Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 21, 1993                   TAG: 9305210013
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PRINCIPAL'S ACTIONS REVIEWED

Chief Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Betty Jo Anthony is reviewing reports on the actions of Principal William Shepherd to determine if he should face criminal charges.

Police said the mother of an 11-year-old girl was charged Thursday with assault after the child showed up at school with facial bruises. Police say the bruises were the result of a beating.

Anthony said a teacher reported the possible abuse to Shepherd, who is required by law to report potential abuse cases to Child Protective Services.

Although the teacher reported the bruises to Shepherd on the morning of April 27, Child Protective Services learned of the abuse after a relative of the girl's reported it at 1 p.m. that afternoon.

State law calls for potential cases to be reported "immediately."

Shepherd remains the principal of Hurt Park while the investigation is completed. Anthony said she'll probably make a decision on whether to charge the principal sometime next week.

"We feel the situation was properly dealt with," said Richard Kelley, executive for business affairs at Roanoke schools. "The question is whether the report was done in the manner prescribed by the Code of Virginia."

Shepherd was out of a town at a conference and could not be reached for comment.

The school system launched an internal probe into Shepherd's action after receiving a complaint from Child Protective Services, Kelley said.

Kelley said Mary Hackley, director of elementary education, and Fay Pleasants, assistant superintendent for personnel, are heading the school's system's investigation.