PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. — Former Prince George County School Superintendent Dr. Lisa Pennycuff sent a mass communication to district families addressing rumored criminal allegations against staff on the same night she informed her school board about how she handled child sex accusations against a longtime administrator.
That’s according to school records obtained by CBS 6.
Investigative reporter Laura French has been pushing for more answers regarding what the Prince George County Public School system knew about allegations against former Assistant Superintendent William Barnes Jr. before he was arrested on child sex charges.
As CBS 6 first reported last summer, Barnes was indicted twice last year. He has been charged with 10 felonies in cases that date back decades.
The accusers are Barnes’ stepson, Donald Newbold, and another man who say they were abused by Barnes when they were teenagers.
"Just very horrible stories of how he would hold me down," said Newbold. “First time he did it I was 14 and a half. First time he actually sodomized me I was 15. You basically out of fear and trauma you let him do what he had to do.”
The second accuser has not been named publicly but has identified himself to CBS 6.
According to sworn affidavits, several other men have made similar allegations against Barnes, including Brian Carr, who said Barnes was his basketball coach at Claremont Academy in Surry County in the 1970s.
"He crawled up into sleeping bag kind of, you know, and was kind of spooning me from behind. He started fondling me. But I wasn’t having no parts of that," said Carr.
The accuser in the second case has told CBS 6, and Prince George police confirm, that his allegations were reported in 2014, but a formal investigation never came from the Crime Solvers tip.
"PGPD did receive a Crime Solvers tip from an anonymous caller in February of 2014,” confirmed Prince George Police Chief Keith Early, who was not with the department at the time. “An incident report or formal investigation was not generated from this tip. The officer who reviewed the tip is no longer employed with the department."
"We strive to be transparent, open, and honest with our community members," said Early. "We are also committed to continually assessing our performance and improving whenever possible."
Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) CBS 6 requested key word communications between the school board in 2023 and 2024 as we requested in May 2024 ahead of our initial investigation that aired in July 2024.
We received the following response from the district:
“Please note that several documents have been redacted to remove information that is exempt from FOIA pursuant to 2.2-3705.1(2) because it contains written advice of legal counsel and other information protected by the attorney-client privilege. There are 51 pages that are being withheld in their entirety because they contain written advise of legal counsel and other information protected by the attorney-client privilege and are exempt from FOIA pursuant to 2.2-3705.1(2).
There are five pages that are being withheld in their entirety because they are scholastic records containing information concerning identifiable individuals that are exempt from disclosure pursuant to 2.2-3705.4(A)(1)
In addition, there are eleven pages that are being withheld in their entirety because they are personnel records containing personnel information concerning identifiable individuals exempt from disclosure pursuant to 2.2-3705.1(1). The eleven pages that are being withheld do not relate to Mr. Barnes in any way but are responsive to your request because they include one of the other terms that you included in your FOIA request. Please be advised that the school division is not invoking the personnel exemption with respect to responsive records related to Mr. Barnes, which are included in the attached file.”
Of the 175 pages CBS 6 received there were 30 redactions and many duplicates.
On Oct. 4, 2023 at 6:22 p.m., Dr. Pennycuff, who is now acting interim Superintendent in Hanover County, sent an email CBS 6 obtained through FOIA, to school board members.
In the “Confidential Personnel Matter” email she confirmed to them that two months earlier on August 16, 2023, the board had met to discuss the allegations against Barnes.
"While I did not announce this, the decision was made that he would not have any contact with students during the remainder of his time prior to retirement," she said.
She explained, she met with Barnes on Aug. 17, which was also Convocation, worked part of the day and went home early.
She explained he came back on Aug. 30 to clear out his office.
She informed Barnes she could not consider him for additional work until the matter was resolved.
"This was in an effort to ensure the safety of all, including each of you [board members] so a decision was not made that would result in personal liability due to defamation of his character without evidence," she said.
That same night, Pennycuff distributed a mass email and voicemail to Prince George families that read in part that there are no known PGCPS employees with criminal allegations against them and if they did they would be removed until the allegations were resolved.
This was in response to parent Gene Shanks speaking out two days prior at the Oct. 2, 2023, school board meeting.
"The community would like answers why this person was still employed and around children at the start of this school year," Shanks asked of the school board.
Shanks said the reason he spoke out was for a friend whose secret he kept for decades.
