Recess monitor fired for violating boundary invasion policy

Battle Ground Public Schools fired a playground monitor after he was seen on a security camera grabbing girls around the waist and chest.

Brian Higgins, a part-time recess monitor at Pleasant Valley Primary School, was fired in May after violating the district’s boundary invasion policy. Records obtained by The Columbian show Higgins was placed on paid administrative leave on March 29 stemming from the incident, then fired on May 28. The annual salary for his part-time job was about $16,700, according to data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Higgins was employed with the school district for four years.

District staff met with Higgins on March 29 to review security footage showing him interacting with fourth-grade female students on the Pleasant Valley playground. Video footage showed Higgins touching students’ shoulders and bodies, and at one point wrapping his arms around a student from behind.

Higgins said he was playing with students, but district staff told him that touching students is inappropriate and a potential liability to the school district. District human resources staff further contacted Higgins on six separate occasions, but were unable to set up additional appointments with him.

The school board approved the termination of his employment on May 28.

Records suggest this wasn’t the first time Higgins inappropriately intruded on a child’s personal space. On June 3, 2018, Craig Pearson, who at the time was an administrative intern at Pleasant Valley, wrote to Higgins describing three different instances during an afternoon recess where “physical space and boundaries were intruded upon in a manner that was beyond your professional duties.”

The letter does not specify what that entailed, but directed Higgins not to initiate physical contact with students.

“Singling out a particular student or students for personal attention beyond the professional staff-student relationship shows lack of good judgment and common sense,” Pearson wrote, warning that further incidents could lead to his termination.

The Columbian attempted to call multiple numbers associated with Higgins. All went to voicemail, and none were returned.