CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – In a 25-page Complaint filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, an anonymous former special needs student, referred to as John Doe, has filed suit against the Cabell County Board of Education, the West Virginia State Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, teacher Melissa Dailey (a.k.a. Melissa Newman and Melissa Adkins), former principal Karen Oldham, State Board of Education Investigator John Morrison, and DHHR Investigator Jack Parson for the sexual abuse of John Doe beginning when he was 14 years old until he was 17 years old. The Complaint attaches 17 exhibits in support of the allegations, including a sworn statement takes from a whistleblower named Lisa Skeens who reported the inappropriate conduct on January 3, 2006.
The Complaint alleges that teacher Melissa Dailey groomed the impoverished child by buying him lavish gifts, clothing, and hunting rifles. Dailey utilized her position as a special needs teacher to obtain the child’s psychological records from Prestera Center for Mental Health Services, Inc. and had them sent to a private home she owned. When the child was 15 years old, the Complaint alleges Melissa Dailey raped the special needs student. After the sexual assault, Dailey instructed the child not to tell anyone or he would never see her again.
The sexual abuse continued for approximately one year and five months before it was discovered by Dailey’s friend, Lisa Skeens. Skeens confronted Dailey about her abuse of the student and was told by Dailey details of her illegal conduct and explaining that she had become pregnant; but, terminated the pregnancy. Skeens, a teacher herself and former United States Marine, reported the sexual abuse to principal Karen Oldham who contacted the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services and the West Virginia State Board of Education.
Oldham was familiar with workplace issues having been found to have created a hostile work environment at Cabell Midland High School on February 28, 2006, by the West Virginia Grievance Board. The Complaint alleges that despite the confidential nature of abuse reports, Oldham immediately breached the confidentiality rules and told others about the report made by Skeens.
The Complaint explains that the DHHR was negligent in carrying out its investigation through investigator Jack Parsons, which began on January 4, 2006. The interview of Skeens was conducted at Billy Bob’s Wonderland in Barboursville, WV, over the course of approximately five minutes. Although the last interview in the DHHR report is dated January 19, 2006; however, the conclusion that Dailey was only guilty of”poor judgment” was signed by Parsons and his supervisor on January 13, 2006.
The State Board of Education investigated through John Morrison. Morrison and others, including the Cabell County Prosecutor’s Office, were contacted by former Huntington attorney Charles M. Hatcher, Jr. who urged them that Skeens had retracted her allegations regarding Dailey and they should not pursue Dailey in any way. Skeens refutes that she ever retracted what she was told by Melissa Dailey. Nevertheless, criminal charges were never pursued against Dailey. On March 24, 2006, Cabell County Superintendent William Smith informed Dailey that she would not even be transferred and would return to Cabell Midland High School for the 2006- 2007 school year. The Complaint alleges Dailey would continue sexually abusing the child for two more years.
Melissa Dailey is currently teaching in Cabell County, West Virginia under the name Melissa Adkins. She is the daughter of former Cabell County Director of Special Education, Earlene Adkins, and retired associate professor of accounting and head of the Division of Accountancy and Legal Environment at Marshall University, Dr. Neal G. Adkins.