Ministry refuses FOI on ‘exorcism’ scandal
(CNS): The Ministry of Education has refused to release any information regarding a year-old scandal at Red Bay Primary School involving allegations that the headteacher performed religious rituals on students. In May 2021 Vickie Frederick, who had been the principal at the school for 15 years, was placed under investigation for alleged misconduct after parents complained of alleged exorcisms on their children. Deputy Principal Ryan Dale was temporarily promoted to acting principal after Frederick was “relocated from schools”, according to a ministry release at the time.
Since the scandal gained public attention, the government has not provided any updates about the situation because, it is claimed, the investigation is ongoing. Fourteen months after the incident, no additional information has been released to the public about what happened and in what capacity Frederick is now employed. It is believed that she remains on full pay and her LinkedIn page shows her as the current RBPS principal.
After a number of inquiries from our readers, CNS made a freedom of information request to both the ministry and the Portfolio of the Civil Service. POCS said they held no documents. Officials from the Ministry of Education said that because the investigation was ongoing, they could not release anything at all, including any information about where Frederick is currently posted.
Given the timeline and ongoing public concern, CNS has applied to the Office of the Ombudsman to review the situation and find out if any information can be released to the public.
While officials have failed to outline the allegations against Frederick, social media posts by parents suggest that around two dozen children were taken out of class. According to these unofficial reports, the principal then engaged in some kind of religious session in which she had told the students they were possessed by demons and must repent.
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Category: Education, Local News
While RBPS is in the news for all the wrong reasons, can we take a moment to contemplate the building of Popeye’s within metres of a primary school?
Same people who signed off on BK next to CIFEC/JGHS?
These islands are ridiculous.
An omnipotent sky fairy. You’re having a laugh!
As a child, I watched western movies where they lynched people accused of crimes without any semblance of evidence or process of justice. I always thought it was such a blessing to live in a civil society where that was not possible. But reading these comments, it is clear that we are not very far off from public lynching. What is Ms. Frederick experience today, if not a public lynching? She was the Principal for RBPS where I sent my daughter, and she was the very best Principal that a parent could hope for. I do not even recognise the horrible person described and vilified in these posts. I join this news forum in urging a full investigation and public process of justice, which every citizen of the CI deserves. I can only imagine how this lady is suffering without due process after 18 months.
Demons and Demonic forces are seen as explanations for anything that does not gel with these fanatics. They go around spouting phrases such as “by the blood of Jesus” “speak life’. Criticism no matter how constructive is countered with a bible verse as a historical fact. I’ve found it impossible to have a rational conversation with these cult oriented people. Teachers are taught child psychology, child development and behavior as part of their education degree. The Ministry of Education and the Schools’ Inspectorate need satisfy the public that reputable educational practices are in force and sustained by policy at all times.
a vulgar display of power.
Pantera fan in the house?
and fan of the movie…its a line of the excorcist where pantera got the the title
People have watched this woman slide into religious insanity over the past couple years. it’s only after she decides (God forbid) to take some young souls in order to ‘save’ them will officials remove her.
Some people even allowed her to use our public school premises as her “church”.
“Religious insanity”
Redundant
She wasn’t always so holy holy.
Religion should not be enforced in public schools. I can understand the private schools operated under the various churches (parents can choose if they are so inclined), but for a government school in a secular society religious practices and opinions should not be mandated for any student.
In general, I’m so tired of the stranglehold the churches have on our Government. They hold far too much influence due to the politicians’ belief that they control votes. And don’t get me started on Julianna. Worst decision ever to have her in charge of educating our children when she promotes religious intolerance and bigotry.
And yes – I am Caymanian – family tree dates back to the 1700s. We need to be led into the light of knowledge and understanding, not kept in the dark ages. It’s 2022 and we have principals who believe in demon possession! WTH???
We have schools that focus more on what our children are wearing instead of what they’re learning. We have life skills classes in which discussion of contraceptives is verboten. And then we wonder why we have so many teen pregnancies.
