Parents and guardians of students at Lockhart Elementary School have been called to a mandatory, emergency meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss repeated appearances on or near the schoolgrounds for the last week of a man described as having been exposing himself and masturbating in view of pupils.
The meeting is being held at the Charlotte Amalie High School auditorium.
Dilsa Capdeville, founder of Kidscope and a social worker specializing in children's issues, has been asked to address the parents and educators.
"What I want to do is hear what the parents have to say and what the Department of Education has to say," she told The Source, "and then I'll be in a better position to know what I should say."
Meanwhile, she said she was "preparing my own package to take for parents as to how to deal with such a situation."
A Police Department source familiar with the situation told The Source that the individual, reported to be a "white male with straggly hair" and driving a maroon car, had been appearing "outside and very near the campus from last week." Following the initial reports from the school, the police source said, a plainclothes officer was assigned to the area.
A press release sent to the news media late Tuesday from the Education Department quoted Lockhart Principal Laura Chesterfield as saying, "The safety of the children at Lockhart School is of primary importance. Therefore, it is extremely important that parents and guardians attend this meeting so that we may share critical information with them."
The release offered no hint of what the critical information was. However, it said children whose parents or guardians did not attend the Wednesday meeting would not be allowed to return to school.
No one could be reached Tuesday at Education for further details. A call Tuesday night to Education spokeswoman June Archibald was not returned as of publication.
