Struthers school officials discuss protocol for identifying child abuse

February 13, 2016 at 12:07a.m.

STRUTHERS

Yvonne Wilson, diversion officer at Struthers City Schools, said a recent investigation into purported abuse of a kindergartner began with a gut feeling.

“It was mother’s intuition that something just wasn’t right,” Wilson said.

In the recent case, Wilson said she became concerned about the child’s absences since the child first entered the school system in November 2015.

Other signs, including bruises on the girl’s body, also raised alarm bells for Wilson – and for the school nurse and the child’s teacher, Wilson noted.

Lisa Marenkovic, 27, and Beau Geidner, 27, both of Struthers are facing felony child-endangering charges. Police searched their Fourth Street home Monday on a warrant.

Marenkovic is the child’s mother, and Geidner is Marenkovic’s boyfriend. They are being held in the Mahoning County jail on bonds of more than $100,000 each. Their next court appearance is a Wednesday morning pretrial hearing in Struthers Municipal Court.

After the arrests, Mahoning County Children’s Services gained emergency custody of the child.

Wilson credited cooperation between school officials and local law enforcement for getting the 5-year-old out of harm’s way.

“Everybody worked together for the advocacy and safety of the child,” Wilson said. “That’s what a school system should do.”

Schools Superintendant Joseph Nohra said he believes the officials who intervened may have saved the child’s life.

“What you had was employees of two entities – police and the school – coordinating and taking swift action,” Nohra said.

Officers kicked in the door of the Fourth Street home Monday to find the child bruised and disheveled, according to a police report. The girl was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center for evaluation, police reported. She required in-patient hospitalization due to dehydration and malnutrition, police said.

Nohra said school officials are on the lookout for students exhibiting signs of possible abuse. Indicators could include physical markings, lethargy, despondency or social isolation.

Absences from school are another red flag, Nohra said, noting that much of Wilson’s position as a diversion officer involves dealing with truancy.

Under Ohio law, all school officials and employees are required to report suspected child abuse. Other mandated reporters include attorneys, social workers, day care personnel, physicians and nurses. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services operates a hot line for reporting child abuse and neglect at 855-642-4453.