PARKERSBURG – The Wood County Board of Education this morning, April 15, in separate actions suspended the principal at Williamstown Elementary School and continued the suspension of a Martin School aide charged with the battery of a disabled child.

The school board suspended Williamstown Principal Heather Mannix Bretthauer pending outcome of an investigation.

The board voted 4-0, with board President Justin Raber recusing himself from the vote, for “Approval of paid suspension of employee 04.11.23.2 and continuation of paid suspension, pending outcome of investigation,” a release from the board said.

Details of the suspension and investigation were not discussed in open session. Suspensions pending investigative outcomes are paid suspensions.

Wood County Schools is prohibited by law from discussing personnel issues or investigations. School board action on personnel items, however, is public record.

An initial vote, also 4-0, had been taken at the board’s April 11 meeting, but Bretthauer’s name was not used. Saturday’s vote corrected the oversight, the release said

Bretthauer has not been at the school since March 3. Retired Wood County Schools Administrator Keith Palmer is acting principal at Williamstown Elementary, the release said.

The Board of Education also continued the suspension of Ryan Gaston, an aide at Martin Elementary. Gaston was charged March 30 with battery and assault of a disabled child, a felony.

Gaston has not been at the school since March 9. The incident occurred on March 7, according to Wood County Magistrate Court records.

The board met in special session for the 2024 budget.