It is with deep sorrow, that we announce the passing of Georgiana Farrell from Frederiksted, St. Croix. Georgiana passed away quietly on Oct. 21, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. Georgiana touched many lives with her wisdom, humor, and singing. She was one of a kind and she will be missed by all who knew her.
Georgiana Farrell
She was preceded in death by her son Romig “Zion” Francis.
She is survived by her Daughter, Tracy Benn-Canton; Son, Anthony “Tony” Farrell; Son-In-Law: Devon Canton; Sister, Paula Powel; Brothers, Charles Farrell & Victor Farrell; Sister-In-Law, Geralda “Audrey” Farrell; Special Friend, Alexander “Gizmo” Williams; Grand Children, Tiffani, Derek Jr & Tyra Lanclos; Raniya, Rianna, De’Myda, De’Myra, Ro’Nyah, Romig Jr Francis; Ahmira Navarro & Lovanne Briggs Nieces & Nephews, Shaun, Wayne, Michael, Rasheema, Rashida, Rasheena, Layonna, Chyna Hassan, Hasheem, Hakeem, Haseem & Hadeem Farrell; Nellie & Paul Williams, Tywann Challenger; Close Friends, Winona Seales-Lester, Bernadette “RasB” Williams, Amira Russell, Valentine Ible, Baluba Ross, Debbie Sackey, Ashel Belardo, Jennifer Crawford, Alba’s Restaurant crew, Jackie & Romona Menders, William’s Delight crew, Queen B. Cousins & other friends too numerous to mention.
Memorial services will be at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Frederiksted on December 4, 2025 at 9:00 am.
Interment will follow at Frederiksted Cemetery.
Those in attendance are asked to wear Georgiana’s favorite color blue.
It is with deep sadness and love that we celebrate the life of Beatrice Neptune-Wallace who was born Aug. 7, 1938 to Ingerborg and Lionel A. Neptune. Beatrice Neptune-Wallace
She died on Oct. 20, 2025 and is survived by Sisters, Bernice N. Clendenen, Ellenor V. N. Chapman, Leonile A. Sealey, Irene M. Walcott-Prentice, Anna Maria Hector, Leona Neptune, Joan Neptune, Mavis Neptune, Angelica R. Schuster and Brothers, Samuel Neptune (deceased), Lionel A. Neptune and VanBorn R. Neptune, Sr.; In-Laws, Monroe Clendenen, Henry Schuster,Miguelina Neptune, and Winthropp Hector.Aunts, Medora Martin Granville and Sylvia Martin Farrow; Nieces, Marjorie Clendenen, MaeAgnes Clendenen, Debara Sealey, Jurene Walcott, Lynell W. Chapman (deceased), Lorma Sealey, Delicia Sealey-Espinosa, Naureen Hector-O’Neale, Linsey Neptune, Margaux Neptune, Lurene Hector-Flores, Leonicia Percival-Mayberry, Vanya Neptune, Marielle Neptune, Yncidea Neptune; Nephews, Eugene Clendenen, Randall Sealey, Johnny Neptune, Eugene Neptune, Leonard Chapman, Jr., Christopher Neptune, Lawrence A. Walcott, Jr., Kenny D. Walcott, Robert Phipps, Anthony Neptune,Enrique and Andrew Schuster,Reynaldo Neptune, Bryan Hector, Michael Neptune, VanBorn R. Neptune, Jr. (deceased), Raymie Neptune (Deceased); Special cousins, Laurene Robles, Craig “Chip” Benjamin, Lucien Spencer,Gregory Frorup, Kemba Martin, Gerard Martin, Abraham “G’Nash” Martin; Lawrence Nielsen;Great nieces, Shani Isaac, Maria Espinosa, Lureena Flores-Strong, Chrystina Clendenen, Desiree Sealey-Moore, Regina Sealey-Davis, JeLlana Canton-Anderson, JeNeé Walcott, Kayla Walcott, Lynell Nelson-Lee, Theresa Clendenen, Shardonnay, Kaylee, and Leilani Schuster, A’Jiydah Schuster, Reanna Phipps; Great Nephews, Antonio “Pops” Walcott, Rondy Phipps, Robert J.Phipps, Robert L. Phipps, Jr., Lawrence Ritter, Terrence Ritter, Darren and Lamar O’Reilly, Z’Qi and Z’Jari Chapman, Amouri, Nickhai, Enrique, Jr., and Kayden Schuster, Robert “Bobby” Clendenen; Families, Martin, Neptune, Lynch,Simmonds, Encarnacion, Miller, James, Sealey, O’Reilly, Nesbitt; God-Daughter, Jenice O’Reilly; Special Friends, Agnes C. Clarke, Daniel Castillo, Ava A. Schulterbrandt, Joyce T. Letang, Cheryl Registe, Delores Edwards,Edna O’Reilly, Adell Nicholas, Molly Seegolam, Members of the class of 1957 of Christiansted High School. Beatrice was a committed nurse, an arts and crafts enthusiast, a member of the Friedensthal Moravian Church, and the Retired Nurses Association of St. Croix. She will be forever in our hearts. May she rest in peace until she is received into God’s eternal care.
