The following statement was released by Lenoir County Public Schools on Friday:
Good evening, this is Steve Mazingo, superintendent Lenoir County Public Schools. Please stand by for a clarification to a recent story aired on WNCT Channel 9 news.
The story that aired questioned when the police became involved in an incident involving an 8 year old, 2nd grade student at Moss Hill Elementary School. In the news report the question was raised whether or not the principal properly reported the incident to the authorities.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, May 17th at 2:00 pm. The timing of the incident made completing the investigation on the same day very difficult. However, the principal did immediately begin the investigation, which included a call to a deputy on that Friday afternoon. The principal told the officer that she was investigating an incident and that she needed him at the school first thing on Monday morning. The officer was waiting at the school when the principal arrived on that Monday morning.
By Monday morning the principal had completed her investigation and the incident was properly handled. The student who had threatened other students was removed from school and a juvenile petition was filed. The officer and principal did their jobs by the book.
You have my promise that we will always take proper action to assure the safety of our students. However, you also have my promise that we will not take action against a child until an incident has been properly investigated. I regret that our news outlets do not always report all of the facts. Thank you for your attention and for the opportunity to tell you the truth about this incident. Have a great weekend.
Steve Mazingo, Superintendent