WELLINGTON, Fla. — For the first time, the superintendent of the School District of Palm Beach County has addressed the fallout after several high-ranking staff members at Palm Beach Central High School, including the principal, were arrested after authorities said they failed to report the suspected sexual assault of a 15-year-old student.
Superintendent Mike Burke told WPTV the district is "committed" to having Palm Beach Central "ready to go on day one" in just over a week when the new school year starts on Aug. 10.
Reggie Myers, the retired former principal of Park Vista Community High School, has been tapped to serve as interim principal of Palm Beach Central.
"He is well qualified. He had a distinguished career, most recently at Park Vista High School," Burke told WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind. "So he knows what it takes to run a large, successful high school. So I'm excited about that appointment. I know he'll do what's needed to make sure the school is ready to go, and we'll be lending support from the district office as needed."
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Education
Principal Darren Edgecomb, 58, along with assistant principal Nereyda Cayado De Garcia, 57, assistant principal Daniel Snider, 49, teacher Scott Houchins, 53, and school behavioral therapist Priscilla Carter, 55, were arrested on July 24 on charges of failure to report sexual abuse.
According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigation, all five employees were alerted, in some form, about allegations that a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a 15-year-old boy off-campus on April 2, 2021.
Yet none of the staff members, the sheriff's office said, reported the incident to law enforcement or the Florida Department of Children and Families, which was required by state law.
CONTINUING COVERAGE:
- Palm Beach Central staffers may have known about alleged sexual assault of girl months before parents
- Palm Beach County schools 'go above state requirements' in training to report abuse, district says
- How to discuss Palm Beach Central High School allegations with your children
Burke said that while he can't comment on the ongoing criminal investigation, he wants the Palm Beach Central High School community to be optimistic about the upcoming academic year.
"I'll just say that the safety and well-being of our students is the highest priority. It's first and foremost. So we're working through that," Burke said.
Myers retired in 2021 after 40 years with the School District of Palm Beach County.
Before taking over as principal of Park Vista Community High School in 2008, Myers served as principal of Christa McAuliffe Middle School, John I. Leonard High School, Middle School of Choice Alternative School, and Sandpiper Shores Elementary School.
Myers started his career with the school district as a physical education teacher at Pine Grove Elementary School.
"We're committed to having [Palm Beach Central High School] ready to go day one, Aug. 10," Burke said, adding that "we're going to have a great year at Palm Beach Central, regardless."