Funeral Services will be at the Friedensthal Moravian Church on Dec. 4.
Tributes will begin at 9 a.m. and the service will commence at 10 a.m.
Burial will follow at the Moravian Church Cemetery.
Professional services are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
I would like to announce the passing of James F. White Sr. on Nov. 5, 2025. He was known to most people as Frank, of St. Thomas, USVI and Anegada, BVI.James F. White Sr.
Mr. White is survived by:
Wife: Shirley White (St. Thomas)
Sons: James F. White Jr. (Roswell, GA), Roger White (Roswell), Jim White (Anegada)
Daughters: Brenda L. White-Ross (New York), Claudette White (Roswell)
Grandchildren: Shakya White (Roswell), Miaia White (Virginia), Laila White, (Virginia), Mikala Drake (New Jersey)
Great-grandchild: Miriela Gonzales (Virginia)
Brothers: John White (New York), Thomas White (New York)
Sisters: Catherine Faulkner (St. Thomas), Gladia Matthews (New Jersey)
Son-In-Law: Anthony Ross (New York)
Grandson-In-Law: Jose Gonzales (Virginia)
Three sisters-in-laws, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The service will be held at Turnbull’s Funeral Home. Viewing will be at 9-10, and service at 10 on Dec. 8.
Interment will be in Anegada.
Turnbull’s Funeral Home
President Donald J. Trump hosts a dinner on Sept. 25, 2017, in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., with Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America; Tim Phillips, president of the Americans for Prosperity; Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Leonard Leo, executive vice president of the The Federalist Society; Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List; Ed Feulner, founder and acting president of The Heritage Foundation; Tim Goeglein, vice president of external relations, Focus on the Family; and Bob McEwen, former congressman and executive director of the Council for National Policy. (Official White House Photos by Shealah Craighead)
What is unfolding in the United States has been simmering for over four decades. The sudden surge in talk about strongmen and rule by a wealthy few feels foreign to America, yet it could mark the dawn of a nation forever steered by a single faction. To truly grasp this moment, we must examine the Project 2025 manual and the threat it poses to democracy.
Otis D. Alexander
The Heritage Foundation’s ambitions stretch far beyond the actions of any current president. Led by Kevin D. Roberts, an academic who once served as president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, this deeply conservative think tank is shaping the future. Over 100 fiercely conservative Eurocentric groups, each championing the primacy of European culture and values, have shaped the proposals behind Project 2025. These think tanks do more than float suggestions; they lay the groundwork for their ideals to become reality. I am not saying they pull the strings of government, but they are certainly preparing the ground for their vision to take root.
Project 2025, launched by The Heritage Foundation, is a bold conservative blueprint crafted for the next Republican president. Known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, it offers a step-by-step playbook for rapidly reshaping the federal government in line with conservative ideals. The Heritage Foundation kicked off this initiative in April 2022, but its roots stretch back to the Reagan era, when the Foundation’s 1980 policy manual, Mandate for Leadership, became the guiding star for Reagan’s team. Today’s developments echo into that turning moment, as history threatens to repeat itself.
Project 2025 brands itself as a “government-in-a-box,” promising a seamless handoff of power and a swift rollout of new policies the moment the opportunity arises.
