Stonington — During last Thursday’s school board meeting, member Heidi Simmons said she wished she and the board had done more to support the many high school students who said they were sexually harassed by former teacher and coach Timothy Chokas.

Her comments came as the board honored Simmons and Craig Esposito for their years of service as their terms near an end. Esposito, with 12 years on the board, and Simmons with four, decided not to seek reelection in November.

Simmons said her experience on the board was a learning experience, pointing to board successes such as weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, a resolution of a controversy over Pride flags in classrooms, and the hiring of new administrators and staff.

But she also discussed what she called “a shadow over my service,” saying she was reminded of one of her failures when The Day published a story last week about Chokas regaining his teaching license.

In January 2019, Chokas was accused of touching a female student and making inappropriate comments to her. That incident led to Chokas being allowed to resign with pay and benefits through the end of the school year, and a district promise to not disclose any information concerning his employment to anyone, except as required by law. School officials never sought to revoke his teaching certificate even though numerous students complained about his behavior dating back to 2004.

After an investigation by the Department of Education, Chokas was allowed to renew his license to teach through 2033, after completing a graduate level ethics course and six months of counseling.

“It reminded me that during that troubled period of my service, I was never able to create a strategy to validate the student victims’ stories. I was never able to assure them of a holistic healing. I regret that both as a board member and a teacher with Safe Futures,” Simmons said.

Safe Futures is a New London-based organization that works to support victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking in the region.

In October 2020, when the board agreed to move forward from the Chokas controversy and implement policies to prevent similar future situations, Simmons pushed the board to issue a statement of support for the girls and families who had been affected.

But no board members supported her recommendation.

Simmons said that her failure was tempered by her pride in the district’s dedicated teachers, board approvals of “enviable curriculum,” and her opportunity to oversee an “enviable superintendent.”

In her comments to the board on Thursday, Simmons heaped praise on Superintendent Mary Anne Butler, who succeeded Van Riley who led the district during the Chokas controversy.

“Her energy is infectious and inspirational,” Simmons said.

She also thanked board Chairman Farouk Rajab, saying that he was welcoming and always willing to listen to her and offer advice to board members, administrators, teachers and the “extraordinary students.”

“You made this journey always interesting and always, always worthwhile,” she said.

She concluded by thanking her grandson’s Dean’s Mill kindergarten teacher and the voters for the opportunity to serve.

Rajab also praised Esposito for his dozen years of service.

“Whenever you join a board, you walk in the shadow of the giants that walked ahead of you, and Mr. Esposito is one of those giants, and I’m walking in his shadow. And I am every day grateful for your leadership, your friendship and your commitment to the community — a commitment to the children of Stonington and the commitment to the staff of the Stonington Public Schools,” Rajab told Esposito.