PARMA, Ohio — The Parma City School District has reassigned the former principal of Greenbriar Middle School to a teaching position after her recent resignation, which came in the wake of a controversial cell phone video recorded two years ago.
The school board approved the reassignment of Jill Schissler to a role as a physical education teacher in a 2-1 vote on May 21. District officials stated that Schissler holds continuing contract status and that the reassignment is permitted under the current collective bargaining agreement. Moving forward, her compensation will transition from an administrative pay scale to a teacher salary schedule. The specific school where she will begin teaching on August 20 has not been publicly disclosed.
Although the official reason for Schissler’s resignation was not publicly detailed, the school board accepted it on April 30, one day after a cell phone video from March 2024 was posted to social media.
The footage, captured by a district parent, shows Schissler engaged in a heated conversation with what appeared to be students. In the video, Schissler is heard saying, “Her behavior is deplorable!” and “Hey, how about you shut up? Thank you.” Parents have also raised questions regarding whether Schissler asked, “You wanna go? You wanna go? You wanna go?” in an attempt to instigate a fight. The situation did not result in any legal actions or criminal charges.
The parent who recorded the footage reported sending it to a former school board member two weeks later, who then passed it along to Charles Smialek, the superintendent at the time. The district’s Human Resources Department subsequently called Schissler to an investigative hearing on April 19, 2024, regarding allegations of employee misconduct, specifically focusing on unprofessional conduct while interacting with students.
Four hours after the hearing concluded, Smialek sent an email to Schissler that effectively resolved the matter at that time. In the email, Smialek expressed appreciation for the background she shared and noted the need to trust professionals to use their best judgment. However, he advised her to remain mindful that the brightest light shines on the principal and warned that placing her face in close proximity to an upset student could bring negative consequences.
During a recent school board meeting, several educators spoke in defense of Schissler during off-camera public comments. A sixth-grade teacher at Greenbriar Middle School, where Schissler served as principal for nine years, highlighted her role as a mentor who cultivated a growth mindset and a family atmosphere. The teacher noted that there was unexamined context and events leading up to and following the recorded encounter. Another teacher defended her performance record, noting that she greeted students daily, remained active in the hallways and cafeteria, and stood out as an exceptional leader.
Conversely, some local parents expressed relief at the initial resignation but voiced frustration over the subsequent classroom reassignment. District parent Vicki Farson, who has a fifth-grader at Greenbriar Middle School, described Schissler’s conduct in the video as deeply concerning for a school leader and stated that the reassignment damaged her trust in the school board.
Katy Seese, another Parma parent who has sent two children to the middle school, indicated she had been considering removing her youngest child from the district due to the video. Seese spoke at a recent board meeting to call for greater administrative transparency, honesty, and responsiveness to parental concerns, adding that her children would not attend any class taught by Schissler.
Schissler did not respond to requests for comment regarding her resignation, the reassignment, or the 2024 video. A Greenbriar Middle School staff member who supports Schissler spoke about the situation but declined to provide an official on-camera interview.
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