‘The situation was horrible’: Mother responds after daughter reported sexual assault
CMS staff member David Lucas was arrested and charged with sex offenses.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The mother of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student who reported a male staff member sexually assaulting her opened up to WBTV Thursday detailing the moments after learning of her 13-year-old daughter’s report.
Police arrested 25-year-old David Lucas, who is employed by CMS as a family engagement advocate at Wilson STEM Academy, on Wednesday on charges of taking indecent liberties with a child and kidnapping.
WBTV’s Chief Investigative Reporter Nick Ochsner talked with the mother of that girl one day later.
The mother, who asked we not reveal her identity since her daughter reported being sexually assaulted, initially called the WBTV tip line, saying she wanted justice for her daughter.
“I got a call from the school saying that I needed to come up to the school and it was very urgent and they were saying my daughter’s not in trouble, or she’s not hurt or anything, but you need to get to the school as soon as possible,” she said. “That’s all they needed to tell me. I jumped up and went to the school and that’s when they proceeded to tell me that my daughter was sexually assaulted by one of the staff.”
Related: Charlotte school employee charged with inappropriately touching student
When asked how she responded to the news, the girl’s mother said it came as “total shock” and “disbelief.”
“Just seeing the look on my daughter’s face, a look that I never seen before,” she said. “It was just…the situation was horrible.”
While the situation is one no parent or child ever wishes to go through, the mother said she’s proud of her daughter for coming forward and immediately reporting the incident.
“I’ve just been telling her to stay strong,” she said. “Just keep your head held high. You did the right thing and we’re going to get through this together.”
The reported incident happened on Tuesday and was first reported to a staff member, who then alerted administrators before police were later notified.
Lucas has since been suspended with pay, pending an investigation. He was given a $300,000 bond during a court appearance on Thursday. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Crimes Against Children unit is also conducting its own separate investigation.
Despite action taken by the school and authorities in the wake of the alleged incident, the girl’s mother said she believes it could’ve been prevented altogether, and that Lucas knew what he was doing when he assaulted her daughter.
“You’re a grown man,” she said referring to Lucas. “What’s happening to you now should have happened a long time ago for you to feel comfortable to do what you’re doing now. You’re going to reap what you sow. And my daughter is going to get through what you have done to her. And you’re going to have to live with it. And I hope you pay for it. Because at the end of the day, you have to deal with God.”
The mother did give the district credit for acting quickly, but said she still has questions, including why her daughter was targeted and why Lucas was able to pull her out of class.
This latest CMS incident comes just weeks after the district and CMPD were in the headlines for their poor handling of sexual assaults by students at other schools in the district.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the lead detective in this case, Detective Adams at 704-432-0547. The public can also leave information anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or by visiting their website.
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