Officials at private Texas school arrested after hiding sex abuse case, police say
Administrators and coaches at a private school in Midland, Texas were arrested after police say they failed to report alleged sexual abuse against a student.
The five staff members at Midland Christian School were arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 16 and charged with “failure to report with intent to conceal neglect or abuse,” the Midland Police Department told McClatchy News.
The school released a statement, saying it was aware of the allegations and investigation.
“The five administrators were notified of an alleged hazing incident involving some of our student athletes that resulted in school disciplinary action,” the statement read. “Subsequently, school leadership was contacted by MPD regarding the alleged incident. Our school officials have and will continue to, cooperate with law enforcement and their investigation.”
A Midland police detective became aware of the alleged abuse on Jan. 28 and interviewed the student, according to an affidavit obtained by TV station KMID.
He told the detective that on Jan. 20, he went into the locker room after baseball practice to get changed. The lights were off and he heard a voice say it was “freshman initiation day,” and someone began hitting him with a baseball bat, KMID report.
He was told he was not allowed to defend himself.
As the assault continued, the boy ended up on his back, at which point he was sexually assaulted with the bat, KMID reported.
After hearing the student’s account, police spoke with the school’s superintendent, Jared Lee, KWES reported.
Through their investigation, police learned that Lee had been told about the incident in January by an administrator, and he ordered the athletic director and a coach to look into the matter, the station reported.
When police requested evidence related to the investigation, Lee refused, according to the outlet. Police served a search warrant on Feb. 14 and retrieved the documents pertaining to the school’s own investigation, and found that they were bare-bones and only a few days old.
Midland police determined that the five individuals they arrested were well aware of the assault but decided to keep quiet instead of reporting it to the authorities, which is required by law, according to KWES.
Police did not say which faculty members were arrested but five were interviewed by police, outlets reported.
They are Lee, athletic director Gregory McClendon, baseball coach Barry Russell, assistant principal and coach Matthew Counts, and secondary principal Dana Ellis.
As of 5 p.m. Feb. 16, all five were listed as current detainees of the Midland County Sheriff’s Office.
“The physical, spiritual, and emotional safety of our students is the most important responsibility we bear as educators and one we take seriously,” the school’s statement read. “We appreciate the support and prayers of our Midland Christian parents, faculty, staff, and students as we continue leading, building, and equipping for Christ.”
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Officials at private Texas school arrested after hiding sex abuse case, police say."