We discriminate against our own people if they happen to be gay. Why? Because of the churches promoting intolerance and bigotry. Even women and girls pregnant due to rape and incest cannot legally terminate their pregnancies. And don’t get me started on our treatment of sexual abuse victims.
And the religious conservatives do it all in the name of God! Disgusting. Hypocrites.
Agreed. Some people in cayman being anti gay or anti abortion is just despicable. Every human has the right to choose who they wish to have sex with or if they want to not have a child. I will never understand why people preach their extreme religious beliefs onto other people. Keep them to yourself.
Are you telling me there is no sex education in caymans schools. I thought by age 12 usually in schools children would be taught about the acceptability of different relationships, consent, contraception, etc.? How can any self respecting school system not have sex education classes?
There IS sex education in public schools. It covers contraception, pregnancy and STDs
an foi?…the power of christ compels you!
Meanwhile, those souls carrying around chicken feet or whatever else Obeah paraphernalia remain criminalized.
Popeyes selling chicken feet.
Yum!
Can someone, anyone, please tell me the nutritional value of chicken’s feet? They eat some weird stuff in the Caribbean but chicken’s feet tops the lot!
They eat them in Japan too. Surprisingly delicious after a dozen sake.
Whilst I enjoyed some of the posts (literally howling with laughter) anyone stop to consider whether the allegations which are so wildly ridiculous, must not be true? It would not be the first time that kids were taking a piss not thinking the adults will really take them seriously.
Clearly you don’t know Vickie and her RBPS disciples.
The investigation should include which staff members knew what was going on. Those who did know but did nothing about it (i.e. call the police about a child abuse incident) should also be fired.
Are the parents of these children filing lawsuits against this woman? Better yet, file a lawsuit against the education ministry and Julianna, because it’s her discriminatory language and behaviour that probably emboldens and influences these teachers.
Presumably the Ministry of Education has referred this incident to Child Protective Services?
I wonder what she thinks of CIG? That’s where the real work is needed.
There is no place in schools for teachers preaching their religious beliefs on kids, let alone exorcisms. She should be in jail.
She should be completely exorcised from the education system.
I second that! I certainly would not want her to have anything to do with my children!
Child abuse.
Poor Vickie … a personal life that was from the get go in troubled waters …. Scandal is nothing new in her regard more an expectation than surprise.
Just skimming the commentary section of the subject matter i cant help but to see the many negative comments written about the principal. Wow! It has been 18 months that this principal is not working at the school. How is your child/children grades? Have they improved? Have you attended all PTAs and reporting sessions? Is your child on the honor role? Long and short is your child/children meeting the educational requirements/standards that is the prerequisite for the long term? Take positive steps to ensure that your child/children are contributors to society rather than settling and aligning yourself to negative comments which will not help them to succeed in life. It goes without saying time that is lost cannot be relived. Stay blessed Cayman.
As a parent, I would say that the school has improved tremendously since her absence. Mr. Dale is doing an awesome job, my children love him.
I agree with you Linda. Both of my son’s attended and he teacher’s in the reception class are brilliant and one of the grade 4 year did her utmost best with my son. As for Mr. Dale he always responded to me whenever I had a problem.
The Devil recovered from his devastating loss to Johnny after he went down to Georgia and brought his fiddle and bow to Red Bay for another battle.
Shouldn’t this be dealt with by the appropriate authorities? In this case, Scooby-Doo and his friends in the Mystery Machine?
She’d have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for those pesky kids!
Zoiks, Scooby!!!
Rooby Rooby Doo
Use the surpluses on Scooby Snacks for all!
Take um to umbudsman as i did for another request from govt…i awaiting a hearing date….time to stop secrecy
Seems that the FOI might have been refused based on the assumption that the “devil is in the details”?
The hell you say!
There is academic debate on the topic, but something with some insight might come across this.
