West Virginia Parents Push for Stronger School Safeguards After Abuse Cases
The more parents are involved with their child’s education, the better off the student will be. That involvement needs to extend to safety concerns as well. A group of parents brought their concerns regarding several recent cases of sexual misconduct to a recent meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education.
“We have to show them that their voice matters, that we can influence change and that we can create safer environments for them to grow and flourish,” parent advocate Billy Reeves said during the meeting, as reported by WCHS TV.
The parents were spurred into action by what seemed to be recurring incidents. Most recently, Calhoun County teacher Jacob McCumbers was arrested and is facing dozens of sexual abuse charges. Additionally, Logan County teacher Curtis Collins was charged with sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust. Any incident of this type of misconduct is one incident too many.
Will Strengthening Safeguards Be Enough?
The parents hope the safeguards already in place can be strengthened. That will mean making the policies even more strict to prevent teachers from easily moving from district to district after reports of misconduct.
While state officials note that all transferring employees undergo federal and state criminal history checks through the FBI, parents have expressed concerns over “cover-ups” and delays in reporting misconduct. This is specifically related to the incident involving Curtis Collins.
“We found out that he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the gym teacher last year, and they have known about it since last year,” Adriana Fields, one of the parent advocates, said to WCHS TV. “He was still teaching my kids in gym every day this year.”
It is not just the actual assailants who are culpable in these situations, but also school administrators. Recently, Logan Middle School Principal Brian Atkinson was charged with one count of failure to report child sexual abuse.
Legal Options for Families After School Misconduct
When misconduct occurs in a school setting, families are often left with difficult questions about accountability and how to protect their children moving forward. While criminal charges against an individual offender may address part of the harm, they do not always address whether a school district, administrators, or other institutions failed to prevent abuse or respond appropriately.
Families may have legal options, including filing civil lawsuits against the school for failing to provide a safe environment for its students. These claims can help recover compensation for emotional trauma, counseling expenses, educational disruptions, and other long-term impacts while also creating pressure for stronger student protections.
More importantly, taking legal action can compel administrators and districts to change their policies in an effort to prevent something like this from happening again.
If your family believes a school, educator, or administrator failed to protect your child, the attorneys at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC can help you understand your legal rights and evaluate your options. Contact our team today for a confidential consultation to discuss your situation. We can answer your questions about holding schools accountable.
