School board members in Gentry, at their Sept. 16 meeting and again at a special meeting on Sept. 23, heard a parent complaint regarding an incident at the high school in which a daughter was called out of class for a possible dress code violation and the school nurse is alleged to have looked under the student’s dress and treated the student rudely.

After viewing video of the incident at the school which did not support the parent’s claims, discussing the student’s dress on the day of the incident - which appeared to be in compliance with the school dress code - and after an executive session on Sept. 16 to discuss the incident, the board recommendedan apology to the student and parent in regard to the incident.

“Perception is reality,” Randy Barrett, Gentry Schools superintendent, said at the Sept. 16 meeting, indicating that the student perceived and believed an impropriety had taken place. Yet, in the video shown to the board by Barrett, recorded with the school district’s new video surveillance system, the alleged actions described by the parent were not evident.

The incident occurred after a teacher notifi ed theadministrative office that a student might be in dress code violation because an undergarment strap was visible and the student’s dress might not have extended below the student’s fingers when standing with her hands at her side. The school nurse was sent because administrative staff members were not available. The school nurse is alleged to have called the student out of class, viewed her dress in the hall and taken the student to the office and sent her home to correct the alleged dress code violation.

News, Pages 3 on 10/02/2013