Two Robeson County school employees arrested and charged with felony sex crimes within the same week.
Within the course of four days, two Robeson County, NC school employees have been arrested and charged with felony sex crimes involving students.
The first is Wyvis Oxendine, Jr., who had been working at Purnell Swett High School in Pembroke, North Carolina. After another staff member at the school reported sexually explicit photos and texts had been sent by Oxendine to a student at the school, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated and charged Oxendine with second degree sexual exploitation of a minor, indecent liberties with a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (comprising two felony counts and one misdemeanor). He was later released by a magistrate on a $100,000 unsecured bond but then a District Court judge increased his bond to $500,000 and made it secured, sending him back to jail. His next court date is February 13, 2024.
Until recently, Oxendine was a social studies teacher at the school. (Please note: There are several employees at the district and at the same school with the last name of Oxendine, including another social studies teacher. When used in this article, Oxendine refers only to Wyvis Oxendine, Jr. There is no suggestion that anyone else is involved in his misconduct.) It appears the school district may have suspended Oxendine the week before his arrest. Licensing records with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction show that Oxendine’s teaching certification has been active since July of 2020.
The second employee arrested is David Alexander Goins of Lumberton, NC, who was serving as a substitute middle school teacher and coach at South Robeson Middle School in Rowland, NC. Goins was arrested on February 2, 2024 on five felony charges relating to the alleged sexual assault and rape of a 7th grade student at the school. As a substitute teacher, Goins is not required to hold a teacher’s license. (North Carolina requires only that substitutes hold a high school diploma or GED equivalent to apply for substitute teaching.)
Goins is currently being held on a $3 million secured bond. His next court date is set for February 19, 2024.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is conducting investigations into the charges involving both men and encourages anyone with information as well as any other victims to come forward.
Anyone with information about the case or any other case can call the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100.
There are 39 schools within the Robeson County school system, which is the 16th largest in the state, with a student population of more than 20,000. The district operates 9 middle schools and 7 high schools.
The Rhine Law Firm, P.C. represents victims of school sex abuse, and is currently involved in pending litigation against both the New Hanover County Board of Education and the Guilford County Board of Education for sex offenses committed by teachers Peter Frank and Daniel Webster Smith, respectively, on students. We are currently investigating the Robeson County cases to determine if the school district was negligent in its hiring and retention of both employees.
Recently, the Rhine Law Firm settled John Does 1-14 v. New Hanover County Board of Education for $5.75 million on behalf of 14 male students who were abused by science teacher Michael Kelly over the span of 20 years and Jane Does 1-2 v. The Guilford County Board of Education for $3 million in damages for the claims of two female victims who were raped by teacher’s assistant Christoper Holland, who had been fired by his previous employer.
If you or someone you love has been a victim or survivor of sexual violence, of any type, we encourage you to contact the attorneys of the Rhine Law Firm, P.C. to explore your options in civil court against not only the predators who committed the abuse but the institutions who may have enabled them.
The Rhine Law Firm, P.C. is a Wilmington, NC-based law firm located at 1612 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 300, Wilmington, NC 28403. Telephone: (910) 772-9960. www.rhinelawfirm.com
