Two principals and an assistant principal have reportedly been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of a special investigation into allegations they failed to report the crimes of former Charlotte Amalie High School track coach Bruce Smith, though the Virgin Islands Education Department has not issued an official confirmation.
Instead, a statement sent Monday afternoon said, “The Virgin Islands Department of Education does not have an official statement or comment regarding this matter at this time, as it is part of an ongoing investigation. We recognize and respect the vital role of the media and understanding as we work through the process.”
The investigation, reportedly initiated within the Education Department, is still in the beginning phases and has involved outreach to the victims’ families by officials at both district and territorial levels in recent weeks. This effort has raised questions among community members about the scope of the inquiry and potential systemic changes to prevent similar failures in the future.
In September 2024, the Praed Foundation released a report titled “A Systems Approach to Understanding Child Abuse Reporting within the Virgin Islands Public School System.” Commissioned by the Virgin Islands Human Services Department, the report identified widespread systemic failures in reporting child abuse. It highlighted that the close-knit nature of island communities often created barriers to reporting, with educators expressing concerns about confidentiality and fear of retaliation. Notably, the report referenced a former Charlotte Amalie High School official — Smith — as a central figure in these chronic and largely unreported abuses.
The report gathered input from 65 school personnel through focus groups and anonymous surveys, providing insight into the challenges educators faced. Notably, only 25 individuals completed the anonymous survey, despite the Virgin Islands Education Department employing 857 teachers and serving over 10,000 students during the 2022-2023 school year.
According to the report, 25 percent of respondents reported fears of retaliation, while others felt unqualified to identify abuse or worried about jeopardizing their employment.
Smith, a former hall monitor and track and field coach at Charlotte Amalie High School on St. Thomas, was sentenced in April 2024 to 35 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to a 20-count indictment that included federal and territorial child sexual exploitation offenses. Smith’s tenure at the school, spanning from 2006 to 2021, was marked by the sexual abuse of multiple male students, often occurring on school grounds and during school-sponsored events.
In the wake of Smith’s conviction, public officials and community members have demanded accountability for those who may have enabled his actions through inaction. Sen. Marise James, in a letter to Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea and U.S. Attorney Delia Smith, called for legal action against school administrators who were allegedly aware of the abuse but failed to report it. James stressed that “parents, victims, and the public deserve answers and justice,” warning that the continued employment of these officials undermines public trust.
Rhea acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, noting that federal investigators found insufficient evidence to prosecute school officials under existing child abuse or neglect laws. Despite this, he indicated that he would launch a renewed investigation to explore potential administrative punishments for those involved in failing to report Smith’s actions.
Meanwhile, The Source has spent the past several months interviewing families affected by Smith’s actions and is preparing to release a series next week. These families detailed multiple attempts to report Smith’s assaults, often without success, and emphasized the importance of their experiences being heard to drive reforms aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
