Sacred Hearts Academy students heard from school officials Monday regarding a teacher who was fired last week after a 15-year-old girl told police he had sexually assaulted her, the school’s leader said.
William Plourde, 53, of McCully was arrested Wednesday night after he turned himself in to police in connection with the alleged sexual contact, according to court documents.
Sacred Hearts’ head of school, Betty White, said five counselors were on hand for the first day of the school year to talk to students privately about the incident, and that "a few (did), but it was very few."
White said she and the campus minister met with students immediately following a school year kickoff assembly "because we wanted them to hear from us exactly what had happened."
She added, "What we emphasized is that we have a safe environment here — we have over 80 teachers who consider the safety and welfare of each girl to be of paramount importance — and that we are not going to allow this incident to define our year, nor are we going to allow it to define the outstanding reputation of the school and what we have done for over 100 years.
"I asked for their support in being strong, being courageous, and I publicly said how proud I was of the student who came forward."
According to the documents, the girl told police that Plourde, who was her former homeroom teacher at the private school in Kaimuki, touched her breast and genital area over and under her clothing in his car in Mililani Mauka at 9 a.m. June 6.
It was unclear why she was in his car. June 6, a Thursday, fell between the end of the school year and the beginning of summer school at Sacred Hearts.
Plourde was arrested at a Date Street address on suspicion of third-degree sexual assault and charged with one count of first-degree sex assault and six counts of third-degree sex assault, the city prosecutor’s office said.
He pleaded not guilty to the crimes Friday and is scheduled to appear before a circuit judge at 1:30 p.m. today for a preliminary hearing. Plourde remains in custody, in lieu of bail set at $200,000.
White said she could not discuss Plourde’s personnel file or whether complaints against him were filed in the past, but she did say that "any allegation, any complaint of misbehavior from a teacher, is always thoroughly checked," and that the school has not received "any complaints that would mirror this instance" of alleged sexual misconduct with a student.
"Oh, no, never," she said. "I have never had it against any teacher."
She added, "If it were even similar to this, I am obligated professionally and by law to take action."
White said students were having a good first day of classes despite the circumstances.
"Of course, our hearts are aching over what happened, but we are strong women and our girls are strong," she said. "That does not mean that we’re ignoring this incident, but we’re moving forward and we want justice to prevail."