Is the teacher/student relationship a fiduciary relationship? Does it matter at what level the student/teacher relationship exists (eg, elementary, high school, college, uni, grad school)
Ironically, I was not selected for exorcism.
Because the principal wasn’t concerned U may be get. May be the son of the Devil but at least you are straight.
Curious – what is final recourse for rejected/dismissed/ignored FOI requests? I know there’s an appeal but where does that go? And if the appeal suffers same fate?
I assume the buck stops with the Ombudsman?
Sorry, 6:26 pm. That is confidential information.
Sorry… that depends on what he decides to do. (He may need an exorcism too.)
They*
We need an FOI request to determine why it has taken over one year to gather the relevant facts and take the appropriate actions. From my perspective the officials within the Ministry of Education that are handling this matter should be investigated themselves.
I agree! What kind of weirdos are trying to brainwash our children? This should have never happened. This woman should be barred from teaching our children in any fashion!
Remember the official that believed in pray away the gay? Bet there are many many more who believe this malarkey!
One of those “pray away the gay” persons is himself a well know holy man with a liking for very young men.
Anywhere else, not only would this quacky principal be long ago fired, and successor recruited and installed, but the Education Minister would also have been asked to tender resignation on discovery that they weren’t, to assure the paying public that the regime takes their position of trust and remedial responsibilities seriously. One has to wonder now what the nature of their relationship is, that this hasn’t yet happened on either score?!? A simple HR issue, has now grown into an ACC/FCU issue.
Government, stop hiding information from the public. Are you being complicit? Are you protecting someone? Put all the information out there in the sunshine and let the public judge for themselves. Enough with the stalling and equivocating.
You must know that bloodsuckers fear sunshine.
Of course they will not say anything that would break up their little party of crooks ,religious fanatics , moongazers and other cronies …….
Pact turning into the most phony & crooked government in decades ..
Pupils yes you @8:45 pm . Saying bad things about the Present government makes you feel good nah ! You like many others hide under anonymity , coward scared to put ya name out dere . I presume you must be one a dem PPMrs who use to their handouts and can’t get none from dem now they pleading or overtly nah well they aint. I guess if we could see Dey bank book here and elsewhere there would be hello sh riots in the street nah well at least that’s what some people muttering bout de place.!
Anyway back to you if ya na anything of substance to criticize PACT Govt talk sense will ya . I done
Didnt have The Exorcist reboot on my 2022 Cayman Islands bingo card
School list for August:
5 pens
5 pencils
2 erasers
1 calculator
5 exorcise books
1 reusable ‘Holy Water’ Bottle
2 cloves of garlic
Laugh my ass off!!!!
Of course they wouldn’t
Juju the same one up in parliament hollering the Bible about gays while half my child year 10 class can’t even read.
Sus criseeeee
Ever thought maybe you could help your child along yourself instead of casting blame on the ministry. Our children have all the tools they need to succeed. They just need to apply themselves. It’s parents like you that like to cast blame on government instead of giving your child responsibility for doing assignments & homework.
And dont forget failing their own childrwn by not attend PTAs and reporting sessions.
The poster didn’t say their child couldn’t read. You could try some basic reading comprehension yourself!
Change may be needed st the Red Bay Primary but change is also needed at the very top position throughout the education system.
As the old saying goes “a change is [definitely] better than a rest [when it comes to the education system]).
Red Bay Primary is the best public primary school right now, the numbers don’t lie. They are dominant in everything and my children have improved a lot since the new principal take over.
She might just be a strategist in the DG’s office … that’s where they all go
civil service investigating one of its own….welcome to wonderland.
classic it explains alot
The public schools should not attempt to brainwash children with any religion. That is NOT what schools are for!
This woman traumatised children on the government’s payroll. Absolutely amazing. Top tier civil service working as intended.
#worldclass
Franzies for all!
May the force be with her.
Always.
And also with you.