case of "sexual impropriety" between

two eighth graders on a school bus resulted in

both students finishing the school year at

Fayette County Alternative School.

The

bus was headed to Rising Starr Middle School the

morning of April 19 when the incident occurred,

said school principal Barbara Bakelaar. School

officials were notified of the incident by one or

two students who witnessed it and met with an

assistant principal, she said.

The

parents of both students involved in the incident

were contacted by school officials, Bakelaar

said. They agreed to have their children apply to

Fayette County Alternative School instead of

having the matter reviewed by a disciplinary

tribunal, Bakelaar said.

Bakelaar

said she understood that both students must

complete a full semester at the alternative

school before they can come back to the regular

school system. Wayne Robinson, the administrator

in charge of disciplinary matters for Fayette

County Schools, was not available for comment.

The

students who took part in the incident finished

the school year at the alternative school, and

they also received a nine-day suspension from

school, Bakelaar added.

She

characterized the incident as being very rare for

Rising Starr.

"This

is very unusual," Bakelaar said. "I

think probably in the three years we have been in

operation, there have been only one or two other

instances dealing with sexual impropriety. This

was the first one this year."

The

school did not contact parents of the other

students on the bus when the incident occurred,

Bakelaar said, adding that she is not aware of

any complaints from those parents about not being

notified.

The

student conduct code outlines what is considered

"sexual misconduct," Bakelaar said.

Each student received a copy of the code at the

beginning of the year and it was explained to

each grade separately in an assembly, the

principal added.

"We

go over the conduct code and the

consequences," Bakelaar said.

Bakelaar

urged parents to stay in touch with their

children.

"They

need the love and support," she added.

The

matter was investigated fully by school

officials, but it wasn't reported to police or

the Department of Family and Children Services,

Bakelaar said. Lisa Reeves of the Fayette County

DFCS explained that the agency should not have

been notified since the incident didn't involve

neglect or abuse from a care giver.

Bakelaar

said she was not sure how many other students on

the bus witnessed the contact between the two

students who were disciplined. The assistant

principal counseled the students who reported the

activity after they saw it, she added.

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