Report describes fear, reluctance of school staff to report child abuse

The V.I. government has finally released a preliminary report on the school system’s failure to keep students safe from sexual abuse by staff, three years after Charlotte Amalie High School track coach and hall monitor Alfredo Bruce Smith was arrested by federal agents.

The 19-page report is a general audit and overview that says little beyond what was already widely known — schools do not have adequate safeguards in place to ensure students and staff are able to report abuse without fear. The culture of silence and lack of clear policies created an environment where a sexual predator like Smith was able to operate with impunity.

Smith, 53, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on April 26 after admitting to raping numerous victims over a 15-year period. Smith often filmed the assaults, many of which occurred on the school campus. Federal prosecutors said school officials were notified at least twice that Bruce was touching and behaving inappropriately with students, but he was able to continue raping children for years before federal investigators acted on a report and put a stop to his crimes.