Parents Get No Answers From School Board Over Child Porn Concerns

It was a full house at the McLoud School Board meeting where district officials were originally set to address recent accusations that a third grade teacher took pornographic photos of young girls in her class. Emotions were flying high during the meeting.

The long and short of it is that after weeks of being left in the dark, parents will continue to be left in the dark. The school board's comment Thursday evening was no comment.

It was a crowd of about 100 people at the meeting, but it soon dwindled in size. Parents and community members walked out on Thursday's school board meeting after being promised answers but given nothing.

"I think it was just pretty much a waste of time," said concerned parent Candace Nelson.

School attorney Larry Lewis says the Potawatomi County District Attorney requested that school officials give no comment on Kim Crain out of an 'abundance of caution.'

"District officials and board members will honor the request not to issue any statements ... or answer any questions that one might have relating to Mrs. Crain," said Lewis during the meeting.

Elected officials are expected to answer to their constituents, but not one member of the school board responded to parents' questions.

"What efforts are being made for parents who haven't got a clue, that didn't get a letter or that haven't seen it on the news," asked Nelson in front of her elected officials. "What are you doing to make sure these parents are informed of the situation ... You all need to let us know something. I think other parents here would probably agree with me."

Nelson received applause from parents and community members after her comments.

Board President Ray Stokes did take time to ask members of the media to not approach parents for comment when picking their children up from school. Some parents, however, took issue with Stokes request of the news media.

"They should be getting some kind of communication out to parents. Again, [the media] are our only resource," said parent Laurie Stossel.

Until Wednesday, parents say all they knew was what they had seen on the news.

School officials say that comments they could make could compromise the criminal investigation against Crain, but parents still say the school has an obligation answer questions about the child porn allegations that Crain was arrested for.

Crain is currently behind bars, but there has been no date given on when she will be formally charged.

12/6/2011 Related Story: Pastor Speaks Out About McLoud Teacher Charged With Child Porn