The School District of Palm Beach County has brought in an experienced educator and administrator to lead a high school that saw four employees arrested last week on charges of not reporting suspected child abuse of a student, related to allegations of a sexual assault on a 15-year-old student.
Palm Beach Central High School’s principal Darren Edgecomb, assistant principals Nereyda Cayado de Garcia and Dan Snider, and chorus teacher Scott Houchins were arrested on felony charges, court records show. Another district employee, Priscilla Carter, who was a guidance counselor at Palm Beach Central when the alleged assault and failure to report took place in 2021, also was charged.
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A quick note: I am longtime friends with a family member of one of the people who was arrested, so I will not be among those reporting on the allegations themselves. As a sexual assault survivor, I typically do not report on allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence. If you’re looking for more updates, I’d encourage you to follow the reporting being done by Katherine Kokal of The Palm Beach Post.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can dial 911 if it’s an emergency, or contact Palm Beach County Victim Services at 561-355-2418, Option 3, or the 24-hour crisis hotline at 866-891-7273.
The district has chosen formerly retired Park Vista High School principal Reginald Myers to serve as Palm Beach Central’s interim principal, schools Superintendent Mike Burke told Wellington’s Education Committee during Tuesday night’s meeting. Myers stepped into the role about a week and a half before the first day of school on Aug. 10 and with three of the school’s top leaders — Edgecomb, Cayado de Garcia and Snider — assigned to other positions within the school district.
First look: How Wellington schools plan to spend annual Keely Spinelli grants
Want to know more about Florida’s mandatory-reporting law? The Office of the State Courts Administrator has a helpful guide.
“We have our full attention on Palm Beach Central High School to make sure they have the staffing in place,” Burke said.
Myers told the Education Committee that he looks forward to working with the team at Palm Beach Central.
“The community is awesome,” he said, adding, I just look forward to rolling my sleeves up and getting in and working with them, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue to keep the Wellington community proud of Palm Beach Central.”
He thanked the district’s administration members for their support and said that although he was on his second day on the job, it “seems like I’ve been there for awhile.”
“It’s not about me,” Myers said. “It’s about getting school open and getting it ready for the students and the teachers so that they can continue the good work.”
Myers retired in 2021 after about four decades working in education. He was at Park Vista west of Boynton Beach for 13 of those years.
His experience includes:
- Physical education teacher at Pine Grove Elementary School.
- Assistant principal at Coral Sunset Elementary School.
- Assistant principal at Del Prado Elementary School.
- Principal at Sandpiper Shores Elementary School.
- Principal of Middle School of Choice Alternative School.
- Principal of John I. Leonard High School.
- Principal of Christa McAuliffe Middle School.
Myers was “the perfect option” to step in to lead Palm Beach Central, Regional Superintendent Valerie Zuloaga-Haines said.
“He’s very much into building relationships and building cultures that are going to be able to move forward for the excellence of students, so we look forward to Mr. Myers joining the Bronco family,” she said.
The committee members offered their support to Myers.
“We really appreciate your willingness to step into this situation and try and make the best, and putting our kids in the forefront where they need to be,” committee chair John Webber said.
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