Tamaqua parents and guardians had a chance to speak out at the school board meeting on Tuesday.

TASD parent Angela O’Donnell said she relayed questions on behalf of other parents and students.

“I want to ask, how do you plan on fixing zero-tolerance policies since they do not work in this school as it stands,” O’Donnell asked.

“I have been following your Facebook escapades,” said Nicholas Boyle, school board vice president. “I get why you’re here. … You are spouting out misinformation, saying oh, my sources, you have been saying stuff that is completely untrue. You have said the school district is unsafe, so where are you getting your information from?”

O’Donnell said she spoke to 30 students who attend the school. Last week, O’Donnell said she helped organize the student walkout.

“I’m going to follow the firsthand accounts of the students who attend the school before I trust the ones who have been covering it up for years,” O’Donnell said.

“So, you’re saying there’s a cover-up?” Boyle asked.

O’Donnell replied, “I’ll say that it’s being swept underneath the rug - yes.”

Vicki Martin said bullying is “getting out of control.”

“I’m just saying, Mr. Wittig, I’m hearing it from the kids. The kids are telling me. Instead of hearing people out - I think that you were quite hostile to that woman,” Martin said, regarding O’Donnell’s exchange with the board. “This is why the kids don’t come to you people,” Martin added.

Boyle asked Martin if she went to administration to put in a complaint regarding any incident with her student.

“I think she (Martin’s TASD student) is afraid to say anything,” Martin said.

“You’re her best advocate,” Boyle replied. “You should come to administration and put a complaint in and administration will go through that whole process.”

Parent Sam Koch said there should be accountability from the top down.

“Everybody is bashing Tamaqua here a little bit. Tamaqua is a good area. We do have good people here, we do have good teachers, we do have good board members here,” Koch said.

“Things happen. I do believe a lot of stuff happens at home. The parents need to also take responsibilities for the actions of their children. It’s not the teachers’ job here to raise our children.”

“The stuff that happened in the club house is unacceptable with the kids - shouldn’t have happened. Do I feel there should be accountability for the top down? Yes. If this was our place of work, we would be held accountable if we were the bosses over these people,” Koch said.

Koch said there should be written documentation to go on the record regarding the coaches who are involved with the football program.

“If this happens again with them, it happened here, they move on.”