FAST FACTS:
dennis.turner@wreg.com
(Oakland, TN 10/14/2009) Another Tennessee school principal faces criminal charges for failing to report a crime on campus.
33-year-old Stephanie L. Kelly is charged with failure to report a crime and violation of her duty to report.
The incident unfolded over the past week and came to it's high point Wednesday.
It happened in the town of Oakland, Tennessee, just about 10 miles east of the Shelby County line.
We're told this started with an incident between two 8-year-old boys.
A police investigation has now raised many questions about what else may have happened at the school.
A parent's complaint to Oakland Police got the investigation rolling.
The woman said her son had been sexually assaulted by another second grader at Oakland Elementary School.
She was upset because the school apparently never bothered to contact her or authorities.
Police where shocked at what their investigation revealed. "We know for a fact that what was said to have happened did happen." said Oakland Police Chief Keith Hogwood.
Officers reported the other 8-year-old and his family to the Sheriff's Department and Children's Services, since he lives outside city limits. "I mean he learned this behavior from somewhere." said the Police Chief.
But more to the point, police are concerned the principal never bothered to report this alleged crime. "The Principal, I believe, told a teacher not to call the police and not to call Children's Services, that they would handle it 'in-house'." said Hogwood.
That's against Tennessee law, so police charged Principal Stephanie L. Kelly with failure to report and violation of duty to report.
Police came to Oakland Elementary to arrest Stephanie Kelly first thing Wednesday morning, but she wasn't there. We've learned Kelly knew police were looking for her. She turned herself in several hours later, with her lawyer.
Now police are interested in what else might have been handled "in house".
"According to the teacher, some other incidents have been tried to handle in house and if it's something that's criminal they need to contact us and the Department of Children's Services." said Chief Hogwood.
Hogwood says this should send a message to every parent and every school leader that they have serious responsibilities which can have serious repercussions. "I know it's a misdemeanor. It'll Depend on how she pleads when she goes to court in front of a judge as to whether it could go to a felony or not." he explained.
Our attempts to contact Stephanie Kelly were unsuccessful. The school could only tell us she was out of the office.
Fayette Circuit Clerk Connie Kelly Doyle says the principal has a court date November 20th at 9:30am.
- Sexual assault allegedly takes place between two 8 year old boys
- Principal reportedly tells teacher not to report to authorities
- li>Principal charged with violating state law for failure to report
dennis.turner@wreg.com
(Oakland, TN 10/14/2009) Another Tennessee school principal faces criminal charges for failing to report a crime on campus.
33-year-old Stephanie L. Kelly is charged with failure to report a crime and violation of her duty to report.
The incident unfolded over the past week and came to it's high point Wednesday.
It happened in the town of Oakland, Tennessee, just about 10 miles east of the Shelby County line.
We're told this started with an incident between two 8-year-old boys.
A police investigation has now raised many questions about what else may have happened at the school.
A parent's complaint to Oakland Police got the investigation rolling.
The woman said her son had been sexually assaulted by another second grader at Oakland Elementary School.
She was upset because the school apparently never bothered to contact her or authorities.
Police where shocked at what their investigation revealed. "We know for a fact that what was said to have happened did happen." said Oakland Police Chief Keith Hogwood.
Officers reported the other 8-year-old and his family to the Sheriff's Department and Children's Services, since he lives outside city limits. "I mean he learned this behavior from somewhere." said the Police Chief.
But more to the point, police are concerned the principal never bothered to report this alleged crime. "The Principal, I believe, told a teacher not to call the police and not to call Children's Services, that they would handle it 'in-house'." said Hogwood.
That's against Tennessee law, so police charged Principal Stephanie L. Kelly with failure to report and violation of duty to report.
Police came to Oakland Elementary to arrest Stephanie Kelly first thing Wednesday morning, but she wasn't there. We've learned Kelly knew police were looking for her. She turned herself in several hours later, with her lawyer.
Now police are interested in what else might have been handled "in house".
"According to the teacher, some other incidents have been tried to handle in house and if it's something that's criminal they need to contact us and the Department of Children's Services." said Chief Hogwood.
Hogwood says this should send a message to every parent and every school leader that they have serious responsibilities which can have serious repercussions. "I know it's a misdemeanor. It'll Depend on how she pleads when she goes to court in front of a judge as to whether it could go to a felony or not." he explained.
Our attempts to contact Stephanie Kelly were unsuccessful. The school could only tell us she was out of the office.
Fayette Circuit Clerk Connie Kelly Doyle says the principal has a court date November 20th at 9:30am.
