They Didn’t Just Fail a Child. They Broke the Law.

Pendleton County Schools. They Didn’t Just Fail a Child. They Broke the Law.

Let’s be perfectly clear, because Kentucky law already is.

When a student reports conduct by a teacher that raises any reasonable suspicion of abuse, sexual misconduct, exploitation, or dependency, the law removes discretion. There is no gray area. There is no internal workaround. There is no delay allowed.

Under KRS 620.030(1), any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child is abused, neglected, or dependent shall immediately make a report to law enforcement, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, or the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Not “may.”
Not “after review.”
Shall. Immediately.

That statute applies to everyone, but it lands hardest on those in positions of authority, including assistant principals and superintendents. And Kentucky law is explicit that internal handling does not replace legal reporting. Internal investigations do not suffice. Mother’s do not get to be ignored or herded.

Under KRS 620.030(3), when a report is made to a supervisor or administrator, that supervisor has an independent, affirmative duty to ensure a report is made to authorities.
Passing it along internally does not satisfy the law.
Sitting on it does not satisfy the law.
Playing damage control does not satisfy the law.

It violates it.

Now Let’s Talk About What Qualifies as Reportable

Under KRS 600.020, an abused or neglected child includes a child whose health or welfare is harmed or threatened by a person exercising custodial control or supervision, including school employees and staff.

The statute does not require physical contact.
It does not require proof.
It requires reasonable cause to believe harm or risk exists.

A student reporting inappropriate behavior by a teacher clears that threshold instantly.

The allegation of a substitute teacher watching porn by one or multiple girls is enough.
The allegations of young girls feeling he was creepy were enough.
The first allegation — even a single student saying they saw him grope himself in front of them and their peers — IS ENOUGH.

Which means the moment that assistant principal sat in that room, heard that disclosure, and chose intimidation, minimization, or silence instead of a report, a crime was committed.

Which means the other times students have reported feeling unsafe, creeped out, grossed out, or they saw him view porn also and it was not reported, that is a crime.

And when that information reached the superintendent and no immediate report was made, another crime was committed.

This is not an opinion.
This is statutory fact.

Let’s Talk Lawsuits

If you’re a parent reading this and asking yourself, “Can we sue?”, the answer is yes.
And you probably should.

What you’re looking at here isn’t just a failure of leadership, it’s a systemic, documented, criminal violation of duty.

When mandated reporters don’t report, and children are harmed or put at risk, the school district — in this case, Pendleton County Schools — is sitting squarely in the crosshairs of a civil rights and institutional negligence lawsuit.

Legal grounds could include:

• Negligent supervision

• Failure to protect

• Violation of mandatory reporting laws

• Emotional distress

• Civil rights violations (14th Amendment — equal protection and due process)

In similar cases across the country, jury awards and settlements have ranged from 250,000 to over 2 million per victim, depending on the extent of harm and institutional cover-up.

If multiple families come forward and demand accountability in court, this could cost Pendleton County Schools millions, not just in money, but in reputation, leadership turnover, and state scrutiny.

Lawsuits like this are not only likely to succeed, they’re often the only language these districts understand.

And if enough parents unite, it becomes bigger than any one case.
It becomes the reckoning they’ve spent years trying to avoid.

Criminal Penalties They Now Face

Let’s break down the actual crimes on the table:

Assistant Principal

Failure to report child abuse (KRS 620.030)

• First offense: Class B misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail, 250 fine

• Second offense: Class A misdemeanor, up to 12 months in jail, 500 fine

• Third or more: Class D felony, 1 to 5 years in prison

Intimidating a witness or victim (if proven)

• Potential felony under KRS 524.040, up to 5 years

Abuse of public trust or misconduct in office (if charged)

• KRS 522.030, Official misconduct

Superintendent

Failure to report child abuse (KRS 620.030)

• Same penalties as above

• Each unreported incident counts

Criminal negligence in duty

• Possible enhancement if cover-up or willful inaction can be proven

Civil liability for failure to act in administrative capacity

• May trigger revocation of credentials or professional sanctions

And don’t forget this: each child harmed or ignored counts as a separate act under the law.

We will not be silent, because they were supposed to protect the ones who couldn’t speak for themselves.
Now the law will speak for them. And if it doesn’t, the parents will.

And we will.

Final Note

Yesterday I ran a poll.
Both Steven Foster on this page and Sebastian Ernst replying to my personal page have condemned these acts.

Why are your other officials running for office staying quiet on an issue involving their constituents, or potential constituents?

They may think they have nothing to prove — but I think we need to start hammering their campaign pages with questions.

What say you?

Whisper One Out.