Delaware State Police confirmed Friday they are conducting a criminal investigation into an incident at Sussex Central High School, two days after school staff members there were placed on leave.
Details about what happened at the school remain sparse.
The Indian River School District contacted police “proactively” about an incident that occurred at the school, state police spokesperson India Sturgis said in a statement. After consulting with the Department of Justice, an investigation was opened, she said.
“While it is essential to keep our communities informed, it is equally vital for the DSP to ensure the integrity of the investigation,” Sturgis said. “Providing a safe school environment is of the utmost importance to both DSP and the Indian River School District. We will provide meaningful updates when available. We thank the public for their patience and understanding as the investigation progresses.”
Indian River School District officials released two statements this week. Spokesperson Jennifer Troublefield emailed the following on Wednesday.
“Members of the Sussex Central High School staff were placed on administrative leave by the Indian River School District on Monday. This is an ongoing investigation, and state and federal laws protecting the privacy rights of employees prevent the district from commenting further at this time.”
On Friday, Indian River spokesman David Maull emailed the following.
“It is a regular practice of the Indian River School District to place employees on paid leave in many circumstances, including when there is an allegation, investigation, complaint, threat against the employee, or other instance warranting paid leave. When an employee is placed on paid leave, this should never be construed as expressing or implying that an employee will face employment action or that an employee may have engaged in any wrongful conduct (of any severity). The District will not provide further comment on this issue.”
Neither Troublefield nor Maull would answer questions about the incident and why staff members were placed on leave.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught
