While the island grapples with the startling revelation of a lesbian network in Grand Bahama high schools, the head of the Christian community says the council intends to conduct its own probe.
In an interview with The Freeport News Tuesday, Deputy Director of Government School Security for the Northern Bahamas Stephen Plakaris revealed an alarming trend among the female student population and called for a joint effort between parental groups, the Christian council, education officials and counsellors.
This daily contacted Grand Bahama Christian Council President Bishop Ricardo Grant Wednesday, who said he was not aware of the situation before Wednesday's front-page article.
Now that it has come to his attention and he has read the article, Bishop Grant says the Christian Council will definitely launch its own investigation into the allegations.
The deputy director of government school security said the lesbian network in our schools could not be denied as the females are bold, growing in numbers and most disturbing is that they are preying on young girls.
He disclosed that the culprits are aslo adults who are parents and teachers.
But such information would not be publicized for various reasons, he said, as there is a risk of exposing the young girl to further victimization and the school public scorn.
He realizes, however, that in that vein, it cannot be denied that these "illicit sexual networks" are taking place in our schools.
The problem, Mr. Plakaris adds, stems decades old, as far back as the late 80s, but are now more blatant among teachers and students.
"We need more community, open, frank and honest discussions on the issue because these are our children and the trend is there," he marshalled.
The problem is not exclusive to The Bahamas as research shows that there is seemingly also rampant lesbianism in schools in the United States and Canada, Plakaris says.
He pointed out an article which was published in April 2005 where a group of college women in the U.S. between 18 and 25 years who, five years prior, identified themselves as bisexual, purported to be members of a group called LUGs (Lesbian Until Graduation) and now consider themselves heterosexual.
Mr. Plakaris says once his department receives information on anybody it is passed on to the Department of Social Services.
"If criminal charges are necessary then we would recommend as such," he said.
"But we will not sit back and allow it to continue without letting persons know that we have been watching and we have been documenting οΎ— teachers as well as students."
When we contacted the Ministry of Education, both Hezekiah Dean, superintendent for the East and West Grand Bahama Districts, and Sandra Edgecombe, superintendent for the city of Freeport, were said to be in the capital yesterday.
By LEDEDRA MARCHE, Senior Freeport News Reporter
