Many push for answers in Pontiac High School sex scandal at school board meeting

Allegations under investigation

PONTIAC, Mich. – Local 4 Defenders broke the story of a bombshell lawsuit filed by a former principal at Pontiac High School.

In the lawsuit, Vanessa Carter, claims she was moved out of her job for investigating multiple allegations of staff having sexual relations with students.

READWhy did it take 3 months to investigate allegations of sex between students, teachers in Pontiac?

Now, there are two active investigations ongoing. The first investigation is into allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with students and the second is into whether school administrators broke the law by not properly reporting the allegations.

Efrain Ortiz was a student at Pontiac High School and was a star wrestler. He said he got good grades, grades he didn't deserve but received because, he said, he was having sex with his teacher.

Ortiz said he told Carter about the situation and shared allegations that a vice principal was having sex with multiple female students.

The allegations brought out a large crowd to Monday night's Pontiac School Board meeting.

“I’m not here to slander the school board,” Melanie Rutherford said. “I don’t believe these allegations.”

Rutherford says she knows the teacher Ortiz is accusing and says the allegations are preposterous.

Rutherford welcomes the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the allegations.

“I can say Mike Bouchard will do his due diligence because he believes in transparency," Rutherford said.


About the Authors:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.