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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- It's hard to believe. A teaching aide sends a 14-year-old girl to meet a boy for sex in a school bathroom. It's a sting to set up the boy. But the boy switches the location, the staff loses sight of the girl, teachers arrive too late.

The U.S. Department of Justice sided with the girl's attorneys last month, bringing attention to the details in the four-year-old case. Those details sparked petitions and outraged community meetings in Madison County. But the story traveled much further, appearing on CNN and Fox News, in the London Telegraph and the New York Daily News, reaching as far as India Today and The Australian.

Members of Madison County school board have said the story has not been told correctly, that there has been much "misinformation." For example -- "No administrator played any role in this at all," said one attorney for the district.

Law enforcement later explained why they declined to press charges. Another school board attorney told parents: "There are two sides to every lawsuit and most of what you have heard and read about this has presented only one side."

"What's the misinformation?" asked a parent.

"Part of the misinformation is that the student was unsupervised," asserted the attorney. "He was not. He was supervised at all times."

But the girl's attorneys say the board attorneys are the ones omitting parts of the story in regard to the role of school officials. "This is the exact same behavior we have seen all along from the Board: from the day of the rape, until the time they shredded the boy's records, until they appealed..." reads part of their lengthy statement last week.

So here is the story in the words of those who witnessed the events at Sparkman Middle School, just outside Huntsville, on Jan. 22, 2010.

The following is compiled from depositions taken in 2012, from statements written and signed that afternoon in 2010, from emails and from affidavits.

The start

June Simpson, physical education aide, affidavit on June 7, 2012:

Prior to January 22, 2010, there had been ongoing allegations that a male student, (the boy), had been repeatedly propositioning other female students to have sex in the boy's bathroom. The allegations started sometime after the Thanksgiving break in 2009, and I was made aware of it after the Christmas break.

Ronnie Blair, principal, deposition in June 2012:

Q. Did you ever tell one of the teachers or assistant teachers that two students had to be caught in the act for there to be disciplinary action against one or both of them?

A. I don't recall if I've said that or not, but possibly I did simply because it's true, that they're going to have to be caught or they're going to have to admit it themselves. You've got to have evidence, obviously, to discipline someone.

Simpson, physical education aide, affidavit:

Shortly after we returned to school from Christmas break, I reported the allegations to the principal Mr. Ronnie Blair, and suggested that (the boy) be monitored at all times. Mr. Blair advised me that we were going to have to catch (the boy) in the act before he could take any disciplinary action against (the boy).

Blair, principal, deposition:

A. I don't recall saying that. I may have said that, but it wouldn't be a matter of her not being able to do anything. It would be about us not being able to do anything. She can't do anything anyway.

Jeanne Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition 2012:

A. I do remember (Blair) coming and letting me know that the allegations had been made against (the boy) and that the cameras had been moved to stationary and we were -- needed to keep an eye on him.

Q. Okay. So those were the -- that was the plan then, to keep an eye on him and have the cameras on; is that right?

A. I believe so.

Blair, principal, deposition:

A. The complaint was brought to me by Mrs. Simpson that the rumor was that (the boy) and a female student, not (the girl), were meeting consensually in a bathroom.

Q. What was the name of the other student?

A. I do not recall.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Now, what more would be required of a teacher's aide than what Ms. Simpson did as far as putting them on notice?

A. I believe she should have let her direct supervisor, the PE teachers, know also and that I believe is all she should have done.

The eighth-grade boy

Teresa Terrell, assistant principal, deposition 2012:

Q. Did you know him by first name well enough to say hello or something like that in the hallway?

A. I knew him, you know, as a student at school that I would, you know, get after or whatever if I needed to or correct. And because he was in the office some, of course we knew who he was.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Okay. Let's move on to February of 2004 -- I'm sorry, February 4th, 2009. This is a complaint of making inappropriate comments to a young lady. The infraction is styled sexual harassment, disposition was out-of-school suspension. Did you investigate the incident which resulted in this notation?

A. I don't know.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Okay. Now, I see on September 23rd of 2009, the year that the events occurred, that the infraction is titled as harassment and that's where apparently had offered to pay one student to beat up a girl?

A. Another girl, uh-huh.

The eighth-grade girl

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. You were not on, in other words, a first name basis with her?

A. Oh, absolutely not. Didn't know her.

The girl's deposition of June 2012:

Q. Okay. How many other -- and these are all foster homes?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Were they all in North Carolina?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Are there any names you do remember?

A. No, sir.

Q. And when you say quite a few, tell me your best estimate of how many.

A. Around six or seven.

Q. And tell me the reasons for changing, if you recall.

A. Because I was -- I had a bad temper because my mom was dying.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Okay. You've probably had an opportunity to avail yourself of the circumstances surrounding her time there at Sparkman Middle. Was she a special ed student?

A. Not that I recall.

The days leading up to the sting.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:



Q. ...January 13th, 2010 was about an inappropriate touching?

A. Yes.

Q. Tell me about that.

A. As far as I remember, it was a classroom situation and someone -- I can't remember all the -- the intimate details, but someone -- it was -- I want to say it was rubbed up against a thigh or something like that. And someone said this happened and this one said no, it didn't happen and this one said no, this one was lying about this one and it was -- it just -- we didn't have any proof. And we thoroughly, thoroughly investigated.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. When did you destroy your notes about those meetings you had investigating the complaint about (the boy)?

A. I keep those for a while and since nothing was found to be of any value as far as truth is concerned, at some point thereafter, they're destroyed.

Q. How do you destroy them?

A. Shred through a shredder.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

A: But while the investigation was going on, I had (the boy) held in (in-school suspension) because it was such a constant disruption. ...And then the following morning, Mr. Blair and I met with his mom and because of his failing grades and the fact that there had been repeated discipline situations, he was placed in (in-school) for 20 days.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. Do you recall if he was still in in-school suspension when the incident happened with (the girl)?

A. He was.

Q. Was he assigned to any sort of cleaning duties as a result of this complaint?

A. He was.

Q. And what does that entail?

A. Any student that's in in-school suspension could be utilized to complete various cleaning chores; sweeping the hallways, cleaning up the lunchroom after -- after lunch, that kind of thing.

A plan rejected

June Simpson, physical education aide, handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

On this Friday, (the boy) was doing custodial work. (The girl) claimed he stopped her on the way to P.E. and asked her to meet him in the bathroom (for sex)....At that time I told her I was tired of that kid and she should go pretend she wanted to meet him so we could set him up to catch him.

The girl's deposition of June, 2012:

A. She was like do you want to get him in trouble and I was -- I said yes.

Q. Okay. And what did she say next?

A. Do you want to -- you have to go meet him so that we could set him up and get him caught because he's been doing this for a while.

Q. All right. And what was your response to that?

A. I didn't want to go.

Simpson, physical education aide, handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

She said 'No, I don't even like that kid.' I said, 'Don't do anything, just get him to meet you and we will catch him.' She said no, she just wanted to go home. It was dropped.

Change of mind

The girl's deposition:

A. I went back to Ms. Simpson and told her I would do it.

Simpson, physical education aide, handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

Some time went by and somehow the other student with (the girl) let me know (the girl) wanted to do it.

Next step

The girl's deposition:

Q. All right. What happened after that?

A. She took me to the principal's office.

Q. She being Ms. Simpson?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What did you do at the principal's office?

A. She told her what was going to happen.

Q. Okay. Told who?

A. One of the principals.

June Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis, on April 12, 2010:

The fact is I took 8th grade students, (the girl) and (her friend) to Ms. Jeanne Dunaway's office at approximately 2:10 p.m. to advise Mrs. Dunaway of the situation and ask her for her advice. Mrs. Andrea Hallman was also present in Mrs. Dunaway's office when I arrived with the students. Mrs. Dunaway was on the phone conducting personal business. I advised Mrs. Hallman about the situation and asked for her help.

Andrea Hallman, teacher, affidavit July, 2012:

On the afternoon of Jan. 22, 2010, I was in assistant principal Jeanne Dunaway's office reviewing Think Link student data with Ms. Dunaway. June Simpson came into Ms. Dunaway's office and stated that a male student had reportedly been asking girls to meet him in the bathroom. Ms. Dunaway was on the telephone at one point while I was in her office and I do not believe she heard Ms. Simpson's comment.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. How long did she stay in your office?

