HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Hattiesburg Public School District is working to make sure juvenile offenders charged as adults are not taught in the same classroom with other students.
Last month, a parent complained that a female ninth-grade Hattiesburg High student befriended another 14-year who had been charged as an adult for sexual battery of a younger child. The district said it was unaware of the charge prior to the parent’s complaint.
A spokesperson said judges and the juvenile detention center usually report when students are charged with felonies, but they are also working with police to check jail dockets and news reports for any students who fall in that category. He said the district is also working to get clarification on its policy about releasing juvenile names to school districts.
