OOLITIC – A Bedford woman, Julie C. Kirkpatrick, 40, is facing a charge of neglect of a dependent for failing to provide education as required by law, following an investigation into her 12-year-old son’s extensive absences from Dollens Elementary School.
The Lawrence County Police Department filed a Probable Cause Affidavit on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, detailing the findings of School Resource Officer Corey D. Housel’s investigation.
According to the affidavit, Officer Housel, who serves as the resource officer for elementary schools outside Bedford city limits, received an email on April 7, 2025, from the director of juvenile probation for Lawrence County. Messmann, who is part of a Community Chronic Absenteeism/Truancy Panel for North Lawrence Community Schools (NLCS), informed Officer Housel about Kirkpatrick’s son’s attendance record.
The truancy panel, comprised of representatives from various agencies including United Way, Ireland Home Based Services, NLCS, Mitchell Community Schools, IU Health-Bloomington, the Department of Child Services (DCS), and Centerstone, apparently convened and determined that the parent/legal guardian was responsible for the boy’s excessive unexcused absences, which were impacting his academic performance.
A Family Engagement Specialist (FES) for NLCS and a panel member informed Officer Housel that the boy had accumulated more than ten unexcused absences during the current school year. While Kirkpatrick’s younger son also had some unexcused absences, he had not exceeded this threshold, and there was no information indicating his academics were suffering.
Officer Housel reviewed the older son’s school records on April 9, 2025, which revealed a significant number of absences and tardiness since December 2, 2024. The breakdown included 17 unexcused absences, one unexcused tardy, and other excused absences and present days. By the end of the third quarter, the boy had failing math, language arts, and science grades. Officer Housel noted that these failing grades appeared to coincide with a surge in unexcused absences, totaling 14 between February 27th and April 9th.
Further documentation detailed attempts to address the boy’s attendance issues with Kirkpatrick, including phone calls and a home visit. During the home visit in March, Kirkpatrick reportedly stated that her son was reluctant to attend school due to embarrassment about a cast on his arm. School officials emphasized the expectation for the boy to attend unless excused by a doctor’s note, which Kirkpatrick acknowledged. The boy was subsequently referred to the truancy panel after accumulating 16 unexcused absences and struggling academically.
A letter from the boy’s fourth-grade teacher corroborated the negative impact of the absences on his academic performance. It stated that while the boy started the year well, his grades declined significantly, particularly after his arm injury, which led to increased absences. She believed the boy was capable of passing his core subjects if he attended school regularly.
The boy’s teacher also provided a letter highlighting his academic and personal growth when consistently present at school, but noted that the frequent absences, especially during the third quarter, significantly hindered his progress and made it challenging to close learning gaps.
Officer Housel’s affidavit emphasizes the NLCS motto, “ATTEND TODAY, ACHIEVE TOMORROW,” and another sign stating that missing just two days a month equates to missing 10% of the school year. Based on the investigation, Officer Housel concluded that Kirkpatrick’s continued failure to ensure the boy’s regular and timely attendance had a detrimental effect on his educational progress and did not foster an environment conducive to education. The affidavit also notes that Kirkpatrick is the sole guardian listed for her son.
On the same day the affidavit was filed, April 9, 2025, Kirkpatrick reportedly informed Dollens Elementary School that she was withdrawing both her sons to enroll them in school in Mitchell.
Officer Housel requested that the Lawrence County Prosecutor review the filing of neglect charges against Kirkpatrick, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was detained on Wednesday, April 23.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
