Outside adult gains access to Baconton Charter School
Man caught inside Baconton Community Charter School soliciting urine from students
By Jon Gosa
ALBANY — Officials with the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that an investigation has been launched into an incident that occurred at Baconton Community Charter School in Camilla Monday during which a man was caught inside the school soliciting a urine sample from students.
“An investigation is currently underway, and I don’t really want to comment too much about it,” Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Robert Rumble said. “We did have an incident that occurred with a relative of a student going in there and attempting to get a urine sample from him. Then it appears that the person asked other students for a urine sample.”
It is unclear exactly how the individual gained access to the school, officials said, but some time after speaking to his nephew in the school’s office, the man was found inside a bathroom in a visitor-restricted area.
“The child actually came to the front, and we did not see the adult go back to the bathroom,” Baconton Community Charter School Principal Lynn Pinson said Wednesday. “We always bring the children to the front. We are still talking to the parents about it at this time, and we are looking into it. We do not let parents go in, they have to sign in at the office and (get) permission to go in the back.
“He took the child outside, and we thought the child came back in by himself. We did not know the uncle came back in with him. That’s how he got in the bathroom.”
Neither school officials nor Rumble commented as to why the urine was solicited, even though rumors widely circulated that it was for a drug test.
“No, there was no force.” Pinson said. “We have already interviewed all the kids and nobody was forced to do anything.”
According to Pinson, school officials immediately called the sheriff’s office and turned over everything to law enforcement.
Mitchell County Sheriff’s officials have not released the man’s name. Asked if an arrest had been made, Rumble said, “No charges have been filed at this time. This is an on-going investigation.”
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