Monday, November 11th 2019, 10:44 pm
Two weeks after receiving a termination notice the police chief of Enid Public Schools is back on the job.
In October he said he was nearly fired for reporting disturbing student conduct and multiple threats of violence.
The board was scheduled to vote on the matter Thursday but announced a resolution Monday.
In a notice sent to Enid Public Schools in October, the Oklahoma Education Association accused the district of terminating officer Michael Dods after he alerted the district attorney to some concerning incidents.
The first happening in May when Dods received a report that a male high school student was threatening to harm multiple female students.
Later, the high school principal allegedly told Dods, "he was not to arrest the perpetrator under any circumstances."
Then in a situation involving another student in October, Dods allegedly went over the heads of his superiors when a student, wielding scissors in a classroom, threatened to kill staff and students.
Dods investigated and determined charges were necessary.
The notice claimed when Dods met with the district attorney and filed the report against his superintendents' wishes, Assistant Superintendent Randy Rader "became irate and threatened to fire Officer Dods if he did not immediately drop the charges."
Despite their differences News 9 received a statement by Enid Public Schools saying in part:
"Enid Public Schools and Officer Mike Dods have agreed to resolve the present dispute in the interest of ensuring safety of staff and students. Officer Dods will return to work next Monday to serve EPS middle schools and elementary schools..."
Dods will no longer work at the high school.
The district also says administrators and campus police will be trained on proper reporting procedures.
The full statement from Enid Public Schools can be read below:
Enid Public Schools and Officer Mike Dods have agreed to resolve the present dispute in the interest of ensuring safety of staff and students. Officer Dods will return to work next Monday to serve EPS middle schools and elementary schools, and administrators and campus police officers will receive training on proper reporting procedures to ensure parents, students, and staff are safe. EPS will also begin to review campus police officer policies and procedures used in other Oklahoma school districts to see if EPS policies and procedures need to be revised. Officer Dods conveys his gratitude to EPS for taking this step and looks forward to continuing to serve the district. Enid Public Schools and Officer Dods are proud to jointly reaffirm their commitment to student safety.
November 11th, 2019
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