Contact Information:

Chardon Local Schools

428 North Street
Chardon, OH 44024
440.285.4052
communications@chardonschools.org

Release Date:
February 15, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DISTRICT STATEMENT REGARDING INVESTIGATION OF CHARDON HS PRINCIPAL

Chardon, OH February 15, 2024 — The Chardon Local School District recently conducted an
investigation of allegations regarding the unauthorized change of two grades, involving two
students, by former Chardon High School Principal, Doug Murray. The investigation
determined that the allegations are likely true, which led to Mr. Murray’s resignation on
February 9. The District filed a report, as required by law, with the Ohio Department of
Education and Workforce’s Office of Professional Conduct. At this time, there is no evidence of
additional grade changes beyond the two documented incidents, and the District is cooperating
with local authorities in their investigation.

Our School District prides itself on promoting open lines of communication with our
community. In this case, however, we were legally restricted as to what we could say because
of multiple state and federal statutes, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA), that protect the confidentiality of student education records. We also firmly believe
that all students deserve the same level of identity protection and are committed to meeting
that standard.

We are reviewing the affected students’ grades to ensure they reflect the students’ actual
performance. More importantly, we are implementing a software monitoring system that alerts
school district personnel of any data changes to help prevent a similar incident from happening
in the future. We take seriously any action that compromises the integrity of student grades
and will continue to research opportunities to further strengthen our data systems.

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