Howard High School student faces sexual battery charge in incident on campus

An 18-year-old Howard High School student faces a charge of a misdemeanor sexual battery after an incident on campus last week.

Cory Jerel Jordan Jr. turned himself in at the Bibb County Jail about 7:30 a.m. Monday on a charge of misdemeanor sexual battery, according to booking information from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

The student’s name or incident details were not released by the Bibb County School District.

What was released Friday was that a 15-year-old girl reported to a friend and then to an administrator that she had been a victim of an incident on campus during after-school activities.

Campus police investigated and met with parents of both the girl and the boy before determining to charge the teen, according to school district news release.

“We are thankful the female student came forward, and we urge parents and students not to jump to any conclusions about this incident so the investigation will continue to be fair and without judgment of those involved,” Stephanie Hartley, director of communications for the school district, said in the release. “Out of concern for the well-being of the students involved, our district is providing support services to both families.

“Additionally, Howard’s administration has reviewed its procedures to ensure best practices for student movement throughout the building are in place. This incident has not been taken lightly, and we want to assure parents that Howard remains a safe place for students and staff,” Hartley said.

This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 12:42 PM.