UPDATE ON SEX SPREE BY FEMALE TEACHER

Washington, DC (TLS). The Liberty Sphere learned late Thursday evening that outrage erupted at a South Carolina middle school over the arrest of a female teacher who is charged with having sex with 14 and 15 year old boys.

23-year-old Allena Williams Ward was arrested on Wednesday of this week on 5 counts of criminal sexual misconduct with a minor and 6 counts of lewd acts on a minor.

Ward taught at Bell Street Middle School in Clinton, South Carolina, a small town of roughly 10,000 located 65 miles north of the state capital of Columbia.

Bell Street Middle School is part of Laurens County School District 56. The school board held a meeting on Thursday evening with concerned parents. However, many of the parents who attended the meeting emerged with more questions, and more outrage, than when they entered.

According to parents who spoke to the media after the school board meeting, parents were not allowed to ask any questions. The school board took the entirety of the meeting to explain the details of the alleged incidents involving Mrs. Ward and the steps the board is taking to provide assistance to students and families in the aftermath of the scandal.

However, some parents claim that it was simply not enough.

School board officials stated that their objective for the meeting was to convey information and details in as straightforward a manner as possible, and that teachers and administrators are grieving along with parents.

District 56 officials have posted complete information concerning the scandal on its official website. The District maintains that it intends to be as open about the case as the law allows, given that charges have been brought against one of its teachers and that the case is now under the jurisdiction of the court.

From what we can tell, Laurens County School District 56 is taking prudent steps. In cases such as this certain details cannot be disclosed due to legal considerations. In addition, we must again remember that the charges are of alleged actions. No one as yet has been convicted in a court of law for doing anything illegal. Mrs. Ward must have her hearing in court, and the court is the only proper place for all details to be disclosed--details that will either convict or exonerate the defendant.

It bears repeating here once again that in the United States legal system, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Only the court can determine guilt in this case. Ward must not be tried in the court of public opinion, no matter how hideous the charges are against her.

To view the press releases of the Clinton law enforcement division, the Laurens County School District 56, as well as the plan of services the District will offer to students, parents, and staff effected by this incident, click here to go directly to the District 56 website:
http://www.laurens56.k12.sc.us/