PIKETON, Ohio — Parents and community members are calling for the resignation of Scioto Valley Local School District Superintendent Wes Hairston, arguing the district is not doing enough to protect students, according to a recording of the recent school board meeting and other documents provided to the Scioto Valley Guardian by sources close to the matter.
In the video shared on TikTok, speakers said the district has failed to enact adequate policies and procedures to ensure student safety, and they urged school board resignations as well as the superintendent’s termination.
The calls follow an August incident that district and law-enforcement records describe as involving a handgun reportedly displayed on a school bus and later admitted to have been brought onto campus the day before administrators were notified.
Background: what records say happened in August
Documents provided to the Guardian describe an allegation that a student had a gun on a bus on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, followed by an investigation on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
A school timeline in the materials states the student was not picked up by bus the next morning, but was still in attendance, prompting an in-office interview and searches that included a wand and a locker check, with no firearm found during those searches that day.
Law-enforcement narratives summarized in the documents say the student later admitted having a handgun at school “the entire day” the day prior, and that the handgun was later recovered from a residence under a search warrant, then logged into evidence and test-fired.
The materials also note that a report tied to an expulsion hearing includes a statement attributed to the student’s father claiming the same handgun had been brought to school earlier that week, and that district officials said they would review security footage from those earlier dates.
What speakers alleged at the meeting
In the video provided to the Guardian, speakers alleged the district did not notify law enforcement immediately and claimed local police were initially unaware of the situation.
Speakers also alleged the district’s response and communications were inadequate, including criticism of the timing of staff notification and a public Facebook post later that day.
The Scioto Valley Guardian reached out to Superintendent Wes Hairston for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication. If the district provides a comment, we will update our story.
This is Part 1 of the Guardian’s new ongoing investigation into Scioto Valley Local School District. We have much more to come!