A Florida high school principal and four staffers were arrested after failing to alert authorities about the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old student, NY Post reported.
Palm Beach Central High School Principal Darren Edgecomb, 58, assistant principal Dan Snider, 49, assistant principal Nereyda Garcia, 37, chorus teacher Scott Houchins, 53, and school behavioral therapist Priscilla Carter were all arrested for their involvement in neglecting to report the abuse.
The adults were reportedly informed about the incident on June 16, 2021, after the girl’s friend wrote a letter alleging that the victim had been assaulted by two male students, CBS 12 reported.
According to the letter the victim,
“has had many problems with guys and has been sexually assaulted by two of them,”
with the friend confessing that they had witnessed the suspects
“not taking no for an answer.”
The letter also said that the 15-year-old was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks due to the assault, which was leading her to commit
“self-harm.”
The letter was never reported to the Department of Children and Families, which is mandated by state law, according to the affidavit. During a meeting held on August 19, 2021, a month after the assault was reported by the victim’s friend, Garcia said the student’s parents should be responsible for telling the state, according to the charging documents.
One staffer even claimed to have conducted their own investigation, concluding that no assault had occurred. However, the school did punish one of the boys. When officials asked the staff member why they moved forward in disciplining the child despite no findings, the educator replied that he was
“aware of how it looks.”
All five administrators were charged with one count of failure to report sexual abuse and were authorized to stay away from the victim, witnesses, and students, reports reveal.
“The allegations involving students occurred off of school property and over a weekend. However, no matter when or where any alleged assault against a student occurs, our policy aligns with the law, which requires all personnel to report suspected abuse,”
the district added.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
