OTTAWA HILLS, Ohio — While parents of Epworth Preschool students are concerned about the future of their children's education since the school abruptly closed late last week, the school's former director has accused the church of firing her after she questioned potential financial impropriety at Epworth United Methodist Church.
Jane Lyon said she fired last Thursday after she questioned why $47,000 was transferred from the school's preschool budget.
"Like preschool parents and teachers, I do not know why I was terminated," Lyon said in an emailed statement. "I am heartsick for the children and their families. I know I’m not supposed to comment, but when the church leadership slander me and the school, I must defend both.
"Since the school’s long-standing governing board was disbanded by church leadership last August, the preschool has been given no guidance to correct any aspect of the school. The communication over the last year has centered on accounting of parents’ tuition deposits missing from the records of the church."
Officials at the Ottawa Hills church called the alleged misappropriation of funds "completely false" in a statement Tuesday evening and said no anomalies or discrepancies have been found in its financial records, including those of the preschool, which are annually audited by Maumee accounting firm Rayner, Foos, Kruse & Irwin.
Church officials announced in an email Thursday that Mary Roesti, the church's director of children and family ministries, will serve as the interim director.
Parents arrived at the preschool to drop off their children Friday only to find the school closed. Parents said neither church nor preschool administrators notified them of the closure.
On Sunday evening, another email from the church announced the preschool would be closed March 13-17 "due to actions beyond the control of Epworth UMC, including a shortage of teaching staff."
The closure is in addition to the previously scheduled spring break March 20-24, with a return to classes on March 27. Church officials offered this explanation in the email:
"We believe the safety and security of your children is of paramount importance and it is a necessity for us to comply with state regulations. The church had no intention to close the school, and certainly will not be raising tuition at this time."
Epworth Preschool parents are searching for more specific answers about Lyon's termination and the school's sudden closure. Parent Christina Gondol said Lyon's termination doesn't make sense.
"We don't know if we are going back to school or not. We don't know if our kids are done," Gondol said. "Everybody wants to know why we're upset about this. They took away a piece of our kids."
Former Epworth Preschool teacher Maria Jun said the church didn't properly communicate Lyon's termination and resigned in response.
"If they're going to do a new alignment and they want a new director, they can do that," she said. "But they need to communicate that to the families and the families need to know what they're signing up for."
WTOL 11 reached out to Epworth Preschool Tuesday for comment. No one immediately answered our request.
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