For months, the Watertown City School District has insisted that the concerns emerging from within the art department were being addressed through the appropriate channels. But new information reveals a very different story—one that suggests the district’s priority was not accountability, but silence.

Trash Media Group has learned that the art teacher at the center of a long-running series of complaints allegedly resigned effective December 1st. That resignation, however, did not remove her from the school environment. Instead, sources indicate she was rehired into the English Department on the very same date. No announcement was made, no explanation was offered, and no effort was taken to inform families, staff, or the public about the stunning same-day transition.

Quiet transfers like this are sometimes used by school districts to shift problematic employees without drawing outside attention, triggering public records, or risking union disputes. But in this case, the timing and secrecy raise serious questions about what the district was trying to avoid. A teacher whose conduct reportedly generated repeated warnings, internal complaints, and growing concern among students and staff was quietly removed from one classroom only to be placed into another, with full access to students, without so much as a pause or public acknowledgment.

People familiar with the art department describe months of strain and disruption. Complaints were raised through proper channels for an extended period, yet the district stalled, redirected, and downplayed issues rather than addressing them head-on. Staff members reported feeling frustrated and dismissed, and students described the classroom environment as unstable and sometimes distressing. These concerns were not isolated or sudden; they formed a pattern the district could not credibly claim to be unaware of.

This covert December 1st shuffle fits into a larger trend within the Watertown City School District, which has faced repeated criticism for downplaying serious issues, withholding timely information from families, and failing to communicate transparently with the community. Over the past year, the district’s public posture has routinely emphasized stability and control, even as teachers, parents, and students have described the exact opposite.

The key issue now is why the district chose to move this teacher quietly into another department rather than take meaningful action. If her conduct warranted removal from the art department, what justified immediately placing her in the English Department? If the district believed her to be fit for continued employment, why was the move handled in a way that ensured no one outside the central office would know it had even occurred? The decision to make the resignation and rehiring effective on the same day appears designed to eliminate any visible separation in her employment record, raising further questions about what the district hoped would remain hidden.

Trash Media Group has formally asked the Board of Education to clarify the circumstances surrounding the resignation, the rehiring, the complaints from the art department, and the lack of public disclosure. As of publication, the district has not responded to any request for comment.

Now that the story has reached national platforms, including Libs of TikTok with its enormous audience reach, the district can no longer rely on quiet transfers and internal fixes to escape scrutiny. Parents deserve to know why their children’s classrooms have been treated as pieces on a chessboard. Teachers deserve to understand why their concerns were ignored. And the community deserves honesty from a district that has repeatedly chosen secrecy over accountability.

Trash Media Group will continue investigating this situation as more information becomes available. Anyone with direct knowledge of the events surrounding the art department or the teacher’s reassignment is encouraged to reach out confidentially through email or phone at: [email protected] or (315) 783-6732.

 This story is far from finished; and the district’s silence will not make it go away.

By Chris O’Neil
Trash Media Group | https://www.trashmediagroup.org

What began as a simple Freedom of Information request about classroom materials has uncovered a much deeper concern within the Watertown City School District — one that directly contradicts its own claims about student internet safety.

Earlier this month, Trash Media Group filed a FOIA petition seeking details about artwork shown to 7th graders in a Watertown Middle School art class. The request centered on the inclusion of controversial Keith Haring imagery — material some parents described as “highly inappropriate” for children due to its sexual themes.

When the district complied with the records request, the curriculum documents provided something unexpected: a long list of official reference links used by the art department. Among them were multiple pages from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.

Curious, Trash Media Group reviewed those links — and within minutes found they led directly to unfiltered museum archives. Many of these pages feature explicit and adult-themed works, including nude studies, erotic drawings, and other mature imagery by artists such as Egon Schiele, Henri Matisse, and John Coplans.

All of this material sits just a few clicks away from a 7th grader’s Chromebook, under the district’s officially approved curriculum.

This directly contradicts the district’s repeated assurances to parents that “comprehensive content filters” prevent students from accessing inappropriate websites. Either those filters were never implemented as promised, or the district’s curriculum itself is exempt from safety protocols — a major failure of oversight in both cases.

“They told us our kids were protected by filters,” one parent said after reviewing the FOIA packet. “Then we find out the district itself handed out links that bypass every safeguard.”

While it’s true that museums like MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are legitimate educational institutions, their archives are not filtered for minors. Most professional art databases include uncensored works that require adult discretion — a nuance apparently overlooked or ignored by the district when it approved its art syllabus.

This revelation raises new questions about how much scrutiny the Watertown School District applies when approving classroom resources, especially in courses dealing with visual or modern art.

Trash Media Group has now reached out to district officials for comment regarding:

• who vetted and approved the inclusion of the MoMA and similar links,

• whether these resources were reviewed for age-appropriate content, and

• what the district’s “content security system” actually blocks, if anything.

Until those questions are answered, the district’s assurances of digital safety and educational responsibility ring hollow. We will update when we recieve further answers.

By Chris O’Neil | Trash Media Group | October 12, 2025

A Rome man has been arrested and charged with raping a child under the age of 15 following an investigation by the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

According to Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Derrick O’Meara, who serves as Director of the CAC, the arrest stems from a report initially filed with the Rome Police Department on October 4, 2025. The report alleged sexual abuse involving a minor. Because of the nature of the complaint, the case was referred to the Child Advocacy Center for further investigation.

The investigation was led by Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Travis Kinderman, who is assigned to the CAC. Through interviews and evidence collected, investigators determined that Joseph Mickle, 39, of Rome, had subjected a female child less than 15 years old to sexual contact within the City of Rome in September 2025.

On October 11, Investigator Kinderman, assisted by OCSO Sergeant Melissa Bolton, located Mickle at a residence in the Town of Boonville. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with Rape in the Second Degree, a Class D felony under New York State Penal Law.

Following his arrest, Mickle was transported to the Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Building in Oriskany for processing. He was later turned over to corrections staff at the Oneida County Correctional Facility, where he will await arraignment in Centralized Arraignment Part Court (CAP Court).

An order of protection has been requested on behalf of the victim, who is being provided with support services through the Child Advocacy Center.

The Rome Police Department’s Patrol Division and Forensic Unit assisted in the investigation.

Chief Deputy O’Meara noted that the Child Advocacy Center works in partnership with local law enforcement agencies to investigate allegations of child abuse while ensuring victims have access to comprehensive support and advocacy services.

No additional information has been released at this time. The investigation remains ongoing.

Editor’s Note:
The Oneida County Child Advocacy Center provides coordinated support to victims of child abuse and their families. Anyone who suspects a child is being abused or exploited is urged to contact local law enforcement or the New York State Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-342-3720.

TMG © 2025

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