The DeSoto County School Board has elected a new chair after the previous position holder sparked outrage from the community over a letter she wrote in support of a former teacher and youth minister convicted of child sex crimes.
After hearing from the public during Thursday’s open meeting, board members voted unanimously to strip embattled District 2 representative Michele Henley of her role as chair and to promote Jerald Wheeler to the post. The move followed calls from enraged parents and community members for Henley to resign, alleging that she used her official title to sway a judge’s opinion of former DeSoto Central assistant women’s basketball coach and Getwell Church youth minister Lindsey Whiteside.
Whiteside is accused of having a sexual relationship with a female teenager between the ages of 14 and 15 from May to November of 2024. She pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a child back in October and was sentenced to three years of house arrest, a punishment many DeSoto County residents, including District Attorney Matthew Barton, felt was too lenient. Henley’s influence was believed to have been the catalyst behind the light sentence.
The federal government, however, stepped in, with a grand jury indicting Whiteside on a charge of transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity. If convicted, she faces a minimum of 10 years behind bars. Barton, when prosecuting the case against Whiteside at the state level, sought a 30-year sentence.
As for Henley’s remarks, the school board member wrote about how Whiteside coached her daughter and helped improve her basketball skills. Henley referred to Whiteside as “supportive” and “helpful” when discussing the role the coach played in her daughter’s life.
“Lindsey was always encouraging, supportive, and helpful during their training sessions. She continuously gave my daughter pointers on how to improve her game while encouraging her every step of the way,” Henley wrote of Whiteside’s character.
“When my daughter made the team, we sent Lindsey a text to tell her. She was so excited for my daughter and, again, encouraged her to keep working hard to get better every day,” she continued. “Middle school can be hard for a young person. I am happy to say, Lindsey’s encouragement and support helped my daughter not only make the team, but have a wonderful middle school experience.”
Concerned parents protested at DeSoto County school board meeting on Oct. 16, demanding Henley’s termination, though the District 2 representative was not present. Parents showed up again this past Tuesday, with Henley in attendance, and levied similar demands. From displaying signs that read, “Protect kids, not pedos,” to giving impassioned pleas for a change of the guard in board leadership, attendees made it clear that they would not sit silent until Henley was held accountable.
“She is a sympathizer of pedophiles and molesters. I don’t know why, because I have people in my family who I sympathize with, but when we’re talking about children, Michele, you pick what’s right for children, not what’s right for the molester,” one parent, who said her children went to school with Henley’s, said, “You showed us where your judgment is. You need to go.”
Tyler Littlejohn, the stepfather of Whiteside’s victim, stepped up to the podium and scathed Henley. Henley had previously contended that she never intended to defend Whiteside but to recount a personal interaction between the two. Littlejohn took exception to that account and accused the school board member of demonstrating reckless judgement and defending a pedophile.
“You said you don’t condone what she did, but you sat by her side. You wrote that letter to soften the judge’s heart to give mercy to a person who had committed a sex crime,” Littlejohn said. “I cannot trust your judgment. You blindly did a favor for your daughter to write a letter for a predator that you did not know what she was charged with. You didn’t do your research. You just said yes.”
While multiple board members distanced themselves from Henley, and made it known that they wanted her to resign voluntarily, she refused to do so. But the board did use its collective power to remove her as chair. As of now, Henley will remain on the board as a member.
