5 students listed in report documenting Sedge Garden Elementary School abuse allegations
Mar 26, 2025
KERNERVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) -- There are new details about a state investigation into allegations of abuse inside a pre-K classroom at Sedge Garden Elementary School.
On Tuesday night, the superintendent spoke with FOX8 and confirmed there were five reported victims of the alleged abuse listed in t
he state’s report.
“This has been going on longer than I guess I thought or I imagined ... I feel like they're taking advantage of the kids who don't have a voice,” Domonique Bines said.
Bines, the mother of Emir, who is a 5-year-old boy with autism, found out about the alleged abuse of her son in February months after the investigation had already been launched.
She said that since the allegations have become public, other parents of children impacted by the alleged abuse have reached out to her.
“Last week, I heard from one parent ... A couple of days ago, I heard from another ... They've just been thanking me for speaking out, and a lot of people didn't know what to do ... because they felt like they were being ignored or their concerns weren't taken seriously," Bines said.
The state’s division of child development and early education placed SGES's pre-K Program on a special provisional license for six months.
That means the state will visit the school more often to ensure corrective action is taken. During this time, the program can continue operating.
In a statement, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus said, “We are taking steps every day to rebuild trust with the Sedge Garden community. We are taking all concerns seriously. We need families to know that every child is supported and cared for at Sedge Garden.”
Bines has since pulled her son from the school. She said the damage had already been done.
Bines said she has not yet heard anything from law enforcement about the investigation
“We're anxious ... I don't know how else to describe it, Bines said. “Because dealing with that on top of my day-to-day life is stressful, but I'm just hoping for the best, which would be for ... these people to get charged and hoping that not just my son but the other victims can start to heal from this process.
In an effort to rebuild trust, WS/FCS said it’s temporarily deployed cameras in pre-K classrooms at SGES.
The cameras will remain there through the end of the year. Two district-level pre-K coaches have also been added to those classrooms and will be teaching alongside the existing staff for the rest of the year.
The district will provide families with updates on criminal charges brought in this case, final personnel disciplinary actions and the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education's final notice of administrative action.
FOX8 reached out to Winston-Salem police for an update on the investigation. They said the investigation is ongoing. ...read more read less