By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

A case of “sexual impropriety” between two eighth graders on a school bus resulted in both students finishing the school year at Fayette County Alternative School.

The bus was headed to Rising Starr Middle School the morning of April 19 when the incident occurred, said school principal Barbara Bakelaar. School officials were notified of the incident by one or two students who witnessed it and met with an assistant principal, she said.

The parents of both students involved in the incident were contacted by school officials, Bakelaar said. They agreed to have their children apply to Fayette County Alternative School instead of having the matter reviewed by a disciplinary tribunal, Bakelaar said.

Bakelaar said she understood that both students must complete a full semester at the alternative school before they can come back to the regular school system. Wayne Robinson, the administrator in charge of disciplinary matters for Fayette County Schools, was not available for comment.

The students who took part in the incident finished the school year at the alternative school, and they also received a nine-day suspension from school, Bakelaar added.

She characterized the incident as being very rare for Rising Starr.

“This is very unusual,” Bakelaar said. “I think probably in the three years we have been in operation, there have been only one or two other instances dealing with sexual impropriety. This was the first one this year.”

The school did not contact parents of the other students on the bus when the incident occurred, Bakelaar said, adding that she is not aware of any complaints from those parents about not being notified.

The student conduct code outlines what is considered “sexual misconduct,” Bakelaar said. Each student received a copy of the code at the beginning of the year and it was explained to each grade separately in an assembly, the principal added.

“We go over the conduct code and the consequences,” Bakelaar said.

Bakelaar urged parents to stay in touch with their children.

“They need the love and support,” she added.

The matter was investigated fully by school officials, but it wasn't reported to police or the Department of Family and Children Services, Bakelaar said. Lisa Reeves of the Fayette County DFCS explained that the agency should not have been notified since the incident didn't involve neglect or abuse from a care giver.

Bakelaar said she was not sure how many other students on the bus witnessed the contact between the two students who were disciplined. The assistant principal counseled the students who reported the activity after they saw it, she added.