Lorain Schools hybrid learning town hall disrupted by 'zoom bomb'

LORAIN — A Lorain Schools town hall was "Zoom bombed" Thursday evening, forcing the district to end the online public meeting as the screen was taken over by someone displaying a pornographic video. The district hosted two sessions of its Phase 2 Family Choice meeting Thursday, going over its plans for a return to hybrid learning in early 2021, but around a quarter of the way into the first session, short cartoon clips and music videos began to take over the screen, cutting into the presentation by Ross May, executive director of strategic planning, data and process. After a handful of those shorter videos had played out and been silenced, the pornography video was displayed — staying on the screen for some time before May could remove the user from the meeting. District spokeswoman Erin Graham said the delay was caused by the number of different applications running amid the Zoom session, including a live English-to-Spanish translation, and possibly the shock of the video content. "We knew that that was a risk that we were taking, but I guess until it happens to you, you don't realize how important that protected link really is," Graham said. There were about 22 people viewing the livestream at the time. Initially, the session was set up so only panelists — district staff alongside Lorain County Public Health Commissioner Dave Covell and Case Western Reserve University Professor Dr. Prakash Ganesh — were on a protected link, with the community viewing on YouTube, Facebook or Spectrum. There was a problem with the online filter at the high school blocking YouTube, prompting the district to share the Zoom link to the public. It is unclear if the person who displayed the content was a student. The matter is under investigation and a report will be made with Lorain police, CEO Jeff Graham said. Once back up and running on a new, secure Zoom link, May and other district staff went through the plan to return students to some in-person classes. About half of the district has opted into hybrid learning, which will split those students into two cohorts to attend in-person classes starting Jan. 11 on either Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will be a totally remote, a synchronous day for the vast majority of the district's roughly 5,500 students. Students who are all-remote or part of the cohort attending classes virtually, will log onto classes at the same time as in-person instruction. Teachers will be instructing both the virtual and in-person students at the same time. Classes will be on a shortened schedule, matching the in-person sessions to the virtual ones. Elementary instruction will be from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; middle school students will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. and high school students will meet for class from 8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. In-person students will receive breakfast before instruction starts, and a snack, with lunch as a take home meal and the district is working to create a bus schedule for students. Meal pickups will still be available for remote students. Students will be given assigned seats in the cafeteria, and on buses. Siblings and family units will be kept in the same cohort and seated together on buses. High school students may begin hybrid classes about a week later than the rest of the district due to end-of-course exams required to be done in person. The first two weeks of 2021 will be set aside for those exams, as the state lengthened the testing period through Jan. 15, Aretha Taylor-Paydock, director of secondary curriculum and instruction, said. Students and staff will be required to wear masks throughout the school day, and wellness rooms are set aside in each building if students begin to show COVID-19 symptoms. Those exhibiting symptoms prior to going to school are asked to stay home — staff and students alike. If a student or staff member tests positive for the virus, ether through the districts COVID-19 testing program or elsewhere, they should quarantine for 14 days before returning to the district. Contact tracing will be conducted by Lorain Schools. Contact Carissa Woytach at 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.