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According to My Daily Record, a former teacher has been accused of indecent liberties with three students at Harnett Central Middle School, located at 2529 Harnett Central Rd, Angier, NC 27501.
A student's parents filed a complaint against 27-year-old Shawn C. Hicks on February 26, 2022. An investigation discovered that three male students had been victimized by the former seventh-grade science teacher. The sexual misconduct dates back as far as January 2019. Hicks was a teacher at the school from December 19, 2016, until he quit on February 25, 2022, just a day before the complaint was filed.
The former educator was credited with founding the "Gentlemen of the Future" mentorship program that was directed at male children living without the presence of their fathers. Hicks is also an elder at the Zion Spring Church of Christ located at 102 Warren Ave. Bunn, NC 27508.
Kristen Beightol, an attorney contributor for Legal Herald, represents sex abuse victims and their families in legal suits. Kristen recently shared her insight on the legal rights of sexually abused victims, including when they can sue for unwanted sexual contact by a middle school teacher.
"We have recently been hearing more and more reports of teachers sexually abusing students across the country. School administrators have a legal obligation to do everything possible to keep their children safe from abuse and sexual misconduct. Security cameras, patrolling resource officers, and security sweeps could be part of a basic safety plan to reduce these occurrences on the campus. However, too often, teachers abuse their positions of power and trust to exploit children even off-campus. Schools must ensure that background checks are conducted to help prevent hiring predators. Students are put at great risk when a school fails to implement adequate security measures."
"When a middle school teacher is accused of sexual misconduct, it's necessary to look at the school's safeguarding process. Some sexual abuse occurs as a result of the school's safety negligence. A procedure should be followed when an incident is reported, including an investigation. The district is responsible for preventing the perpetrator from further abusing others. If previous claims of sex crimes were reported but ignored, the school could be deemed negligent. Victims and their families may have grounds to pursue a civil action against the school or district in cases of negligence. Victims and their families should speak with an experienced school sexual assault lawyer to learn more about their legal options."
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