WECT Investigates took a look at decades of admitted and alleged sexual abuse by New Hanover County Schools employees, and how administrators handled allegations and complaints.
The New Hanover County School board sought the release of those documents in September 2019, to use to defend themselves in a civil lawsuit filed against them by victims of Michael Kelly.
WECT has obtained search warrants that appear to detail the crimes against a seventh victim in the Peter Frank case. The alleged incidents happened prior to those that first reported against other students, and appear to be more serious.
Peter Frank the former band director at Roland Grise Middle School, was indicted by a New Hanover County grand jury on 17 child sex crime charges, according to Attorney General Josh Stein’s Office.
After a turbulent start to 2020, the New Hanover County Board of Education last week hired Dr. Del Burns to take over the reins as interim superintendent, with the hope the longtime educator can help right the ship.
The school board has responded to an effort to remove Dr. Rick Holliday’s name from the Laney High School football stadium weeks after thousands signed a petition in favor of the change.
Since the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office launched a tip line dedicated to investigating former Roland Grise band teacher Peter Frank, just twelve calls have been made.
The Board of Education is asking New Hanover County commissioners for $358,420 as it looks to move past the Peter Frank sex scandal and resignation of Dr. Tim Markley.
In a brief impromptu discussion at the end of the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) special meeting Friday morning, Board Chair Eric Davis addressed the “situation” in New Hanover County Schools (NHCS), saying the board is offering its support.
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Thousands of people have signed a petition requesting Rick Holliday’s name be removed from the Laney High School Football Stadium. The former Laney High School principal abruptly retired from his job with New Hanover County Schools last summer in the midst of a teacher sex abuse scandal.
Parents have been notified about a second Roland Grise Middle School staff member under investigation for allegations of inappropriate behavior toward students.
The New Hanover County Board of Education announced Friday that it has unanimously accepted the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Tim Markley. His resignation is effective immediately.
While the New Hanover County Schools district and its Board of Education continue to deal with the fallout of a third employee being arrested on sex crime charges in the past two years, many parents have turned their frustration toward the district’s administration, including Superintendent Dr. Tim
After a week of turmoil within the New Hanover County School district following the arrest of band instructor Peter Frank, the district hosted a support night for parents of Roland Grise Middle and Hoggard High schools.
The mother of a student allegedly assaulted by former Laney High band director Richard Priode is imploring school district officials to act after another band teacher was charged for assaulting his students.
Parents packed the New Hanover County School Board meeting Tuesday, demanding for superintendent Tim Markley to be removed. Many of those parents and even a 12-year-old girl spoke out about the school sex scandal.
The family of Nicholas Oates has filed a claim against New Hanover County, apparently stemming from Oates death late last year while in the custody of the New Hanover County Jail.
The New Hanover County Schools United for Students group hosted a support meeting for parents and students of the New Hanover County School district Monday.
New Hanover County commissioners voted Monday on a motion to extend their support and the help of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office to the school board.
As the investigation continues into Peter Frank, the Roland Grise Middle School teacher charged with 12 counts of indecent liberties with a child or student, a new state law aimed at reducing sexual abuse of children comes into sharp focus for one of the legislators behind it.
The law firm handling an independent civil investigation into the Michael Kelly sex abuse case has announced an investigation into allegations of sex crimes by Roland Grise Middle School band teacher Peter Frank.
Search warrants from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office reveal Roland Grise band teacher Peter Frank was counseled by district officials for having “inappropriate relationships” with students during his tenure at the middle school.
Peter Frank, a band teacher at Roland Grise Middle School, has been suspended without pay from his role with New Hanover County Schools, after being charged with a dozen felony sex crimes.
On Monday, New Hanover County Schools will launch a new system that will allow parents, students, employees, and community members to report a complaint or concern anonymously.
Dr. James Rickie Holliday, the former deputy superintendent of New Hanover County Schools, filed his response to a civil suit against him, the current administration, and the board of education.
Despite public outcry, state lawmakers have failed again and again to pass legislation requiring fingerprint-level background checks for all job candidates applying to work in public schools.
Dr. LaChawn Smith was named the new Deputy Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools. She replaces Dr. Rick Holliday whose retirement came on the heels of a lawsuit over the district's handling of a former teacher accused of sex crimes.
The school system has released a statement two days after attorneys announced they were pursuing a class action lawsuit against New Hanover County Schools for the victims of Michael Kelly.
Two Wilmington-based law firms announced Tuesday they will represent multiple victims of sexual abuse in a civil suit, alleging that negligence on the part of the school board and administration makes them liable for damages.
A judge will ultimately decide if this can proceed as a class action, but there is commonality in the claims. Former teacher Michael Kelly is the perpetrator against all of the victims the attorneys represent, Kelly engaged in sexual activity with the victims, and all were boys under age 18.
The New Hanover County Board of Education has reversed its decision not to conduct any internal/independent investigations to look into allegations the school district knew about suspected sex crimes against students.
Two Wilmington law firms have announced they are investigating evidence for a possible civil lawsuit against New Hanover County Schools, after a recent scandal involving students being abused by their teacher.
District Attorney Ben David said prosecutors in his office and New Hanover County sheriff's deputies may be interviewed about the underlying sexual assault case, which would create a conflict of interest as both continue to handle current allegations.
Law enforcement has been investigating claims raised by a former teacher now convicted of sex crimes against students that New Hanover County school administrators knew about claims he’d been sexually inappropriate with his students, and failed to report the allegations.
The New Hanover County School Board has declined a request for an independent investigation into its handling of serious issues, including concerns their inaction helped sexual predators prey on students.
A former New Hanover County high school science teacher is facing new charges in an ongoing criminal investigation into inappropriate relationships he had with his students and other minors. Mike Kelly was recently charged for sex crimes that happened a decade ago against a newly discovered victim.
Silence, intimidation and conspiracies covered up unethical, and possibly illegal, behavior, according to a new report slamming how the school system in New Hanover County handled alleged cases of sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.
A newly unsealed court document confirms that a relationship between Nicholas Oates and a child involved in a 2016 investigation continued into this summer, ultimately leading to criminal charges being filed.
Sending sexually suggestive texts to a student was not enough to get Nicholas Oates fired from New Hanover County Schools. The former middle school special education assistant at Myrtle Grove Middle School was reinstated from an unpaid suspension in 2016 when sheriff's officials determined the texts about the size of his anatomy to a child did not break the law.
A former New Hanover County School Board member called out current leaders on Facebook, saying if they had handled a case of sexual misconduct differently, a 14-year-old girl may not have been raped.
A former New Hanover County Schools Special Education Assistant is in jail under a $1 million bond after being charged with indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child under the age of 15.
New Hanover County Schools officials were alerted to the potential for inappropriate behavior in a classroom by science teacher Mike Kelly nearly 15 years ago, according to a document provided to WECT News recently. The parent filed a formal complaint with NHCS, and tells us she alerted school officials that Kelly was showing pornography to students in the classroom.
A former Issac Bear Early College teacher accused of sexually inappropriate behavior with students now is facing more than 50 charges, according to online records.
The New Hanover County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to fire Isaac Bear Early College teacher Michael Kelly, who has been accused of numerous sex crimes against students.
A Wilmington high school teacher accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with students is facing 28 additional charges, according to a New Hanover County law enforcement official.
A search warrant obtained by WECT reveals a parent reviewing messages on their child's phone is what ultimately uncovered a high school teacher's alleged sexually inappropriate behavior with his students.
A teacher at Isaac Bear Early College High School is in jail under a $1 million bond after he was arrested for sex crimes against at least five students.
