Parents say construction worker performed lewd act at Cramerton Middle School

CRAMERTON, N.C. — A construction worker is accused of performing a lewd act at a middle school within view of students, parents say.

In a message to parents, the principal of Cramerton Middle School said the incident happened on Tuesday.

The construction worker was part of a crew that had been working on campus for about a month to repair and renovate the school’s roof.

Parents told Channel 9 the worker performed a lewd act. Some eighth-graders were able to see what happened from their classroom window and recorded a video, the principal said.

The company the crew worked for was informed about what happened and so was the school’s resource officer. The company and police are collaborating to address the worker’s behavior.

Police said the construction worker was under the age of 18. The worker is no longer allowed on school grounds, the principal said.

David Smith said his 14-year-old daughter saw the worker lie down on the roof and expose himself in clear view of students in nearby classrooms with windows.

She said the teacher told students they were mistaken about what they were seeing. She recorded a video and sent it to him. He didn’t see it until after she sent a text that he explained like this.

“[She was] freaking out about us coming to get her because the cops have her phone and she’s afraid she’s going to get in trouble,” Smith said.

He told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon he saw the video after he read his daughter’s urgent text. He said police looked at the video to identify the suspect.

“It was plain as day what he was dong,” Smith said.

“No questions?” Lemon asked.

“None at all. It was gross,” he said.

“Unforgivable. That should be the last place they see somebody doing that.”

He said police told him the worker was a minor.

“I feel bad for him,” Smith said. “If you do that, you clearly have problems and I hope you get help.”

“You can’t be that dumb. You’re in school, out in the open,” he added.

The construction company has been asked to review its policies with its employees working at the school, the principal said.

Police investigating the case said they are pursing juvenile charges against the teenage construction worker.

The full message from the school is below:

“Good evening, Cramerton parents.

“I want to let you know about an incident that occurred today at our school. You may be aware that a construction crew has been on campus over the past month or so, working to repair and renovate the roof on our building.

“It has been brought to our attention that one of the company’s workers acted inappropriately today. Some students in one of our eighth grade classes were able to see the incident at a distance from the classroom window, and some of the students recorded a video. The company responsible for the construction crew was notified immediately as well as our school resource officer. The company and police are taking necessary action to address the misconduct of the worker, and the worker will not be allowed back on school grounds.

“While the conduct of the worker is inappropriate and concerning, we want you to know that no students, teachers, or staff were in a dangerous situation. We also want you to know that our counselors are available to provide support should your child have questions about the incident.

“Please know that we regret this incident happened. Whenever we have construction and other non-school workers on campus, it is our expectation that they conduct themselves in an appropriate, professional manner at all times. We have asked the construction company to review its policies and procedures with the employees they have working at our school and reiterate that professionalism is a requirement and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.

“Thank you for your continued support of our school, and I hope you have a nice evening.”

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