"In 2014, that friend of mine came forward and made a report to the Prince George Police Department and also they had him call Crimestoppers or Crime Solvers," Shanks said. “And, so he made that report, and nothing ever come of it. He felt as if it was swept under the rug and that was my feeling."
Barnes is now facinga felony charge for those 2014 allegations.
When CBS 6 started asking questions of the district in 2024, according to a FOIA document, it appears the following statement was initially drafted by Assistant Superintendent Abbie Martin:
“To our knowledge PGCPS was never notified of any such allegations nor are there any records to suggest that former board members or administrators were notified of any such allegations. The first time PGCPS was aware of any such allegations or rumors of such allegations was after the former employee announced his retirement.”
CBS 6 never received that statement. We asked the division if it was ever distributed publicly but have not heard back.
Virginia State Police tell CBS 6 they began investigating child sex allegations against Barnes August 3, 2023.
Nearly a month before Barnes retired and weeks before students returned last year.
Approximately a week after VSP initiated their investigation, CBS 6 learned that a School Board Member was notified of the allegations against Barnes by a community member.
Responding to publicity, Dr. Pennycuff sent Hanover County School officials an email on the matter on July 31, 2024.
"One of the Prince George School Board members received information from a community member regarding possible accusations against Mr. Barnes during one of the pre-election 'Meet the Candidates' forums," Pennycuff explained. "As soon as I was notified of these potential allegations, local and state police were contacted. I was informed that there were no open investigations for any Prince George employee at that time. After Mr. Barnes left the school division, his personnel record was subpoenaed, and the division provided those records to the police."
On May 7, 2024, CBS 6 submitted a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for former Superintendent Pennycuff’s emails between October 2, 2023 and November 17, 2023, with the keywords William/Bill Barnes, allegations and investigations.
CBS 6 also requested Superintendent Dr. Bobby Browder’s email communications from 2014 with the same key words.
CBS 6 was notified by the Prince George County School Board Clerk Becky Kirk that there were no responsive documents for Browder’s emails and “approximately five pages” that were being withheld from Dr. Pennycuff’s emails. Eight days later, CBS 6 requested that the district reconsider its denial of records citing Va. Code 2.2-3704.01 and requested a redacted copy.
The district responded that “Upon further review, there are no records…”
French questioned how the five documents disappeared between May 22, 2024 and June 12, 2024.
Kirk responded, “No records have disappeared. The prior response was in error. There are no records responsive to your request for “‘Dr. Lisa Pennycuff’s email communications with the words William/Bill Barnes, allegations, and investigation from October 2, 2023 - November 17, 2023’”
French advised Kirk, “If there are any of Dr. Lisa Pennycuff’s email communications with the words “‘William/Bill Barnes, allegations and investigation from October 2, 2023 - November 17, 2023,”” per our legal counsel, I am entitled to a redacted copy excluding only that information eligible to be withheld under Virginia law (certain personnel documents.)”’
CBS 6 questioned the district last week on why Dr. Pennycuff’s October 4, 2023 “Confidential Personnel Matter,” dated October 4, 2023, was not initially produced as a responsive document in the May 7, 2024 FOIA, despite the fact it had multiple keywords in it. CBS 6 has not received a response.
Records show that School Board member Michelle Crist was also asking questions relating to FOIA practices.
In an email dated July 30, 2024, she asked fellow board members, “How do you go from 5 pages to nothing after consulting with an attorney? Someone needs to be reprimanded and sent back to training. Also, a policy in place going forward all FOIA request,(sp) not just certain ones, are sent to all board members as well.”
This was sent after Crist was calling for transparency.
She wrote, “I think it would be in the best interest of the board to have a special meeting with legal Counsel(sp) present to discuss how we are going to handle and respond to the current allegations. She goes on to say, “I’m not going to stand back and stay silent. My duty and loyalty belongs with my voters who are demanding transparency.”
CBS 6 asked PGCPS why they were inconsistent with their production of FOIA documents and why only Crist’s emails were primarily returned.
PGPCS did not respond but Crist questioned French about the FOIA and her emails, “I just want to be sure I am tracking because something seems off here,” she wrote. “I just want to be clear that I have nothing to hide and appreciate you pointing out the fact that only my emails were shared. Unfortunately, I have no control on what is provided to you and cannot speak for why fellow board members emails were "privileged" and mine where not... “ she added.
CBS 6 reached out to Pennycuff via Hanover County Schools to offer her an opportunity to contribute to this report, but we have not heard back.
Barnes' next appearance in court is scheduled for April 25.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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