CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One of two former aides at Holz Elementary School in Charleston is on trial this week in Kanawha County Circuit Court for allegedly failing to report abuse against special needs students.
Lori Gibson worked under former teacher Nancy Boggs who was sentenced last year to 10 years in jail for pleading guilty to 10 counts of misdemeanor battery against three students. Boggs physically and verbally abused students with disabilities in Sept. 2021.
Gibson faces seven counts of failure to report. Another classroom aide, Lisa Perdue, faces six similar counts.
Each incident was captured on surveillance video, which is required by state law.
In the video played in Kanawha County Circuit Court, Boggs was seen shoving children ages 8-10, pulling one student’s hair and banging another student’s head on a desk.
Craig Bowden, the father of one of the victims, said in Aug. 2022 the video showed Gibson and Perdue were aware of the abuse when it happened.
“It was unimaginable that somebody could turn their backs when this abuse was going on, but we know that they did that,” Bowden said at the time Gibson and Perdue were charged.
The case resulted in additional protections to state law when it comes to classroom recordings. Last year, Gov. Jim Justice signed two bills including one that makes it a felony for a person in a position of trust to verbally or physically abuse a disabled child, or to neglect to report abuse they witness, and a second that calls for more frequent viewing of the classroom video.
In recent weeks, the Kanawha County Board of Education and Holz Elementary families settled civil lawsuits against Boggs for $11.75 million, the largest settlement against a school board in state history.
Gibson’s trial will continue in front of Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers this week.
Perdue’s trial date has been set for Dec. 5. She was previously released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.