Parents and Public Persistently Paint Picture of Pivarnik's Patterns

SOUTH WHITLEY-It’s been a frustrating year for a growing number of Whitko parents and staff. Two teachers were fired, and in both cases, swift action occurred only once social media pressure grew, not in the weeks or months prior, when school administration had been first informed of the issues and seemingly did nothing.

With growing reports from staff, former staff, and parents complaining of Superintendent Tim Pivarnik’s control and bullying, and with the repeated lack of transparency from the school’s administration, a few community members have begun digging deeper into records and backgrounds for answers.

Compiled Image featuring Superintendent Tim Pivarnik and Canva imagesPhoto byCompiled Image

According to a 2012 article from NWI Times (here, but unfortunately hidden behind a paywall), Pivarnik was suspended from his former job as principal at Calumet High School while under investigation for creating a hostile work environment. Though the Lake Ridge School Board had voted unanimously not to renew Pivarnik’s contract earlier that same year, they had apparently later changed their mind.

On May 1, a lengthy internet article was published on the subject of Pivarnik’s pattern of behavior and retaliation against those who speak up, but the article, which named none of the many staff members and parents it quoted, was swiftly removed the same day with no official explanation. Nevertheless, thanks to a quick-thinking community member, screenshots of the article persist. Contacting the publisher yielded a response that the article would not be returning and a request to keep them unnamed due to the lack of named sources--an ongoing problem that the several news outlets that have taken interest in the Whitko issues have complained of. In a small community like Whitko, the fears of harassment and being ostracized, added to the bullying on social media make speaking up without the protection of anonymity an ordeal that very few are willing to suffer. As is often the case in a “David vs. Goliath” situation, public opinion tends to side with Goliath for much of the battle before they will consider other viewpoints (observe the last few years and some of the “conspiracies” that are only recently being admitted as truths, as evidence on that point).

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According to that article, “A Lake Ridge Federation of Teachers Local 662 Union Executive Board member, who asked not to be named, said members brought allegations against Pivarnik regarding 'sexual harassment and just general harassment issues, (along with) bullying and toxic behavior.'”

Also according to that article, “A former staff member, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, claimed that Pivarnik created a hostile work environment. 'A negative culture and climate has been created. I feel that many staff are afraid to say anything for fear of retaliation,' said the former staff member. 'Most staff members are terrified of the repercussions of crossing (Pivarnik) and Evans.'” They went on to explain that Pivarnik had a habit of speaking to people in a demeaning and unprofessional manner, and that he made them feel both embarrassed and livid at being shamed in front of other staff and school employees.

In a meeting with another former staff member, Pivarnik raised his voice in an attempt to silence them, an experience several others have echoed. At least three families have felt forced to hire a lawyer to protect their family from retaliation since reporting problems.

An anonymous parent said when they reached out to Pivarnik in December of 2022 about their Autistic child’s repeated mistreatment by a teacher, they were told he would look into the matter. He never did, and then later said that issues needed to be handled by Whitko’s staff. That same parent says in two years that the situation has only grown more hostile and out of control, and attempts to resolve things have gone nowhere, with the teacher in question refusing to attend meetings, and Pivarnik saying, “I back my administration 100%,” and, “It's the teacher’s class, and they can run it as they see fit.” He's not conducting any real investigations and considers the issue resolved, the parent complains.

According to another former staff member who claims they were forced to resign, at least twelve teachers will have left over the 2023-24 school year, with several more actively looking for other employment...all because of issues related to Pivarnik and the current administration, and all from the same Whitko school building (there are four buildings: the Pierceton and South Whitley Elementary schools, the Jr/Sr high school, and the Whitko Career Academy/Little Cats building).

Perhaps the oddest piece of information found is Pivarnik’s official contract (available to view publicly on Whitko’s website here), which states that his pay is to be $127,500 a year. However, a parent who obtained Whitko financial records through a public information request found that numbers don’t match up. According to those records, Pivarnik not only possibly accepted the bonus that he claimed he would not be taking in 2023, Whitko paid him $160,807.15 in 2023 (that’s the $185,594.11 shown on the records minus the payouts for 2024). That's $33,307.15 more than his contract states...why? Further digging found an article written by Pivarnik's personal secretary in June 2021 that says the school board approved a “$155,500 contract, which includes a $125,000 base salary,” but that has not been found anywhere else and would still leave a difference of $5,307.15. Admittedly, I'm a writer, not a finance or contract expert, but I'm not the only one wondering about these numbers. Attempts to ask publically about this were unsuccessful so far, as at the last school board meeting, some public comments were denied the opportunity to speak.

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Additionally, many are frustrated with feelings of helplessness in attempting to have concerns heard and resolved fairly. Whitko’s Civil Rights Investigator is Tim Pivarnik; problems with his handling of complaints can be “taken up the chain” to the Whitko Superintendent, Tim Pivarnik. The next step after that takes the complaint to the school board…the people who hired Tim Pivarnik and chose to extend his 3-year contract after he had only served a small part of it.

Whitko School Board President Annette Arnold blameshifts any potential issues with Pivarnik, telling an online news source the following:

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Though some may consider this news to be complaint, the intention is information and a call to action. Every single source spoken to has echoed the same sentiment: If things don't change, there won't be a Whitko, and that is a sad outcome that no one wants. The people speaking up want a quality education given by teachers who genuinely care about their children and a transparent administration that works towards resolving issues that crop up before they choke out the good that Whitko still has. When even those who have pulled their kids out to homeschool, those who were fired (unjustly, they feel), and those who are still in the midst of fighting what feels like a losing battle to protect their children all share the same sentiments of peace and hope, maybe that's worth looking into instead of dismissing it as people trying to start drama.

Some news sources offer the opportunity to write a letter to the editor and have your opinions published…though it does also require your full name to be attached to it. Additionally, speaking up publicly at a school board meeting (provided you follow all their rules) is an option. The unfortunate truth appears to be that no change will happen at Whitko until more people are willing to not only speak up, but also to do so publicly and suffer whatever retaliation may come. All it takes is enough brave people taking a stand to get others to follow and improve the situation.