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Pastor and principal Norman Willacey fired – finally

CrimePastor and principal Norman Willacey fired - finally

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 24, 2012

The verdict is out. Pastor Norman Willacey has been fired. He is no longer the principal of the Belmopan Baptist High School. Moreover, the National Teachers Commission will meet on a later date to decide if his teacher’s license will be revoked, rendering him unable to teach in any school within the country.

The decision was announced today via a press release sent out by the Board of Management of the Belmopan Baptist High School.

Allegations against Pastor Willacey are that he was conducting an affair with a female student, 16, of his school, during which time he sent her explicit sexual messages which were intercepted by the girl’s mother.

In response, the school management held a meeting on August 29, to investigate the allegations against Willacey. After the investigations were concluded, the management said that they found that the allegations were true and recommended the immediate dismissal of Pastor Willacey and the revocation of his license to teach in Belize.

The Ministry of Education, through the National Teachers Commission, approved the dismissal of Pastor Willacey, effectively firing him from the school.

Pastor Ruperto Vicente, president of the Baptist Association Belize City Branch, said that the school management was following the rules and procedures of the Ministry of Education, and they were expecting the dismissal approval. Vicente also said that Willacey has been barred from preaching from the pulpit, and that he had resigned from the church.

The girl’s mother said that Willacey had been giving her daughter money at different times. Everybody in the school was aware of what was happening, she said, and that her daughter would be in his office most of the time.

Willacey’s secret became a secret no longer when the 16-year-old was at home erasing mails from her computer, and it froze. The second account that her daughter thought had been erased were in fact not erased. The mother said that she then read the sexual emails, became upset and printed them out.

There were condemnations of the student-principal relations from many quarters, including the Belmopan Area Coalition of Churches. The pastors and the leaders of the Belmopan Area Coalition expressed their deep sadness, shock and dismay at the events regarding the terrible moral failure and wrongdoing of Pastor Willacey.

They said that as Christian leaders, they have a sacred trust to protect, defend and instruct those entrusted to their care and leadership. Their hearts were broken that one of their own had abused the trust for his personal gratification. They said that the sin was severe and inexcusable, and condemned Willacey very strongly.

However, since the girl is 16, no criminal charges can be brought against Willacey.

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