John Wright
February 16, 2022
Officials are led out of Midland Christian School in handcuffs on Wednesday. (Nexstar/screen shot)
Five employees at a Christian school in Midland, Texas, have been arrested for allegedly covering up the sexual assault of a student.
The employees include the superintendent, principal, and baseball and football coaches at the Midland Christian Academy, according to a report from NewsWest 9.
The assault reportedly took place in a locker room at the school's stadium during baseball practice on Jan. 20. The victim told a forensic investigator at the local Children's Advocacy Center that he was in the locker room changing when the lights were turned off.
"Another student told the victim that it was 'freshman initiation day' before someone began to hit the victim," the station reports. "The victim said he was then pushed to the ground while still being hit and everyone was screaming at him. He stated he attempted to hit his attacker but was told he was not allowed to hit back. According to the affidavit, the victim then stated he was sexually assaulted using a bat."
On Feb. 14, Superintendent Jared Lee allegedly refused to turn over evidence related to the assault — which reportedly was captured on video — to Midland police. Lee also refused to answer questions.
"During the investigation, officers determined that the five people arrested all had knowledge of the sexual assault but did not report it as required by the Texas Family Code," the station reports. "Emails obtained by (the police department) reportedly showed clear refusal by those involved to report the abuse to authorities."
According to Nexstar, Lee and the other four officials were arrested at the school on Wednesday morning and led out in handcuffs.
"Parents we spoke with, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the arrests may stem from what has been described as a 'disturbing video of a sexual assault' going around on social media," Nexstar reports.
The other four officials were identified as secondary principal Dana Ellis, assistant principal and coach Matthew Counts, athletic director and football coach Gregory McClendon, and baseball coach Barry Russell.
They reportedly were charged with failure to report with intent to conceal neglect or abuse, a class-A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Representatives from Midland Christian School reportedly declined to comment.
Midland Christian School is a private school with an enrollment of about 1,200 students, according to U.S. News.
"With a rich history rooted in Christian principles and beliefs along with teachingfounded in God's Word, Midland Christian serves as a bright light in West Texas," Superintendent Lee wrote in a welcome message on the school's website. "While we strive for excellence in every aspect of our work to make our Father proud we never compromise the worth of a child or the calling to bring them in closer communion with God."
No comments:
Post a Comment