A. Possibly three to seven minutes.

Q. Did you speak to her at all during the time that she was in there?

A. No, I did not.

Q. Did Ms. Hallman speak to her while she was in there?

A. It's possible. At one point, my husband called and I took a call from him.

Different stories

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Okay. What did -- when Mrs. Simpson appeared at your door, who spoke first?

A. We did not speak to her.

Q. Okay. Did she speak to one of you?

A. Not that I recall.

Q. Well, was there any interaction in your office?

A. Her back was to us.

Simpson, physical education aide, affidavit:

After Ms. Dunaway ended her telephone call I discussed the situation with her directly, and told her that I had suggested to (the girl) that she meet (the boy) in the restroom so he could be caught in the act. I told them "I hope this is legal I don't know what I'm doing." Ms. Dunaway appeared disinterested ... Ms. Dunaway showed me some pictures of some tile on the cell phone.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Is that common for people to come into your office and stand for an amount of time and not speak?

A. It is.

Q. Why?

A. My office is quite large. It's on the main hallway and oftentimes, if I'm in there, a teacher may want to talk with a student privately and pull them right into the entryway to my office to have a discussion with them to discuss dress code, homework, turning in an assignment.

Q. And Ms. Simpson never came fully into your office or over by your desk?

A. I do not believe she did.

Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis:

After Mrs. Dunaway concluded her phone call, I advised her of the situation, to no avail...Mrs. Dunaway seemed disinterested, the discussion became futile and I was under the impression the issue was dropped. After speaking with Mrs. Dunaway and Mrs. Hallman I returned to the gym.

Hallman, teacher, affidavit:

June Simpson did not tell me about any plan for the female student to agree to meet the male student in the bathroom in order to catch him in improper conduct. Ms. Simpson also did not say anything about such a plan to Ms. Dunaway at any time while I was present.

Jeanne Dunaway, assistant principal, affidavit in July, 2012:

Prior to the incident alleged in this case by (the girl), I had no knowledge of any plan to 'set up' (the boy) to catch him in improper conduct.

The girl decides to act on plan

Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis:

Approximately 10 minutes later (her friend) came to tell me that (the girl) and (the boy) were planning on meeting in the 6th grade bathroom. I immediately went back to Mrs. Dunaway's office where she and Mrs. Hallman were working on the computer.

The boy's handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

Me and (her) had been talking in the gym and had just been talking as friends then we started to talk like she liked me and I liked her then I was cleaning the hallways and she came out and I told her to come here.

Hallman, teacher, affidavit:

...Ms. Simpson returned and asked me to check one of the bathrooms. When I went to do so, another teacher was already checking the bathroom. I returned to my classroom.

Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis:

I asked Mrs. Hallman if she would go to the 6th grade bathroom where they were planning to meet. She said, 'I don't want to be the one to catch another student with their clothes off.' I asked her to hurry. However, I was effectively ignored. That was when I called Mr. Kennedy...

The girl's deposition:

A. I was trying to walk slow...

Change in location

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. Did Ms. Simpson ever explain to you why she didn't stop or catch (the boy) and (the girl) in the restroom?

A. I recall something being said along the lines of this ended up taking place in a bathroom that wasn't originally planned...

The girl's handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

...he told me to go in the boy's bathroom by the gym and told me nevermind because everyone was around so he told me to go to that bathroom and that's when he did that to me.

The girl's deposition:

A. He told me to pull my pants down and I couldn't, so he started unbuttoning them for me and then he pulled his down.

Q. And when you say you couldn't unbutton your own pants, why was that?

A. Because I was trying not to.

The girl's deposition:

Q. Okay. I mean, did you try to -- try to pull your own pants back up or anything?

A. Yes.

Q. All right. And how -- did he prevent you from doing that?

A. Yes.

Q. How did he do that?

A. He just pulled them back down.

Q. Okay. And at that point, had you made it clear to him that you didn't -- didn't want to go through with it?

A. Yes.

Q. Did you tell him no?

A. I said I don't want to do this.

The girl's deposition:

Q. Okay. At any point during this - this encounter, did you call for help?

A. No.

Q. You didn't scream or holler or anything like that?

A. No.

Q. All right. And what happened next?

A. He raped me.

Two teachers found the students.

