WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — City View ISD has been center stage for the past couple of months, as the community grapples with the countless accounts of sexual misconduct at the hands of the district, and while it’s out in the open now, community members say still nothing has been done.
“Looking at their agenda seeing at the last board meeting that those girls came up here and told their stories to them and it’s not even on the agenda to care about that, to not even have a conversation amongst each other about what are we gonna do,” Michelle Turnbow said.
Michelle Turnbow is the Executive Director for First Step of Wichita Falls, our local sexual assault crisis center. She says she’s reached out to district board members to offer services and guidance to the district but her request has fallen on deaf ears.
“First Step has reached out to the school itself multiple times to find out how we can partner with them to really make a chance and help and we’ve gotten nothing, nothing,” Turnbow said.
In June it was revealed that some form of sexual misconduct had taken place between a former City View coach and several students, which launched a deep investigation into what’s been going on. Former students like Mackenzie Splawn say, what’s been revealed though, is only surface level of the misconduct that’s taken place over the years. even hinting that other former faculty have been involved.
“I was not even in the slightest surprised, all my friends that I went to school with they were not surprised, they were expecting this they were just waiting for it to come out,” Splawn said.
In order to move forward, this community wants accountability.
“I think they’re definitely not handling this situation whatsoever. They are just sweeping it under the rug and pretending like nothing ever happened, and that is not going to help any of the future victims,” Splawn said.
“They talk about who was it or didn’t know and it’s kind of like what I said today, they know now. They know now. What are we doing moving forward? What’s the plan,” Turnbow said.
They hope it’s a plan that brings justice and closure.
“We’re just going to really need to not let this die out and put pressure on the fact that we demand to know what’s the next step? What are they going to do and how do we as a community make sure that they are held accountable for their actions,” Turnbow said.
The City View Independent School District is still being investigated about the allegations of misconduct.
City View ISD Superintendent and school board President declined further comment further on the matter.