Parents of students at Wild Spirit Education received a sudden notice from the school’s head, Christa Nelson, stating that the school has been closed.
Nelson cited “recent events and malicious harassment” as the reason for the abrupt closure, stating it was for the safety of the students and her own family.
This decision follows serious allegations by former employees, who allege Nelson withheld her employee’s wages for several years.
“Families are now looking for something two weeks before school is supposed to end, and the same is true for child care over the summer and that kind of thing. So it’s everything from happy, relieved, mad, sad, frustrated, everything right now,” said Jamie Cleveland, a former employee of Wild Spirit Education, in response to the closure.
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The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety confirms these allegations are being investigated. Nelson previously confirmed to Global News in an email she is working with the ministry on these claims.
Global News reached out to Nelson for a comment on the closure but did not get a response.
Cleveland considers the school’s closure a step in the right direction but says it doesn’t feel like she’s received any emotional closure.
“I’ve seen a few different emails and messages that the parents have received, and I think right now the salt on the wound is the way that she’s been talking about staff as if it’s all our fault,” said Cleveland, “and never once has she taken ownership.”
In her message to parents, Nelson confirmed that the summer camps planned for July and August are cancelled, leaving parents in a tough spot.
Some parents who spoke with Global News claim that Nelson is refusing to refund their pre-paid tuition for the coming months. They allege that Nelson said, “She has no money to pay them back.”
No parent wanted to comment further, stating families are finding this experience very difficult.
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