PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Churchland High School sent an email to families on Monday, Nov. 25 after being made aware of “disturbing allegations” against a current staff member.
On Tuesday, students gathered outside the school in protest around 10:30 a.m. The protest was confirmed by the school, in an email to parents, to be tied to the allegations. Students gather for around 10 minutes, according to the school. Police then came and asked for them to disperse, according to 10 On Your Side’s Ashley Knight, who was at the scene.
The original letter to parents doesn’t get into specifics regarding what the allegations were, only that it was posted on social media over the weekend.
10 On Your Side spoke with several residents around the Churchland area about the incident, including a former student at the school.
“It’s honestly shocking, as somebody whose been a Churchland resident for thirty years at this point, and someone who went to Churchland High myself, I couldn’t imagine being in that kind of situation when I was a student there,” Brandon Davis said.
Another Portsmouth resident, James Whitehead, discussed the trust needed between parents and teachers.
“When you hear that you’re like, at school, this is where we drop our kids off, this is where we trust teachers and faculty to take care of our kids,” Whitehead said.
WAVY reached out to the school system for more information. They confirmed that the employee has been placed on administrative leave, as of Monday, but said any additional questions would need to be directed to the police department.
Read the statement below:
Good afternoon, Churchland families –
Over the weekend, our administration was made aware of disturbing allegations made against one of our staff members that were posted on social media.
We took immediate action and contacted both Child Protective Services and law enforcement. This is now a police matter, and the school division has no role except to support the investigation however needed.
That said, we understand that allegations of this nature can be upsetting for our students and families. Please know that our school counseling team is available for anyone who may want to talk. Families can also always access the division’s Here to Help webpage at ppsk12.us/heretohelp as well as the Care Solace service provider.
Thank you for your support of Churchland High School.
Principal Burden
WAVY reached out to Portsmouth Police. A spokesperson said the employee has not been charged, but that this is an ongoing investigation.
WAVY has seen a social media post about an alleged incident involving an employee at Churchland High School that was very graphic in nature. We are working to confirm any additional details, including if it’s the post referenced in the letter.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
