INDIANAPOLIS -- Two Indianapolis Public School employees will not face any jail time for failure to report sexual abuse.
If Shalon Dabney and Lela Hester complete a diversion program, as they agreed to on Tuesday, the charges against them will be dropped.
IPS released the following statement in response:
Indianapolis Public Schools' highest priority is the safety and security of our students. The matter in question continues to work its way through the legal process, and we are working with authorities. We anticipate that our internal efforts around this matter will soon be able to recommence, and we will take all appropriate actions to maintain the high level of trust we've earned with parents and students. We will comment appropriately when there are pertinent changes or when this situation is resolved.
Dabney and Hester were accused of waiting six days to report to contact the Department of Child Services about allegations of abuse a parent made against counselor Shana Taylor.
PREVIOUS | Court docs: IPS officials waited 6 days to report alleged child sex abuse
State law requires schools to immediately report abuse or neglect allegations to law enforcement or the Indiana Department of Child Services.
PREVIOUS | IPS waited 6 days to report alleged abuse to DCS
Longfellow Alternative School officials were made aware of the allegations on Feb.17 when a parent came to the school and said she saw several text and Facebook messages between her son and Taylor.
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Dabney and Hester were both suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
Shana Taylor has been fired. She's due back in court on July 5.
