Former school admin’s trial date rescheduled

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GREENFIELD — A former middle school principal facing a criminal charge amid allegations he failed to report child abuse won’t appear before a jury for several more months, records show.

The state’s case against Scott Shipley, formerly the principal of Mt. Vernon Middle School, has been delayed, and the trial date — originally set for next week — has been reschedule for May 23, court records show.

Shipley is accused of failing to report rumors a student had been sexually assaulted by a teacher’s aide. He is charged with a class B misdemeanor of failure to report.

Investigators found that same aide, in addition to sending lewd pictures, had sexual relationships with two students away from school grounds. She has since pleaded guilty to the accusations and is serving a four-year sentence.

Police say Shipley knew about the accusations weeks before they were reported to police by another school administrator. According to court documents, he told police he was heading out on a two-week spring break and didn’t believe any children were in imminent danger.

In October, Shipley became the Mt. Vernon Schools director of special programs, a newly created position that moved him into the administration building and out of the middle school building, where he had overseen students and staff since 2014.

Shipley will appear in court once more before his trial date. Records show a pre-trial conference is scheduled to take place May 19, and Shipley is ordered to appear.