Louisville mom describes 'inappropriate' behavior she saw on playground camera at JCPS school

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A portion of the playground at Lincoln Elementary School is now blocked off with a sign that reads "No Play beyond this point." Monee Simon said that's where she witnessed four girls engaging in inappropriate behavior on surveillance video.

Simon said the kids were kissing and hiding their heads under their coats. A little girl's pants were down at one point, she said.

Simon said she viewed the footage after filing an open records request to see video involving her 6-year-old son, who she said the school accused of pulling a girl's hair. But she didn't expect what she saw next.

"I've seen my son one time on there crying. I've seen him playing by himself, one time playing with the kids but never pulling their hair," Simon said. "After we watched my son, there was a camera that was off the side. Let's see if he did something off to the side. That's when I've seen them little girls doing very much inappropriate things."

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An email to Simon stated she couldn't receive a copy of the video but could make an appointment to view it in the school office. She said she did so Feb. 3.

Lincoln Elementary School *(WDRB Photo)*

"I was shaking, and (a Jefferson County Public Schools staff member) was like mouth-dropped, speechless," Simon said. "It's not something you see every day, but, as a parent — and it's your child — you definitely want to see the video."

Simon said she then went to the school and tried to speak with the principal and assistant principal but was unable to do so.

"That's when I told the office staff 'You all have sexual assault going on, on this property, and you all need to correct it and I will be going up to the higher ups to inform them about it too,'" she said. "I left the school and, not even 15 minutes later, I get a call from the principal asking me about that sexual assault I've seen."

A day later, Principal Samantha Miller sent a letter to parents in which she said security cameras captured students engaging in inappropriate behavior during "wellness time" last month, which is recess.

Simon said the girls were in the area for five to six minutes, and teachers weren't around.

She said her son served in-school suspension for hair-pulling that she said the video showed he never did. She said she wants an apology from JCPS and is calling for more transparency from the district.

"I don't have to lie about no kids, because these are kids, at the end of the day," Simon said. "I'm a mother first, so whatever I see, how I see it, I don't have to cover up any truth."

The school district won't release more details about the incident but said its police department, JCPS Compliance and Investigations and Child Protective Services are investigating.

JCPS said it can't provide information on Simon's son's suspension.

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