For Republican leaders in a hurry to erase Biden-era policies and push a conservative agenda, Project 2025 is more than an ally, it is a launchpad. Its blueprint slashes federal regulations, targeting fossil fuels, finance, and education with surgical precision.
Businesses desperate for fewer environmental rules, lower taxes, and a lighter government touch see Project 2025 as a windfall. The plan also tightens abortion laws, champions traditional family values, and rolls back protections for LGBTQIA people, echoing the dreams of social conservatives. But these sweeping changes are sure to spark fierce resistance from marginalized communities, environmental advocates, and defenders of abortion and LGBTQIA rights.
It is very important to note that while Project 2025 heavily pushes school choice and greater parental control, these shifts could drain resources from public schools serving Black students. Its emphasis on “law and order” also raises alarms about increased policing in Black and marginal communities.
Project 2025 includes plans to shrink the Department of Justice’s civil rights division and limit programs like affirmative action, which could weaken protections for Black, Latin Americans, and women. The plan clearly says it wants to end affirmative action and “race-based preferences” in federal jobs, contracts, schools, and other government programs. It also suggests focusing more on “traditional” civil rights, like religious freedom and free speech, and paying less attention to things like police reform, voting rights, and cases about unfair treatment based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. Ending DEI programs and offices in federal agencies is said to support “identity politics” instead of hiring based on ability. The plan also wants to reduce the DOJ’s use of agreements and investigations into police departments, which have often helped stop unfair treatment in Black and Latin American communities.
Project 2025 maintains a ready list of steadfast conservative candidates, prepared to fill powerful government posts at a moment’s notice. This makes the president’s identity almost irrelevant; without vigilance, our country could slip deeper into a reality where a handful of people hold all power. We have watched this pattern before, as new regimes emerge overnight, like stubborn grass pushing through the cracks in concrete. Between 2020 and 2033, nations such as Belarus, Burkina Faso, Mali, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Niger, and Sudan saw their freedoms disappear. Let’s not join them.
Get into Project 2025 now and pass the word, because staying silent could turn today’s warning signs into tomorrow’s “melee.” Let your voice rise, even as the world shifts beneath you, and guard your freedom with the courage of Queens Mary, Agnes, Mathilda, and Susana before it slips away unnoticed.
Sources:
Bryan Woodward, Project 2025 Explained Chapter by Chapter: Understanding the Conservative Promise. A Comprehensive Fully Vetted Analysis of The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership, (Independently published, 2025)
Bryce H. Caldwell, Project 2025 Full Document Breakdown: Comprehensive Analysis and Insights, (Independently published, 2025).
David A. Graham, The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America, New York: (Random House, 2025).
Simon Pierce, Project 2025: A Mandate for Authoritarian Leadership: The Heritage Foundation’s Conservative Promise for A Second Trump Administration, (Independently published, 2024).
— Otis D. Alexander, PhD, is a retired music teacher who previously worked at St. Croix Central High School. He has also taught at Sprauve School and Guy Benjamin School on St. John. Additionally, he is an alum of Harvard’s Leadership for Academic Librarians program. If you’re interested in collaboration opportunities, you can reach him at od.alex1972@gmail.com.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
The world is being rewired, and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ geographic position places us at the center of that transformation. (Shutterstock image)
Every society has a defining strength that shapes its place in the world. For the U.S. Virgin Islands, that defining strength has always been our location. It is our superpower. At the crossroads of the Americas, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, our islands occupy one of the most strategically significant positions on the planet. That advantage shaped why the United States acquired the Virgin Islands more than a century ago, and today it is the foundation of a new opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore.
As global markets shift, supply chains reorganize, and nations compete for technological leadership, the strategic value of the Virgin Islands is more relevant than ever in our history. The world is being rewired, and our geographic position places us at the center of that transformation.
A Strategic Advantage Recognized Since 1917
In 1917, the United States purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million in gold. This was no accident of history. It was a deliberate response to two defining strategic concerns.
1. Protecting the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal, opened just three years earlier, had instantly become the backbone of American military mobility and global trade. The United States recognized that securing the surrounding Caribbean region was crucial to its defense and commercial interests. St. Thomas, with its deep and naturally protected harbor, offered an ideal location for refueling, naval operations, and maritime surveillance.
