Officers investigating alleged sexual assault at CMS school, CMPD says

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers are investigating an alleged sexual assault at Piedmont Middle School, the department told The Charlotte Observer Thursday.

Reports about an assault surfaced on social media Wednesday, but exact details on the incident remain shielded as police investigate.

CMPD did not have any public reports related to the alleged assault at the middle school east of uptown and near Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood. The department said “there is an ongoing active investigation” in response to an Observer question. Since the incident involves minors, there is “little information available to the public,” CMPD said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said parents at the school were notified Wednesday about an “alleged incident.” The district told The Observer the matter is being investigated but no further information can be shared at this time.

“We are aware of a video and rumors circulating about an alleged incident on the campus yesterday. We are unable to share any details, but we are following all protocols and procedures,” Piedmont Principal Jackie Barone wrote in a message to families. “We take the safety and well-being of our students very seriously.”

Barone also requested parents remind their children to never take or share inappropriate videos and that “consequences” may result from doing so.

Rebecca Noel

The Charlotte Observer

Rebecca Noel reports on education for The Charlotte Observer. She’s a native of Houston, Texas, and graduated from Rice University. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys reading, running and frequenting coffee shops around Charlotte.

Julia Coin

The Charlotte Observer

Julia Coin covers courts, legal issues, police and public safety around Charlotte and is part of the Pulitzer-finalist team that covered Tropical Storm Helene in North Carolina. As the Observer’s breaking news reporter, she unveiled how fentanyl infiltrated local schools. Michigan-born and Florida-raised, she studied journalism at the University of Florida, where she covered statewide legislation, sexual assault on campus and Hurricane Ian in her hometown of Sanibel Island.
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