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VOLUME 24 NUMBER 4
APRIL 21, 2018
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Dr. Terry O. Oatts
DeKalb County School District Superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green, along with other district officials, held a press conference addressing the absence of bus drivers on April 19. Photos by Travis Hudgons
DeKalb County School District fires seven involved in bus strike
Rockdale School Board picks Fayette leader as top candidate for Rockdale schools Superintendent
Dr. Terry O. Oatts, Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement in Fayette County Schools, has been selected the child walked to his mother’s by the Rockdale Board of Education as By Valerie J. Morgan job at McDonald’s to tell her that and Travis Hudgons the school bus never showed up in the sole finalist for Rockdale Schools their neighborhood. Williams said superintendent. Information on Oatts will be available he overheard the conversation and he DeKalb County at the Board office and posted on the district offered to take the child to school. School District (DCSD) website at www.rockdaleschools.org, “There were people in the terminated seven effective Friday, April 20, 2018 and for the McDonald’s who knew me. I gave employees for violating following 14 days prior to the Board taking her my card and drove the little school district policies after nearly final action. boy to Bethune Middle School. 400 bus drivers participated in a Jim McBrayer, Board Chair, applauded I went inside the school to make strike on April 19. Shirley Chesser for serving as interim sure school officials knew that The district delivered superintendent. I was bringing him there,” said termination letters to the seven Superintendent R. Stephen Green. Williams. “On behalf of the Board of employees after reviewing events “The DeKalb County School Education, I want to express our sincere Williams said he was outraged leading to the “sick out.” While District does not compromise appreciation to Mrs. Shirley Chesser for the over the bus driver strike. the district does not discuss when it comes to student safety.” tremendous work she has done as interim “The adults need to sit down specific personnel matters, the Green said during a press superintendent,” McBrayer said. at the table and come to an employees were among a group conference held on the morning of agreement,” Williams said. “Our “Mrs. Chesser will continue in her role found to actively support or the strike that he did not know if as Chief Academic Officer as we strive to students should not be the ones encourage bus drivers not to report any students were stranded at bus fulfill our core mission of student success.” who are punished,” Green said. to work, officials said. The drivers stops as a result of the sickout . He Over the last several months, under the According to the school want better pay and benefits. warned, however, that bus drivers guidance of the Georgia School Boards system, 383 bus drivers did not District officials say DeKalb who did not have a doctor’s excuse report to work April 19, which is Association as search provider, the Board school bus drivers earn about would be punished. 42 percent of the district’s 908 bus completed a survey of its expectations for $19,400 annually and are among “Your actions will have the next superintendent, posted and reviewed drivers. the second-highest paid school bus consequences, and there will be the results of a survey of the community Parents were notified of the drivers in the state. repercussions for putting our driver shortage via text, email and and school district staff to seek input as “We have been clear from children in harms way, said Green. robo-calls; leaving many parents to the characteristics desired in a new the beginning. We will keep an “For every day missed due to the frazzled as they sought alternative superintendent, adopted qualifications for open dialogue with employees sickout, I'm requiring a doctor's the position, approved and disseminated a transportation. provided they work collaboratively note to validate that absence.” recruitment brochure, reviewed applications, The county provides bus and keep our children safe by Meanwhile, some students and interviewed candidates that appeared to service for approximately 66,500 reporting to work. Unfortunately, apparently were left stranded. Ed have closely met qualifications. students to 180 schools and some employees chose Williams, a watchdog in South Seventy-seven candidates viewed or centers. Substitute drivers were another route, and that carries DeKalb, said he took a young boy started an application for the Rockdale serious consequences,” said to Bethune Middle School after SEE STRIKE page 6 Superintendent position. Applications were received from a broad range of applicants from across the country. From these, 37 individuals fully completed and submitted an application and provided all required supporting documentation by the posted deadline. Following review and vetting of all submitted applications, four candidates A DeKalb County Grand Jury has indicted two men for sexually were disqualified for failing to meet required assaulting a 12-year-old boy. The 24-count indictment against 39-yearqualifications; two candidates withdrew; old Kelvin Jermain Armstrong and 47-year-old Kevin Walker includes nine candidates were selected for close charges of Aggravated Sexual Battery, Aggravated Child Molestation, Kelvin Armstrong Kevin Walker review by the board and six candidates were Child Molestation, Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, Enticing selected for interview, as the Board sought to a Child for Indecent Purposes, False Imprisonment, Reckless Conduct of an HIV Infected Person, and drug determine those candidates best qualified for possession. the position. The charges against the defendants stem from an incident on Jan. 29, 2018. According to the investigation, Following deliberations by the Board, the victim was grabbed and forced into a Buford Highway apartment while walking home after missing his one candidate, Dr. Oatts, was determined to school bus. Once inside the apartment, the child was threatened and then sexually assaulted by two men who be the best qualified for the position. later left him there before fleeing the scene in a vehicle. The child quickly escaped and ran to the leasing office The Board will provide further updates for help. Defendants Armstrong and Walker were later identified, questioned by police, and arrested. Both regarding Dr. Oatts, as well as activities remain jailed without bond. and events planned for welcoming him to The case will be prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children the Rockdale community and his official (SECAC) Unit. A trial date has not been scheduled. reporting date.
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HIV positive men indicted in sexual assault of 12-year-old