Police Report Alleges Pattern Of Unreported Child Abuse Incidents At Lyon Elementary

COVINGTON, La. A 16 page Covington Police Department investigative report reviewed by TRH News paints a disturbing picture of what investigators described as an ongoing pattern of administrators at E. E. Lyon Elementary failing to report suspected child abuse and failing to notify law enforcement.

The investigation ultimately resulted in the arrests of Principal Lauryn Faciane and Assistant Principal Tonya Barth for alleged failure to report suspected child sexual abuse. But the police report goes much further than those two arrests.

It documents multiple incidents spanning several years, allegations that administrators kept the school’s resource officer in the dark, concerns from teachers and police, disputes involving St. Tammany Parish Public Schools administration, and multiple search warrants investigators obtained while attempting to collect records. 

The Incident That Started The Investigation

According to the report, Covington Police began investigating on April 29 after learning about an incident involving two young male students the previous day. Police said one child disclosed that another child had him perform a sexual act in a school bathroom.

Investigators said the incident had been disclosed to school employees on April 28, but law enforcement and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services had not been notified. According to the report, Faciane acknowledged to Detective Brian Brown that she had not reported the incident to DCFS. She told Brown she contacted her administration about what happened and was directed to contact the family. 

The report says Faciane had previously attended mandated reporter training conducted in part by Brown. Police said another training had also been conducted at Lyon Elementary in 2024 covering the consequences of failing to report suspected abuse and the importance of reporting it. 

Investigators Discover Another Sexual Incident

As investigators dug deeper, they learned this apparently was not the first incident.

Police discovered a December 2025 incident involving one of the same children. According to the report, a male and female student entered a restroom, removed clothing and touched each other’s private areas. Investigators said school administrators handled the incident internally without notifying the SRO, law enforcement or DCFS. 

The mother of one of the children told investigators she contacted Hope House and was advised that the school should have reported the incident. She said neither DCFS nor law enforcement ever contacted her about what happened. 

SRO Says Administration Kept Her In The Dark

One of the most significant portions of the report involves Lyon Elementary’s school resource officer.

The SRO told investigators she had been directed to review surveillance footage following the December incident and was initially told the children had been playing in the bathroom. She told investigators that Barth later said the matter could get messy and that she did not want it to get out.

According to the report, the SRO did not learn the actual nature of the incident until weeks later through conversations among teachers. When detectives directly asked whether administration hid things from her, the report says she answered yes. 

The SRO also described another situation involving a student bringing a knife to school. According to the report, Barth became upset when the SRO asked about it and told her they did not need to be discussing the children outside of what was going on and that not everyone needed to know. 

Police Document Other Alleged Incidents

Detective Brown’s report identifies several additional incidents as part of what he characterized as a pattern of failure to report.

One involved approximately $1,200 in missing PTA money. According to the report, Faciane and Barth instructed the SRO not to generate a report. The PTA treasurer eventually learned that no report had been made and contacted Covington Police leadership. The SRO was then directed to document the incident. 

Another incident involved a student allegedly possessing a large knife in the cafeteria. According to the report, a teacher confiscated it and brought it to administrators. The student’s classroom teacher was allegedly told the knife was a toy or fake. After receiving conflicting information and confronting administration again, the knife was produced and the teacher confirmed it was real.

The report also describes a student allegedly possessing ammunition on campus. A teacher asked the SRO what action was being taken, only to learn that the SRO had not been notified about the bullets.

In another incident, a teacher reportedly requested an incident report after a student chased and slapped a teacher’s child on campus. According to the police report, administration refused to document it. 

Earlier Abuse Of A Special Needs Student

The investigation also caused police to revisit a 2024 case involving the physical abuse of a child with special needs.

According to the report, the child’s mother had reported suspected abuse to Faciane multiple times and documented the suspected abuse through photographs. Detective Brown wrote that despite receiving those reports and photographs, Faciane failed to report the suspected abuse to law enforcement or DCFS.

