As we await the Stonington Board of Education to do the right thing and authorize an independent investigation of how repeated allegations of inappropriate physical contact with students by a former teacher were handled or, more accurately, mishandled over a number of years, we want to recognize students who have stepped forward.

That begins with current and former Stonington High School female students who were willing to tell The Day their stories, on the record, about the discomfort, awkwardness and humiliation they felt when a teacher rubbed, held or stroked them, all the time acting as if that was OK and that it had to be the students who were misconstruing intentions.

These are not easy things to talk about. Speaking up means pushing past the impulse to not get involved, to let the situation pass and have someone else do the difficult thing.

When students did speak up to school officials, their concerns were not handled correctly. That has become apparent. The reports of improper touching went on for years. School administrators were aware. Yet the teacher and coach, Timothy Chokas, remained on the job until last school year, when discussions with the administration finally led to his resignation. Chokas walked away with pay and assurances that the school system would not share the reports of misconduct with potential future employers.

Credit is due, too, to current and former students who were not directly impacted but are speaking up to call on the Board of Education to act. Students like Alexandra Kapell, the president of the Student Council and the student representative to the school board, who at a recent meeting “strongly endorse(d) a private investigation,” saying “the opinions of the students need to be heard.”

Martin Vernet, a 2019 graduate, returned to tell the school board he had heard the talk of Chokas’ alleged misconduct. “It was an open secret,” he told the school board. Answers are needed, through an independent review, as to why the behavior was so long tolerated, Vernet said.

The school board remains one vote short, 4-3, of authorizing an in-depth investigation. We urge those in the majority to listen to the young people, reconsider, and approve such a review, with findings reported to the Board of Education and public.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.