OXFORD – On Monday the Oxford Board of Education – acting on the suggestion of District Superintendent Shawn Bissetta – fired a full-time teacher's aid for having an affair with a middle school student under the age of 15, and in a separate action, suspended the building's principal.

Heaven L. Parrish, 20, of Smithville Flats was arrested on Jan. 25 for second-degree rape, second-degree criminal sex act, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was a full-time teacher's aide at the middle school. She has pleaded not guilty.

The school suspended the Middle School Principal Heather Fredenburg for an undisclosed reason, but allegations from other staff claim the principal was being investigated for failing to act on previous complaints made about the teacher's aid.

On Tuesday the school released a statement, “The Oxford Academy and Central School District is continuing to cooperate closely with police on allegations of sexual misconduct taking place in the Village of Oxford early in 2018 involving middle school aide Heaven L. Parrish. At a board of education meeting on Monday, February 4, 2019, Parrish’s employment was terminated, and a district principal was placed on administrative leave pending outcome of an investigation.”

Bissetta said the district had no information of a current threat to student safety, if multiple students were involved, or if the alleged crimes took place at a school function or during school hours. Because the allegations involve a student, no further details will be forthcoming, reported the school.

Steven Griffin was appointed interim middle school principal. He was previously a long-term Oxford science teacher.

“Misconduct of any kind is completely unacceptable,” said Bissetta in a statement. “I’m confident that all of us in the Oxford Academy and Central School District community will together work through this difficult period. Our students’ safety and well-being are at the heart of our work as educators.”

Bissetta said, “The priority is to make sure we do a thorough investigation of any issue relating to student safety.”

Though the school posted a message on its website, no information has yet been sent to parents, he said.

When asked if the the principal's suspension was related to the recent arrest or allegations of previously made reports, Bissetta responded, “The school and the board can’t get into that right now. We will stand by the current comments we have already made on the issues.”

He also said, “What is happening at the middle school needs to play out, an investigation is ongoing.”

The New York State Police investigated an anonymous complaint of Parrish having a sexual relationship with a male youth under fifteen. They said Parrish had sexual contact with a child under the age of fifteen on two separate occasions in the Village of Oxford in early 2018.

She was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court, remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $5,000 cash bail. She has since posted bail. An order of protection is issued against her for the victim, and police and the school are continuing an investigation.

A former substitute teacher for the school claims she made an official complaint about Parrish to Middle School Principal Heather Fredenburg several months before her arrest, in about April 2018.

The former substitute teacher verified her identity to The Evening Sun and asked her name not be used at this time, until after the school's investigation is completed, which she said would be at the end of the week. The school district also confirmed her employment as a substitute in 2018.

The woman said she was in frequent contact with the school and had an appointment with the superintendent Thursday as part of the school's ongoing investigation.

She also said she had been contacted by Parrish since her arrest through social media. The woman expressed concern over her children being harassed at the school.

She said she was a substitute teacher in earlier 2018 when she overheard a group of male students talking about being engaged sexually by the teacher's aid, Parrish. The substitute said she had sent a written concern through email to the middle school principal at the time, Heather Fredenburg.

She said many students had been discussing the issue openly and that some had complained of inappropriate touching by Parrish, all information she claims she relayed to the school at the time.

She said Parrish was never suspended by the school and the issue was investigated as “inappropriate flirting.” She claimed the principal lost or destroyed a copy of her original complaint. Though she did not have a copy of it herself, the former substitute provided paperwork showing communication between the school, herself, and the principal over the investigation.

An email dated May 3, 2018 reported to be from the principal read:

“Your email was received by the Board of Education and directed by the Superintendent to the Chain of Communication. As the Instructional Leader of the building along with any direct supervisors, we will investigate. It is imperative for us to investigate any allegations that pertain to faculty or staff with due diligence of any alleged misconduct.

“I am reaching out for any information that would assist in the investigation such as teachers who have documentation you referenced for the inappropriate aide conduct or information that was provided to you by the student. Please contact me at [redacted] or at this email address.” The message was signed, “Dr. Heather L. Fredenburg Oxford Middle School Principal.”

Attempts to reach Fredenburg for comment were not successful by press time.

The former substitute claimed Fredenburg allowed a personal relationship with Parrish to obstruct concerns, and led to her no longer being called in as work as a substitute for the school. Following the complaints, the woman said she was never called back to work.

Asked why she came forward she said, “Because i'm a parent and I was a sort of teacher, who was discriminated against for doing my job. Other parents should know.”