STATESVILLE, N.C. — After a juvenile reported being inappropriately touched at a school in Statesville, police said there is no evidence to support the allegations.
Police said they were alerted on March 29. The juvenile was having pictures taken at American Renaissance Middle School when the alleged incident happened, investigators said.
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On Wednesday, police said after conducting a thorough investigation, they were not able to corroborate the accusations.
“Information gathered from numerous employees and staff who were present during the alleged incident have provided no evidence of any inappropriate behavior related to the photography sessions at the school,” police said.
Police said the school requires staff to be present anytime an employee is with a student, and they determined that was the case on March 29.
They presented their findings from the investigation to the district attorney, who agreed there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations.
No further information was released.
The following is a message sent to families by American Renaissance School on March 29:
“As many of you may already be aware, an anonymous post was made on social media regarding the school photographer who came to ARS on Tuesday, March 28 for spring portraits. We take these matters seriously and fully cooperated with the police investigation that immediately took place. While we cannot speak directly to the allegations, we feel it is important to refute the assumptions that were made about ARS in the aforementioned anonymous post.
“Despite what was stated, we would like to remind and reassure our ARS Families that we not only value but prioritize the personal safety of all of our students. Multiple teachers, students, and staff were present throughout the photo session in the centralized, open space of the Middle School Community Time Area, all in accordance with our school policies. At no point was any child ever left alone with a non-ARS staff member. All matters regarding student safety are prioritized by ARS and handled swiftly with the utmost importance.
“The Statesville Police Department will release a statement with updated information on the investigation, which we will share with ARS Families as soon as it becomes available.
“At American Renaissance School, Safety is not only our first Core Value, but our top priority. Please know that the ARS Administration is always available to address any concerns directly with our ARS Families.”
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