Anderson School District 5 spoke to reporters about incident before reaching out to the teenage victim’s family
ANDERSON, SC – Attorneys for a teenage student victimized by an Anderson County School Resource Officer expressed disgust and outrage today following news that the SC State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been asked to investigate the incident and a statement to the media made by Anderson School District 5. The victim is represented by the high powered, Columbia, S.C. based Strom Law Firm. Attorneys Bakari Sellers and Amy Willbanks with the Strom Law Firm, are representing the student.
“Let’s be clear, SRO officers are there to defend our children. So to have them violate that trust and become the very predators they’re supposed to be protecting our children from is beyond troubling,” said Sellers. “But then to have the school district make public comments to the media without ever reaching out to the victim’s family is pouring salt in the wound.”
The attorneys confirm that officers with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office contacted the victims’ family late last week before the investigation was handed over to SLED. Furthermore, they thanked the Sheriff’s Office for recognizing the need for an independent investigation and confirmed that the family has been and will continue to fully cooperate.
To date, Anderson School District 5 still has not reached out to either the victim or her family.
“This is a child and an ongoing investigation. No one has any right to be giving out the name of her school or any details about the incident other than law enforcement,” said Willbanks. “Anderson School District 5 has recklessly invited unnecessary scrutiny of the victim while servicing their own public image and for that they should be ashamed of themselves.”
MyrtleBeachSC News recently covered an incident concerning an SRO officer and Principal at St. James Middle School.
Protecting the rights of students and parents are now on display and being litigated in courts across S.C.