Parents question handling of case by Fulton’s next superintendent
The man selected as the next superintendent of Fulton County Schools is ending his tenure for Clarke County schools with a problem on his hands.
Superintendent Philip Lanoue was recently named as the sole finalist for the seat vacated when Robert Avossa left Fulton.
In Clarke County, three Athens high school students are facing charges after a 15-year-old girl says she was raped in a school stairwell in January. The report of the alleged crime was not publicized until nearly a month later.
News reports say the three students remained in school for days, and parents have been upset over the handling of issue.
Clarke County relieved the principal of his duties February 12, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.
Athens-Clarke County police Sex Crimes Unit commanding officer Lt. Jeff Clark told the Athens Banner-Herald that the girl says she went willingly into a stairwell at Cedar Shoals High School with three male friends on Jan. 7 when one of them sexually assaulted her. She says the other two watched or helped to restrain her.
A 17-year-old juvenile is charged with rape and being a party to the crime of criminal attempt to commit aggravated sodomy with force. Eighteen-year-old Markel D. Brannon and 18-year-old Xavier M. Clarke are charged with being a party to the crime of rape, in addition to other charges.
About the Author
Christopher Quinn is a writer and editor who has worked for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1999. He writes stories on Veterans Affairs, business including high-tech growth in metro Atlanta, Georgia's $72 billion farm economy, and he oversees assigning and editing news obituaries.
