Turner’s alleged victim rejected by Boyd school:Womack says private school can pick its students

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard

WOMACK

It’s been three months since former Centertown teacher Pamela Rogers Turner was accused of having sex with a 13-year-old male student, and the victim is still feeling the consequences.

No longer a fan of public schools, the student, a rising freshman, would like to attend private Boyd Christian School next year. However, the family was notified Monday the boy would not be admitted to Boyd, a fact which has infuriated his mother.

“He’s a good student. He makes good grades. He’s never been suspended,” the mother said through tears Monday at the Standard. “Our money is just as good as anybody’s. He’s the victim here. There’s no reason he should not be let into that school.”

The Standard does not publish the names of sex crime victims and is therefore not releasing the name of the student or his parents.

Boyd Christian is a Church of Christ school with students from pre-K to 12th grade. Boyd president C.N. Womack says as a private school, Boyd can admit whoever it wants.

“I don’t think this is much of a story,” said Womack. “As a private school, we don’t have to take students, and we don’t have to give a reason why. We choose our own teachers, our own staff, and our own students. Let’s just say we don’t think this student is in the best interest of Boyd school.”

According to the mother, her son just returned to Centertown Elementary about two weeks ago. He had been a homebound student since Turner was indicted in early February.

The mother said her son doesn’t want to go to Warren County High School because he fears ridicule. She says three months later, he is still reminded of the sex allegations on a daily basis.

“He just wants to go one day without hearing about it,” said the mother. “All he wants to do is get back to a normal life. He has friends at Boyd and was looking forward to going there and now he can’t even do that. He’s being punished everywhere he goes.”

Womack said he understands the mother is upset but doesn’t need his school swamped by news organizations when the case goes to trial.

“What do you have when you have Channel 2, 4, 5 and Fox 17 outside your school?” said Womack. “You don’t have much of a chance of having class. It’s nothing but a distraction. We don’t need that type of publicity.”

The mother said she feels like her family has no place left to turn in Warren County.

“We don’t have anything we can do but pack up and move because nobody wants our son because he’s a victim,” the mother said. “Maybe getting out of this town is the best thing for us.”