After father, son banned from harassing her, Chapel Hill superintendent dismisses case
The superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has dropped an effort to get a permanent, no-contact order against a district parent and his son.
Superintendent Nyah Hamlett got a temporary no-contact order in June against Kevin Klosty and his son Hunter, a recent East Chapel Hill High School graduate. The order banned the pair from posting about Hamlett on social media and being on property owned by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools when Hamlett was present.
Hamlett voluntarily dismissed the action without prejudice Friday, three days before a scheduled hearing the Klostys had requested in the Orange County Courthouse. Cases dismissed without prejudice can be brought back to court in the future.
Voluntary dismissals happen when the party that brought the case withdraws it. According to state law, plaintiffs who file to voluntarily dismiss a case “without prejudice” allow them to re-file their case within a year.
“Dr. Hamlett is essentially taking the word of the defendant’s attorneys, and (the Klosty’s) say they truly desire to move on from this matter with the indication that they’re not going to present the physical fear issues that both of them presented during the graduation ceremony,” J. Heydt Philbeck, Hamlett’s attorney, said.
If Hamlett decides to bring the case back, she can do so.
“This frees her up to continue serving the students of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools,” Philbeck said.
In her June court filing, Hamlett said she feared for her and her family’s safety. She provided emails, social media comments and a UNC Police report about two interactions at the school’s June 10 graduation ceremony to support her claims of stalking and harassment.
The harassment culminated at graduation, Hamlett said, when Hunter Klosty cursed at school officials, including his principal. He pointed a finger at Hamlett and called her a “plagiarizing (expletive)” after she refused to fist bump him as she had other students, Hunter Klosty told The News & Observer in an interview.
Incidents that led to the court order
UNC Police declined a district request to remove Hunter Klosty from the school’s graduation so as not to disrupt the end of the ceremony, according to a police report. District officials withheld his diploma, sending it to the Klosty home in the mail on June 14.
Hunter’s father, Kevin Klosty, jogged up to Hamlett after the ceremony and pointed at her, saying “the investigation is going to begin,” according to the police report. The police officer stated that he did not see any criminal acts committed during or after the ceremony.
Although the police report does not say Kevin Klosty used expletives when addressing Hamlett, the superintendent included that detail in her remarks in court documents.
The Klostys, who asked for an in-person hearing on the no-contact order, admit criticizing the superintendent, her hiring decisions and district policies in person, in emails, and on social media but denied making threats or using threatening language.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board Chair Rani Dasi responded to news of the no-contact order with a statement condemning “personal attacks, obscenities and abuse” against school officials, The N&O has reported.
Dasi told The N&O in an interview that Hunter Klosty’s behavior at graduation violated the school district’s code of conduct. She and others had to step in to make sure Hamlett “was and felt safe,” the school board chairwoman said.
Dasi encouraged staff in her July 5 statement to immediately report any future incidents.
“The Board emphatically denounces these and any behaviors which create a hostile environment and negatively impact the safety of our school community,” Dasi said. “We will continue to take any reasonable and necessary action to maintain the safety of our superintendent, all staff and students.”
Hamlett pursued legal protection on her own rather than through the district attorney. However, she has kept the board informed about the case, district spokesman Andy Jenks has said.
This story was originally published August 7, 2023 at 11:53 AM.
