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  • First-grade teacher allegedly asked students to rub his feet during class.
  • Parents removed children from school due to the disturbing allegations.
  • District investigating complaint, examining if proper procedures were followed.
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Columbus City Schools officials say they are investigating disturbing allegations that a first-grade teacher asked students to rub his feet during class. The claim has sparked outrage among parents and led some families to remove their children from the school.

The district confirmed it is aware of the accusations and said the area superintendent and employee relations staff are working with the school’s leadership to review the situation. The teacher has not been charged with a crime, and the district has not released his name while the investigation is ongoing.

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Parents say the allegations first surfaced when children began describing unusual classroom routines.

Jacob Jackson said his 6-year-old daughter raised some concerns Wednesday night, telling him something “weird” was happening at school. According to the child, during reading time, when students sit “crisscross applesauce,” the teacher allegedly removes his boots and has students rub his feet. While she said she was not made to participate because she doesn’t “get in trouble”, she claimed to witness classmates doing so. Jackson said that was enough for him to pull his daughter out of the district.

Jackson: “Straight up, it’s inappropriate… It’s not a normal thing for a 6-year-old to rub a 50-year-old man’s feet during school, where they’re supposed to be learning.” 

Another parent, Jessica Conley, said her son had complained weeks earlier about having to rub the teacher’s feet and legs. She initially dismissed it as exaggeration. After seeing similar allegations surface from other families online, she said she realized her child was telling the truth.

A third parent, who asked not to be identified, said their student has been deeply affected and now becomes anxious when the subject is brought up.

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Jacob Jackson said he went to the school’s principal last week but felt the response did not adequately address the seriousness of the claims.

District spokesperson Michael Brown said Columbus City Schools is also examining whether proper procedures were followed in how the complaint was handled at the school level.

Brown said parents are not always notified immediately when allegations arise and that internal steps are typically completed first. He added the district takes student safety seriously and expects the investigation to take several days.

State records show the teacher involved holds a valid Ohio teaching license and has no documented disciplinary history. As the investigation continues, parents have organized a petition calling for the teacher’s termination, leadership changes at the school, and a transparent public review of the incident.