Mother of CAHS Student Breaks Silence on Bruce Smith Abuse, Alleges Failures by School and DHS Officials

A mother recounts how officials ignored her reports of Bruce Smith's inappropriate behavior during a 2019 school trip, leaving her son and others vulnerable to further harm. Her account reveals a troubling lack of accountability and support for students

“It's been six years but it's still fresh, reliving the whole situation,” the woman said, her voice shaking with emotion. “I was gaslighted by adults,” argued the mother of a boy who was assaulted by convicted child molester Alfredo Bruce Smith. Finally breaking her silence, the woman spoke to the Consortium on Thursday, recounting how she – and others – alerted officials at the Charlotte Amalie High School and the Department of Human Services that something terrible had seemingly happened to her son during a school trip to Puerto Rico.

After initial promises of a thorough investigation, the woman – whose identity is being withheld to protect the victim – said her hopes of finding out the truth were dashed when these officials instead closed ranks to protect the man who is now serving a 35-year sentence for his crimes against minor children. “I know Mr. Edwards personally, you know. I worked with him before, and to know he did that to me really hurt me,” the mother lamented, naming then-principal Alcede Edwards as one of the officials who failed to act according to local laws governing the mandated reporting of suspicions of child neglect or abuse.