Teacher John Kennedy, handwritten witness statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

I received a call asking me to check the boy's bathroom to see if male and female students were in the bathroom...I walked in the bathroom and saw two pair of feet in the first stall. I didn't feel comfortable saying anything without another adult present so I came out and motioned for Mrs. Campbell....

Teacher Melody Campbell, handwritten witness statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

As I walked in first, I announced out loud 'Hello, anyone in here?'...All I can see is their feet but it is clear one person is pushed into the far corner of the stall and the wall. As both walk out from the stall, the boy begins talking to Mr. Kennedy and I ask the girl to come speak to me.

Kennedy, teacher, statement:

I asked him why did he put himself in the situation when he is already in trouble due to inappropriate sexual contact. He said 'We were not doing anything but making out.'

Campbell, teacher, statement:

I asked her if he had touched her. She said, 'Yes, I told Mrs. Simpson that he was going to do it.' Both students were fully dressed as we walked in, but it was clearly visible that the male student had an erection as he exited the stall.

The first administrator to respond

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. When was the first time you spoke with (the girl)?

A. When I walked down the hall and was met by the two teachers in the hallway and I looked at her -- because I'm assuming it's a situation where we just have two kids in the bathroom and I looked at her and I said you'll be suspended and I looked at him and said you're probably going to the alternative school. Just off the top of my head, I was -- I was aggravated. I didn't know. It was Friday afternoon. We get a call in the office we needed an administrator in the sixth grade hallway, so I went.

Q. Okay. After you told her that she was probably going to be suspended, what happened next?

A. She followed me up to the office area.

Blair, principal, deposition:

A. As I've mentioned, I followed Ms. Terrell down the hallway shortly thereafter. She was walking back up the hallway at that time with the two students and we walked back toward the office. And it was time for afternoon bus duty, which I go outside for. And at that time, when I went outside, I still -- all I knew was we had a boy and a girl in the bathroom.

The girl and the boy were placed in separate offices.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. And how did (the girl) appear?

A. Fine. She was not tearful. She was not crying. She was not mad. She just appeared very even.

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. You don't recall her exhibiting any kind of symptoms of distress, in other words? She seemed normal?

A. I did not know her, so I do not know what the word normal would refer to. But I do know that she was not hysterically crying or anything like that.

The girl was quiet at first.

Blair, principal, deposition:

A. Initially when I talked to her, it was -- she just wasn't really saying anything at all.

The girl's deposition:

Q. And what did you tell (Blair)?

A. I couldn't tell him.

Q. You didn't say anything?

A. (Witness shakes head.) No, sir.

Blair returned to bus duty. Simpson came to the office.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Then what was said once Ms. Simpson got into the room?

A. I believe Ms. Simpson did an arm pump, fist pump, I'm not sure of the exact term, the little (demonstrating). I don't know the term for that. And said, 'She's not in trouble, I sent her and we got him.'

Q. Okay. And what did you say in response to that?

A. I believe I was speechless at that point.

Q. And what did Ms. Terrell say?

A. I believe she said, 'Good Lord.'

Q. And what did (the girl) say?

A. I don't recall her saying anything.

What the boy said

The boy's handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

I said do you want to make out in the bathroom and she said sure and I told her to walk into the sixth-grade bathroom boys. And then I came in and we were in the first big stall. She looked at me and we started kissing and that is it.

What the girl said

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Did at some point you and (the girl) have a conversation about what had occurred?

A. I don't know if it was just -- I know that at some point that she said that she was raped.

The girl's handwritten statement on Jan. 22, 2010:

I told Ms. Simson (sic) today and she said tell him yes and they was going to bust him. I went down there and he said pull your pants down and he turned me around and pulled it out and stuck me about six times and the teacher came in....

Blair, principal, deposition:

A:...at some point, it was shared with me -- and I don't believe it came directly to me --that had said that she had been raped. And so we immediately called the law enforcement officials

Immediate actions

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. At any point, did you call the Central Office?

A. Yes, ma'am.

Q. When was that?

A. Early in the process, shortly after we found out that we had a teacher involved with the plan -- or a support person.

Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis:

I was instructed by Mr. Blair to write and sign a statement of events that occurred that day...He suggested that I resign without knowing any facts.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. What do you recall about the conversation you had with Ms. Simpson in that meeting?