Police became involved after the child’s mother took the child to an emergency room. The mother directly notified the SRO, who then reported the incident.

The subsequent criminal investigation resulted in two people being arrested for the abuse. According to Brown’s report, both later entered guilty pleas. Brown wrote that when he investigated the 2024 case, he was newly assigned to Covington Police and did not yet recognize what he would later characterize as a recurring pattern involving the administration. 

Police Question Superintendent’s Account

The investigation eventually expanded beyond Lyon Elementary and into the response from St. Tammany Parish Public Schools administration.

On May 18, Covington Police requested a meeting with Superintendent Frank Jabbia and Steve Alfonso. According to Detective Brown’s report, Jabbia told investigators that the SRO had been notified about the incidents and that the notification was contained in a JPAMS report.

Police requested the document. Brown wrote that when investigators reviewed it, the document confirmed only that the school had conducted its own investigation. According to the police report, it contained no mention of the SRO or DCFS being notified.

Jabbia remained adamant that the SRO was being advised of incidents at the school, according to Brown. Detectives again requested documentation showing those notifications.

During the same meeting, the report says Jabbia stated that evidence of SRO notification was contained in the JPAMS report. According to Brown, Alfonso then told Jabbia that it was not in the report. 

School Board Employee Had No Firsthand Knowledge

The report describes another exchange involving St. Tammany Parish School Board employee Jennifer Alleman.

According to Brown, Jabbia contacted him and said “Jennifer” was aware that the incident had been reported to the SRO. Brown obtained Alleman’s last name and asked her to provide a statement.

When Brown asked Alleman how she knew the SRO had been notified, the report says she responded that it was school board policy. Brown wrote that Alleman had no firsthand knowledge that the SRO had actually been notified. 

Teachers Reportedly Feared Speaking Publicly

Another significant section of the report concerns current and former Lyon Elementary teachers.

Brown wrote that he spoke with numerous teachers on May 24 and 25. According to the detective, the majority wanted to speak off the record because they feared termination or disciplinary action for coming forward. 

Brown also wrote that he had been included in a text message from Jabbia concerning an employee who reported an incident approximately a year after it occurred. The message reproduced in the police report discusses filing official complaints against the Lyon SRO and an employee who provided a statement. It also discusses recommending an employee for termination.

A recorded telephone conversation between Covington Police leadership and Jabbia was also placed into evidence. 

Police Obtained Multiple Search Warrants For School Records

The report also documents difficulties investigators encountered while collecting school records.

Brown wrote that investigators did not initially receive a suspension letter referenced by a parent. Police obtained it only after learning it existed and specifically requesting it.

According to Brown, archived surveillance footage and the JPAMS report also were not provided until each was identified and individually requested. Brown wrote that this necessitated multiple search warrants to the school board. 

On June 10, Brown obtained another search warrant seeking St. Tammany Parish School Board records concerning any unreported physical or sexual abuse or activity. 

Two Administrators Arrested

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Barth on May 14 for alleged failure to report sexual abuse of a juvenile. Five days later, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Faciane on the same alleged violation.

Both women were arrested May 27. 

An arrest is not a conviction. The allegations against Faciane and Barth remain allegations unless and until established through the judicial process.

Police also seized both administrators’ cellphones pursuant to warrants and conducted forensic examinations of the devices. 

This Investigation Went Far Beyond One Incident

At the end of the report, Brown wrote that the investigation could be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for consideration of prosecution and that any new evidence would be added through an additional supplement. 

The report does not establish criminal responsibility for every person whose name appears in it. Some portions document witness statements and allegations that have not been adjudicated.

But what began with one reported incident involving two children developed into a much broader police investigation. The report raises serious questions about what administrators knew, what they reported, what they failed to report, what officials above the school level knew, and whether the systems designed to protect children worked when they were needed most.

Those questions deserve answers.

TRH News will continue examining the records surrounding this investigation and report additional verified information as it becomes available.

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