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On Tuesday, July 25, 58-year-old Palm Beach Central High School principal Darren Edgecomb and four other high-ranking school officials were released on bond.
According to WPTV, Edgecomb and the other officials were charged with neglecting to report an alleged s*xual assault on a 15-year-old female student at the school.
The 15-year-old girl reportedly claimed that in April, 2021, she had been assaulted by a 15-year-old male student. Her father claimed that the school officials were 'criminally negligent' for their supposed inaction.
Trigger warning: This article concerns an assault, the reader's discretion is advised
As reported by WBPF, the names of the 15-year-old girl and her alleged assailant have not been publicly released by authorities. Along with Darren Edgecomb, the accused in the case include assistant principal Nereyda Cayado De Garcia, 57; assistant principal Daniel Snider, 49; teacher Priscilla Carter, 55; and teacher Scott Houcins, 53.
The timeline of the allegations against Darren Edgecomb
As per the Palm Beach Sheriff's County's arrest report, the initial assault complaint against the unnamed 15-year-old male suspect was filed on August 20, 2021.
The 15-year-old female victim's parents said that the assault had occured on April 2, 2021, but they thought the legal process could be potentially detrimental to the teenage girl's mental health. On October 18, 2021, the Sheriff's office closed the case without revealing any further details.
WPTV reported that after an undisclosed period of time following the case, the girl's father filed a new complaint, this time against Darren Edgecomb and the other school officials.
In the new complaint, the parents claimed that on June 16, 2021, a friend of the victim had attempted to tell a teacher about the assault by passing her a letter. The teacher claimed that they passed on the letter to another official in the guidance office, where the girl was evaluated. However, the officials reportedly decided that the case did not need to be pursued any further.
In response to the allegations, school officials claimed that the letter did not mention an assault. They said that the letter primarily concerned the victim's supposed anxiety issues and suicidal tendencies, and that they did not believe a crime had occured.
Carla Donaldson, a student advocate at Palm Beach Central, attempted to defend Darren Edgecomb and the other school officials. Donaldson said that they were dedicated employees who would never consciously do anything to harm children.
Donaldson said:
"I know these people. I know they care about the kids. Their whole life is the kids. They are just being portrayed as something completely different."
In another statement, a school district spokesperson said that all the officials had been reassigned. Darren Edgecomb, the highest ranking school official implicated in the case, has been ordered to have no contact with any of the alleged victims in the case.
