PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- CBS 6 has confirmed that the Prince George School Board was aware of child sex abuse allegations against the division’s former assistant superintendent before he retired last year.
According to sworn affidavits obtained by CBS 6, several other men also claim Barnes assaulted them when they were children.
“Got to the point where if I would just let it happen then it would go away faster,” said Donald Newbold, Barnes’ adopted son. “If you fought him, it was just going to take longer.”
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Through the Freedom of Information Act, CBS 6 reporter Maggi Marshall obtained a July 31, 2024, email between Dr. Lisa Pennycuff and Hanover County School officials, where Pennycuff is currently serving as interim superintendent. Pennycuff previously served as Prince George’s superintendent before retiring from that school system in July 2024.
In the message, Pennycuff proposes a media statement to the Hanover School Board Chair in response to CBS 6’s exclusive reporting on Barnes.
She wrote, “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. 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.
This is the extent of the information I received in the course of Mr. Barnes' employment with Prince George County Public Schools.”
Pennycuff went on to write, “I think this statement should only be used if we are asked for this by the press. I think sending this to the press brings Hanover into the story.”
She also provided Hanover school officials with the following “key dates.”
04/23/2023 Mr. Barnes announced retirement
08/16 Accusations shared in Closed Session along with info that local and state police reported no ongoing investigation of PG personnel
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Virginia State Police tell CBS 6 they began investigating child sex allegations against Barnes Aug. 3, 2023. Nearly a month before Barnes retired and weeks before students returned last year.
08/31 Mr. Barnes official retirement date*Mr. Barnes worked 2-3 days during the 08/16-08/31 timeframe closing out his office
“Middle of August [2023], I spoke with a school board member. She confirmed that they knew. She also stated that she went to the superintendent and the board and they refused to do anything about it, once again, turning a blind eye back then,” said parent Gene Shanks.
Shanks brought this to the attention of the Prince George School Board at its Aug. 12, 2024, meeting. That was 10 months after he first spoke out about the allegations at another public 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 in October 2023.
That led Pennycuff to distribute a mass email and voicemail to Prince George families that read in part that there are no known PGPS employees with criminal allegations against them and if they did they would be removed until the allegations were resolved.
CBS 6 reached out to Pennycuff through a spokesperson and asked the following:
“Dr. Pennycuff sent out a mass email to parents on October 4, 2023, that read in part, "If an employee has allegations against them of this nature they are removed from contact with children until the allegations are resolved."
Can she advise why then after one of the Prince George school board members was made aware of these possible allegations during a pre-election "Meet the Candidates" forums and she was notified Mr. Barnes was not put on leave.”
CBS 6 was provided with a statement from Dr. Pennycuff from last month. Dr. Pennycuff wrote, “As I shared during last week’s School Board meeting, I am an open book. I look forward to having meaningful conversations with members of the school community and encourage them to reach out to me directly to have a conversation. Additionally, I will fully cooperate with law enforcement should I be asked to do so. In the meantime, my focus is on the successful start of the school year and welcoming our students back to school this week.”
CBS 6 reached out to the Prince George School Board for comment. They responded that this is a personnel matter and they are working with law enforcement.
"In 2014 these same allegations were made against Bill Barnes, every building, this complex turned a blind eye in 2014 from police, the commonwealth's attorney and the school division," said Shanks.
Barnes got promoted to Prince George Director of Secondary Education in 2014, the same year according to an affidavit another man reported that Barnes touched his genitals at a sleepover when he was 14 years old.
WATCH: Retired Prince George school administrator freed on bond after arrest on child sex charges
CBS 6 made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Barnes’ investigative records from that report and were told, “Prince George Police does not have any such documents.”
We reached out to Prince George Police to ask why this was not investigated and if they would be doing an internal investigation.
Col. Keith Early sent us a statement that read in part, “PGPD did receive a Crime Solvers tip from an anonymous caller in February of 2014. 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. We are also committed to continually assessing our performance and improving whenever possible."
Early was hired in March of 2016.
Barnes is due back in court Oct. 24. The Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practices has placed a hold on his teaching license.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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