WILMINGTON — In an updated statement from New Hanover County Schools, the district announced it had changed the status of Roland Grise band teacher Peter Frank from ‘suspension with pay’ to ‘suspension without pay’ — typically seen as a more serious disciplinary action.
Peter Michael Frank, 47, is charged with 12 felony counts of indecent liberties with children and students. He remains in the New Hanover County Detention Facility on a secured $750,000 bond after turning himself in to authorities on Monday.
An investigation into alleged ‘inappropriate touching’ by Frank, dating back to 2003, began late last year when a woman brought allegations to an employee of the District Attorney’s office in New Hanover County. According to District Attorney Ben David, a subsequent investigation found probable cause in the case of five other victims, including current students.
Frank’s case was transferred to a special prosecutor in the state Attorney General’s office to avoid any conflict of interest, since one of David’s employees was involved in the initial complaint. The case will still be handled in New Hanover County.
According to the District Attorney’s office, Frank’s case is being handled by the same special prosecutor’s office currently handling a broader investigation into potential failure to report sexual abuse in the cases of former NHCS teachers Michael Earl Kelly, who has since been sentenced to over 30 years in prison, and Nicholas Lavon Oates, who died in jail awaiting trial — leaving the community with numerous unanswered questions.
Frank was hired by the New Hanover County School (NHCS) district in 1997 and has worked at Roland-Grise Middle School since then. Frank was previously suspended with pay in December 2015 while he was investigated; subsequently, Frank was given a 10-day suspension without pay for an incident “not involving students,” according to NHCS.
Frank was suspended with pay last week on Thursday, January 23. On Tuesday of this week, Roland-Grise Principal Charles Barefoot sent a letter to parents and supporters notifying them that “former Band Director” Peter Frank was “no longer working’ at the school.
NHCS’s updated statement notes that the district is “actively training administrators and other staff” to recognize and report predatory behavior. In response to claims that Frank’s behavior was reported last year — and possibly earlier — NHCS states it was its policy and practice to report allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement. [Editor’s note: it is also state law.]
NHCS also encourages anyone with information about any alleged misconduct to contact a law enforcement official or school administrator, or to use NHCS’s online complaint system, Ethix360 (more info on that here).
Make anonymous reports to the schools online complaint system here.
Below: NHCS’s updated statement.
New Hanover County Schools continues to work closely with the Sheriff’s Department regarding the allegations made against Mr. Pete Frank, a teacher at Roland-Grise Middle School. As of today, Mr. Frank’s status has changed from suspension with pay to suspension without pay. The Superintendent will be making a further recommendation to the Board of Education as appropriate.
New Hanover County Schools are actively training administrators and other staff to better understand, recognize and report predatory behavior. The school system is committed to ensuring that all staff are trained and we are using the Darkness to Light Program to accomplish this goal.
New Hanover County Schools and the Board of Education encourages anyone with information concerning these allegations or any such incident to report to a school official. Should a student, employee, or community member wish to share information, either anonymously or directly, please speak directly to a school or law enforcement official or you may use the Ethix360 Program located on the NHCS Website.
It is the policy and practice of New Hanover County Schools to report allegations of sexual misconduct to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