A. Just that she stated she had devised that plan for (the girl) to execute if she wanted to.

Q. How did she tell you it was supposed to work?

A. That it was a setup for (the boy.)

Q. And what did you say in response?

A. I don't recall, but I couldn't believe it, that we had done that.

Simpson affidavit:

Not having any proper training in dealing with student conduct matters or complaints of sexual harassment, I did the only thing I was told to do by Mr. Blair and that was to attempt to catch (the boy) in the act.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. So explain again what happened to Ms. Simpson. She was placed on leave?

A. Immediately following this.

Simpson said she asked for advice

Simpson, physical education aide, email to former Superintendent Terry Davis:

Out of fear for my student's safety I sought the advice of many faculty members on how to address this serious problem and was continually ignored.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q: Okay. I'm certainly not saying this happened, but if Ms. Simpson had discussed this plan with you to have go into the boys' bathroom prior to that having happened, what would you have said?

A. That that is not a good idea.

Q. Why not?

A. It's a boys' bathroom and it is a girl and you don't send girls to boys' bathrooms.

Q. Any other reasons you can think of why that might not be a good idea?

A. I'm not really sure what you're - what you're asking.

Q. Well, is the idea just that it would be a female in a male bathroom or is there anything else that might lead you to the conclusion that that might not have a positive outcome?

A. I don't think that's her job to send children to the bathroom.

Q. Anything else?

A. I don't believe so.

Who is responsible?

Terrell, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. These are the pictures that were taken of (the girl's) anus on the evening of January 22nd, which shows a trauma where she was raped anally. And I'm wondering now -- want to ask you as an administrator and an educator with your many years of experience if you believe that a 14-year-old girl would consent to this kind of sexual behavior?

A. I don't know.

Q. They might?

A. I don't know.

Q. You just don't know one way or the other?

A. I just don't know one way or the other.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. Do you believe she is somehow responsible for the injuries she sustained on that day?

A. I believe she took responsibility for herself when she went into that bathroom.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. Do you believe that (the girl) is responsible for her own injuries that day?

A. No, ma'am.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

Q. So in other words, it is her fault that this happened to her because she chose to go in there with (the boy)?

A. It is not her fault. She had free will, as did (the boy).

Q. So by her making the choice to go in that bathroom, she essentially consented to what was going to happen to her?

A. I don't believe she made a choice to have her pants pulled down. I don't believe she made that choice.

Q. Okay. Do you believe she is somehow complicit or at fault for the injuries she sustained on January 22nd?

A. I don't know who's at fault.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. You also witnessed her deposition today. Do you today as you sit here believe that she was raped on January 22nd, 2010?

A. She was very emotional today. That was for sure. But that doesn't necessarily mean - and I'm certainly not saying it didn't happen or did happen. That's -- I don't know.

Dunaway, assistant principal, deposition:

A. I'm not aware if he took her into the bathroom or if she went willingly.

Q. Why is that important?

A. Taking her into the bathroom in my mind means dragging a cave woman by the hair and pulling her into your cave as opposed to someone saying sure, I'll go with you.

Q. So then are you testifying that if it's consensual, that makes it better?

A. I think it makes it different.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. Did you take responsibility for injuries that day to the police?

A. No, but safety is our number one concern in any school, any time, any place, and you want to do everything you can to set the table as we do as parents at home and at school, too, to make sure they're in the -- you put them in the situation where they can make the right decision at a particular time, whether it's adults, whether it's kids. It's unfortunate whatever happened in there happened.

Q. What do you believe happened in that stall?

A. I do not know.

Girl's deposition:

Q. Other than just wanting to be alone and not feeling safe at school, are there any other effects that you currently experience that you link to this incident with (the boy)?

A. My grades and I didn't like to play basketball anymore.

Q. Why is it you don't like to play basketball?

A. Because I like to be by myself a lot more.

Blair, principal, deposition:

Q. Any changes in the way you investigate a sexual harassment complaint?

A. Based on the way that one unfolded, I -- we did as good a job I think as you could do under the circumstances and no, I can't think of anything we've changed.

For more on this case:

Judge's dismissal of most claims is now on appeal