COLQUITT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Ben Wiggins Mr. James Harrell

Mr. Robby Pitts, Chairman – District 4 Superintendent Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
2012 2nd St. S.E., Moultrie, Ga. 31768
Mrs. Trudie M. Hill, Member – District 1 710 Lane Street
Mrs. Angela Hobby
1313 Bayleaf Drive, Moultrie, GA. 31768 P.O. Box 2708 Chief Communications Officer
Mr. Jon Schwalls, Member – District 2 Moultrie, GA 31776-2708
2775 Ellenton-Norman Park Road, Norman Park, Ga. 31771
Mrs. Mary Beth Watson, Vice-Chair – District 3 (229)985-1550 Mr. Jeremy Jones
Chief Financial Officer
P.O. Box 2167, Moultrie, Ga. 31776 colquitt.k12.ga.us
Mrs. Pat Anderson, Member – District 5 Dr. Marni Kirkland
P.O. Box 57, Funston, Ga. 31753 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum
Mr. Kevin Sumner, Member – District 6 & Instruction
242 Jonathan Road, Moultrie, GA. 31788
Dr. Irma Townsend
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

March 23, 2022

WJW Family,

We wanted to communicate with you about a police investigation involving a paraprofessional having
inappropriate conduct with a student at our school. We were made aware of the allegations on Tuesday, March
22, 2022, and immediately began working with local law enforcement, the Department of Family and Children
Services, and our Human Resources Department. As this has been and continues to be an active police
investigation handled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, we cannot share many details. However, we can
tell you that the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave and will now be released from
employment.

This type of alleged behavior between a school employee and a student is unacceptable. Ethics matter, and the
trust our families place in our school matters. This trust is not something we take for granted. We are working
hard to maintain a school culture that focuses on our students—their success and well-being— and this type of
behavior by an adult in our building will not be tolerated.

We want to encourage all students, employees, and the community to always be vigilant in reporting concerns
that affect children and adults' safety. We have implemented several things this school year to enhance school
safety, including the addition of Anonymous Alerts, a mobile and desktop application to report concerns. To
access this tool, please visit https://www.colquitt.k12.ga.us/departments/student-services/school-safety.

We thank you for your continued support of our school and our students.

Sincerely,

Principal Jim Horne Superintendent Ben Wiggins

 

The Colquitt County Board of Education is an equal opportunity provider and employer and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in relation to race, color, religion,
gender, age, national origin, political affiliation, disability, genetic information and testing, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. We prohibit retaliation against individuals
who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint
or otherwise oppose discrimination.