The Charlotte Amalie High School. Photo: VIC

Finally breaking her silence, the woman spoke to the Consortium on Thursday, December 6, 2024, recounting how she – and others – alerted officials at the Charlotte Amalie High School and the Department of Human Services that something terrible had seemingly happened to her son during a school trip to Puerto Rico.

After initial promises of a thorough investigation, the woman – whose identity is being withheld to protect the victim – said her hopes of finding out the truth were dashed when these officials instead closed ranks to protect the man who is now serving a 35-year sentence for his crimes against minor children.

Red flags

“I know Mr. Edwards personally, you know. I worked with him before, and to know he did that to me really hurt me,” the mother lamented, naming then-principal Alcede Edwards as one of the officials who failed to act according to local laws governing the mandated reporting of suspicions of child neglect or abuse.

The first red flag came even before members of the CAHS track and field team left for Puerto Rico in March 2019, the woman said. It reportedly came to her attention that her son would have been sharing a room with Mr. Smith. “The child was uneasy from the jump of being in the room,” she told the Consortium. However, when she inquired about the rooming arrangements, she said the longtime track coach became indignant. “He went on like a maniac,” she recounted. “Then he was like, ‘Oh no, no, no, no, he's gonna be okay, he's in good hands.’”

Determined to get answers

Nevertheless, the mother was determined to get answers. Having previously called the Family Resource Center, who directed her to either the Department of Human Services or the police, after her first meeting with the CAHS Principal, the woman decided to call DHS.

The mother said that instead of immediately taking steps to launch an investigation, Mr. Payne asked whether she would like to open a case. Once she indicated that yes, she would indeed like this matter investigated, he reportedly cautioned her that “if you open a case, police gon’ get involved.”

“When I think about it afterward, that should not have even happened,” the distraught woman said. “He should have just opened the file and then where the chips fall, they fall.”

A second meeting with Mr. Edwards a few days later left the parents feeling discouraged. The then-principal’s concerned tone had reportedly disappeared, and according to the boy's mother, he was more interested in downplaying and justifying Mr. Smith's alleged behavior. By then, the boy's father had managed to extract a little more information from his son, including details about comments the parents deemed highly inappropriate.

Strained relationship with mother & son

Meanwhile at home, things had changed. “The relationship between us became so strained,” the mother said. Her heretofore pleasant, obedient son had begun acting out and being disrespectful. “Our relationship was on a five, it went to a one,” the distraught mother recollected. “It's like, you just try to live your life now with an injured person, because he was now injured,” she said. “It was just tough, it was just tough for me.”

The mother said that she herself remained ignorant of the horrific details of what had happened to her child until sometime in 2022 after the matter became public, that she began piecing things together.

“I never in my wildest dreams believed somebody could have been so bold,” she said regretfully.

“This whole entire issue is a failure on so many levels,” the woman said.

Disappointed with Governor

Demonstrating the extent of the institutional inaction, the woman said that she went as far as attending a meeting of the Board Education seeking answers and assistance. “I was going anywhere I could, because I was shouldering by myself,” she explained. “I [didn't] want to pick up a newspaper and read this again.” A member of the Board reportedly informed her that it was the responsibility of the Department of Education to deal with Mr. Smith. “My good God almighty,” the woman exclaimed.

“I am disappointed with our governor,” the woman continued, “because he promised he would have made sure he got to the bottom of the story. And he didn't do justice for us, for the children.”

Today, she says, her son — now an adult — is doing okay. Parent and child are trying to repair their relationship, but the woman admitted that things were still difficult. Outside of the damage done to her immediate family, however, she keeps wondering how many other children were able to be harmed by Mr. Smith because officials failed in their duty to safeguard the young Virgin Islanders in their care. She still wants answers.