It’s been four and a half months unlike any seen in Okaloosa County history since Northwest Florida Daily News investigative reporting began to unravel a host of issues concerning the county’s main educational body.
By Bob Heist | 315-4404 | @bobheistNWFDN | bheist@nwfdailynews.com
It’s been four and a half months unlike any seen in Okaloosa County history since Northwest Florida Daily News investigative reporting began to unravel a host of issues concerning the county’s main educational body.
It began in August when the Daily News confirmed that the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was actively investigating allegations of child abuse involving a special needs student at Kenwood Elementary School. That, however, was just the tip of the iceberg for the Okaloosa County School District.
Since that revelation at Kenwood — first discovered by the little boy’s father, Eddie Perillo, after a year of being kept from public knowledge — investigations, harassment claims, public complaints, public misrepresentations and contradictions by district officials, arrests and a lawsuit have followed.
With a new discovery seemingly being made on a weekly basis — and sometimes daily — the current state of the school district is in the hands of the State Attorney’s Office, which is in the investigative stage of child abuse allegations involving special needs children at both Kenwood Elementary and Silver Sands School.
First Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Eddins has already reported to the Daily News that he intends to convene a grand jury to review the many serious issues his office has uncovered in the course of investigating the Okaloosa County School District.
From the beginning, this story has belonged to the Daily News and we have placed all resources necessary — including monetary for past, present and future public records requests and consultation with legal experts — to cover investigations, allegations and revelations that have shocked our community.
If any of our readers believe they have information that can further peel back the layers of an onion that at this point has reached an unthinkable scope, contact us by email:
Bob Heist, executive editor, bheist@nwfdailynews.com
Wendy Victora, managing editor, wvictora@nwfdailynews.com
Heather Osbourne, staff reporter, hosbourne@nwfdailynews.com
Tom McLaughlin, staff reporter, tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com
Please be sure to briefly describe the information we may want to investigate plus a phone number for contact. All reader information will be held in strict confidence.
As for where the investigations currently stand, it is sometimes hard to follow a developing story if you haven’t been there from the beginning. To help readers, below are links that serve as a guide to Daily News coverage since we first learned that the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was actively investigating in August what by that time was more than a year of silence on the case involving little Noah Perillo, the now 6-year-old non-verbal autistic boy alleged to be a main victim of abuse at Kenwood Elementary.
The dates are when Daily News original reporting first was published online at nwfdailynews.com:
Jan. 4
State to train district investigators; Gov. Scott reviewing child abuse allegations
Jan. 3
Kenwood child abuse case trials rescheduled
Dec. 31
Daily News Person of the Year: Eddie Perillo
From the Editor – OCSD Scandal: Onward we tread, in search of truth
Dec. 29
Video reveals Kelley in office at time of text messages
Dec. 21
Report finds Kelley broke public records law
Dec. 16
Kelley missteps lead to official reprimands
Dec. 14
Former Jackson election opponent sues for discrimination
Dec. 13
Report: Teacher given pass after helping students cheat on assessment test
Dec. 12
Grand jury to review OCSD probe
Dec. 11
State may audit school investigations
Dec. 10
Local legislators address school district scandal
Dec. 5
Farley stymied at appeals hearing
Destin stands alone in defense of Farley
Highlights from the Arden Farley appeal hearing
Dec. 2
Farley to break silence in child abuse case
Nov. 30
Choctaw custodian faces termination for sexual harassment
Nov. 28
Formal complaint lodged against Mary Beth Jackson
Nov. 25
School District spokesman receives ‘letter of guidance’ after investigation
Nov. 18
Report in Stillions case didn’t meet state statutes
Nov. 14
Menchel keeps pushing for answers on Kelley texts
Investigations squash OCSD half-cent sales tax referendum
Nov. 7
Investigations engulf Okaloosa County School District
Oct. 27
Who exactly is the spokesperson for School District?
Oct. 25
Formal complaint filed against school district spokesman
Oct. 24
Citizen reports harassment from district spokesman
Oct. 23
School Board considers abuse policy changes
Oct. 20
Spurred by recent investigations, School Board talks policy overhaul
Oct. 19
Mary Beth Jackson continues to press for own attorney
Oct. 16
Outside help sought in allegations against Choctaw High School employee
Oct. 13
4 school district staffers placed on administrative leave this week
Oct. 11
School Resource Officer displayed ‘wanton indifference’ to Kenwood investigations
Oct. 10
State: Teacher hurt kids at Silver Sands School
Mary Beth Jackson says she wants her own lawyer
Oct. 4
Sheriff’s Office: School resource officer neglected duties in Kenwood abuse case
Sept. 30, 2017
School Board chairman believes abuse probe followed ‘district investigative process’
OCSD must address ‘The superintentdent shall …’
Sept. 27, 2017
State Attorney: School district investigation will be ‘thorough’
Sept. 26, 2017
Sheriff’s Office: Superintendent knew of child abuse report
Sept. 25, 2017
Jackson not resigning ‘at this time’
Okaloosa School Board to consider new abuse regulations
PHOTOS: Okaloosa School Board meeting
Petition for Jackson’s ouster gains momentum
Sept. 23
Former superintendents question school district’s current leadership
Sept. 22, 2017
Superintendent reveals having email containing investigative report but never opened it
Jackson clarifies contradiction
Sept. 21, 2017
OCSD responds to questions about controversial memo
School district probe sparks proposals
Sept. 16, 2017
Child Abuse Investigation: ‘I’m not going to be a scapegoat’
Investigator: OCSD exonerated Stillions on false pretenses
Sept. 15, 2017
3 people arrested in child cruelty case
2 school district employees suspended in connection with abuse investigation
VIDEO: Eddie Perillo, father of abused autistic child
Sept. 13, 2017
Mother wants notification of child abuse cases
Sept. 12, 2017
‘Several’ warrants isssued in school district child abuse case
Aug. 4, 2017
OCSO confirms investigation into alleged teacher abuse
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