Mitchell counselor faces charge of failing to report child abuse or neglect

A Mitchell High School counselor is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on charges that she failed to report child abuse or neglect to authorities.

Erin Fowkes appeared in Davison County Court last week for a preliminary hearing on the charge, for which she was arrested April 22. Based on information gained during testimony, a second charge of causing a child to become in need of supervision was dismissed, said Bob O’Keefe, deputy state’s attorney for Davison County.

According to police reports, Fowkes allowed a 17-year-old student who was allegedly a victim of abuse to stay at her residence on April 9 instead of going home to his parents’ house. She did so without contacting the boy’s parents or local police about the alleged abuse, reports read.

Fowkes is expected to enter a plea to the charge, a Class 1 misdemeanor, on Thursday. She appeared before Judge Patrick Kiner on July 2.

Mitchell Schools Superintendent Joe Graves said the district will wait to see how the judicial system handles the matter before deciding whether or not to take action regarding Fowkes’ employment with the district.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.

Tags: courts and crimes, erin fowkes, mitchell high school, news, education, local