2 IPS employees expected to face charges Wednesday
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Prosecutors are expected to file formal misdemeanor charges against two IPS employees Wednesday.
According to online court records, Lela “Tina” Hester and Shalon Dabney each face one pending charge of failure to make report.
Court records show those charges stem from a Feb. 17 incident, when IPS employees first became aware of allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship between a student and 37-year-old Shana Taylor, a former counselor at Longfellow alternative school.
A student’s mother came forward to school officials Feb. 17, to report inappropriate text messages she’d found between her son and Shana Taylor. No one within IPS alerted DCS until Feb. 23, court records showed.
According to those court documents, Tina Hester is the director for HR for IPS, and Dabney is the case worker from HR over this case.
Last month, IPS superintendent Lewis Ferebee held a news conference, saying he was disturbed the reporting of the allegations didn’t happen in a timely manner.
Tuesday, Ferebee released another statement, saying:
“We are grateful for the thoroughness and professionalism of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in this matter. IPS will tolerate nothing less than the safest and most secure learning environment possible for our students, teachers, and support personnel. Today’s announcement by the Prosecutor’s Office in no way undermines or diminishes the progress IPS continues to make every day in our schools, and I appreciate all the support we continue to receive from parents and the IPS family.” – Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, IPS Superintendent
Investigators charged Shana Taylor with multiple child seduction charges for inappropriate sexual relationships with two students.
Online records show she was released from jail on bond on April 6. Her jury trial is set for May.
As of Wednesday other school officials who knew about the allegations were not facing charges.
24-Hour News 8 reported in March that the principal of Longfellow Alternative School resigned, but told I-Team 8 he resigned for medical reasons, not in connection to the Shana Taylor case.
The Marion County Prosecutors Office said they expect to release more information Wednesday.
