City, state say no investigation underway

by Jake Lowary -- jlowary@cadizrecord.com

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Kentucky State Police officials and the Cadiz Police Department have not launched any investigation into the case involving a former teacher’s aide and her alleged sexual activity with a Trigg County Middle School student. Cadiz Police Chief Hollis Alexander and Public Affairs Officer Barry Meadows with the Kentucky State Police say neither of their departments is presently investigating any alleged sexual abuse in the matter first reported in The Cadiz Record last week.

“The alleged complaint that was printed (last week) will not be in our jurisdiction,” Meadows said. “It’s going to be in West Virginia or Virginia. That’s apparently what I understand it is where it took place at.”

Meadows said that there are several possibilities to any charges could be filed against Butts. He said both felony and misdemeanor charges could possibility be filed depending on the extent of the relationship between the two individuals.

“It depends on what she did,” Meadows said. “If she had sexual intercourse or something like that it would be a felony. If she just kissed the kid it may menacing or harassment which is a misdemeanor.”

Meadows said he knows of no investigation that the Kentucky State Police is pursuing. In regards to the matter. Cadiz Police Chief Hollis Alexander said the Cadiz Police Department is not conducting an investigation.

“It is my understanding that the original allegations were in the county and not in the city,” he said. “If no other law enforcement agency was involved, we would certainly get involved or refer it to the proper agency.”

The Cadiz Record has learned that Butts and the alleged student did go on a trip to Washington D.C. as part of a trip through the school. However, Superintendent Tim McGinnis said that the school did not sponsor the trip although the chaperones were allowed to publicize the trip to students during school hours.

“What happened there was that it was not a formally sponsored school trip,” McGinnis said. “The sponsor asked if she could be allowed to tell people about it during the school day. Even though it wasn’t a board sponsored trip, the board did give permission to promote it and make kids and parents aware of the situation.”

In an exclusive interview with McGinnis last week, he said his investigation - which is what will determine the fate of Butts’ employment, - is not focused on the trip to Washington. However, he later issued a statement to The Cadiz Record, in which stated “the investigation does include allegations involving the ‘Washington, D.C. trip’”.

Although there is the possibility that more than one student may be involved with the McGinnis investigation, the superintendent said “that is part of the actual allegations and I am not at liberty to discuss the details of it.”