded with a comment wishing death upon her. The girl’s father identifies the employee as Rebecca Coon, who works for Mattoon CUSD #2 as a ‘Payroll and Insurance Secretary.’ Coon has since set her Facebook profile to private, and has not posted any apology although many are calling for one. The girl recorded and posted her own video response to the situation too.
(OUR NOTE: The comment left was very clearly Rebecca Coon, the father did not need to necessarily “identify” the individual behind the message.)
Superintendent Tim Condron addressed the situation in a statement released today, confirming the district learned of the comment on Friday, September 4th, and moved quickly, placing the employee on administrative leave that same day. Condron said the district holds staff to the highest standards of professional conduct and made clear the behavior does not reflect the values or expectations of Mattoon schools. Because of laws governing personnel matters, the district said it’s limited in what further details it can share about the employee or any next steps.
The district says it remains focused on keeping a safe, professional environment for students and staff as it continues to look into the situation. What do you think should be the repercussions? If any? Let us know!