2. Preventing German Expansion in the Caribbean
During World War I, U.S. leaders feared that Germany might acquire the Virgin Islands from Denmark and establish a base dangerously close to both the Panama Canal and the U.S. East Coast. Purchasing the Virgin Islands eliminated that risk and strengthened America’s presence in the Western Hemisphere.
This history makes one point clear. Our geographic position has always been our most valuable asset.
Why Our Strategic Location Matters Even More Today
What made the Virgin Islands valuable in 1917 makes us even more valuable in 2025. The global marketplace is being reshaped by forces such as digital connectivity, energy security, supply chain consolidation, and geopolitical competition. Our location gives us a front-row seat to all of them.
1. A Maritime Crossroads for Modern Trade
The Virgin Islands sit along major shipping routes that connect the Gulf Coast, the Eastern Seaboard, the Panama Canal, and South America. As companies nearshore and reshore supply chains to reduce risks and shorten delivery times, our Territory can emerge as a logistics, storage, and maritime services hub within a U.S. jurisdiction.
2. A Growing Digital Gateway
The modern economy flows through fiber-optic cables rather than shipping containers. The Caribbean is becoming an essential digital corridor that connects the Americas, Europe, and West Africa. With deep-water conditions and U.S. regulatory stability, the Virgin Islands are well-positioned to host subsea cable landings, data centers, cloud connectivity, and cybersecurity operations.
This creates a pathway to high-wage technology careers and a new pillar of economic development.
3. A Platform for Clean Energy Leadership
The Territory has abundant solar resources and is receiving significant federal investment. This combination creates an opportunity to build one of the most reliable and resilient clean energy systems in the Caribbean. A modern power grid strengthens economic competitiveness and supports technology-driven industries.
4. A Forward Position for U.S. Interests in a Competitive Region
Even without a large naval base today, the U.S. Virgin Islands remain an important location for maritime domain awareness, border security, disaster response, and the protection of telecommunications and energy infrastructure. As global powers increase their influence in the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands anchors American presence and regional stability.
Turning Strategic Value Into Economic Growth
The superpower of the Virgin Islands opens the door to real economic transformation through:
Digital infrastructure and cloud services
Subsea cable landings and data center development
Renewable energy and microgrid innovation
Logistics and nearshoring support
Workforce training in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and clean technology
Tourism diversification based on culture, sustainability, and innovation
These opportunities can help the Virgin Islands evolve from a tourism-dependent economy into a diversified and globally connected hub.
Conclusion: A Moment We Cannot Miss
The superpower of the U.S. Virgin Islands has always been our location. It shaped why the United States acquired our islands in 1917, and it explains why our value today is extraordinary. In a global marketplace defined by data flows, energy transition, and supply chain realignment, the Virgin Islands are not a remote outpost. We are a gateway to the future.
The question we face is not whether we possess strategic value. It is whether we will use this superpower to build a resilient, competitive, and prosperous economy for generations to come.
The opportunity is here. The world is changing. The Virgin Islands are again at a crossroads.
— Bernard Dyer is a Virgin Islander in the diaspora, technologist, and strategist with more than 25 years of public-sector experience, including 17 years with Booz Allen Hamilton supporting large-scale digital transformation and system consolidation initiatives in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is also a monthly co-host on WSTX AM 970 radio’s Community Digest, where he has been for the last 16 years, highlighting new ideas and best practices to help build a more diversified and sustainable Virgin Islands economy.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
Freshwater Fish, Shrimp, and Crab In The Guts Of The USVI Seminar
Friends Of The Park Cinnamon Campground Chat
Monday, Dec. 2, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park logo
The Raintree Cafe, Cinnamon Campground, St. John
Join us for this guest speaker in our Cinnamon Campground Chats at The Raintree Cafe. Coming from Clemson University, Jacob Laurain has a background in fish ecology, habitat assessment, and watershed science. Jacob previously worked with the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, where he supported field research and aquatic Endangered Species monitoring. His graduate thesis focuses on the presence and distribution of freshwater species across the USVI. This presentation takes place on Monday, Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Raintree Cafe at Cinnamon Campground. All are welcome.
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s Cinnamon Campground Chats take place every Monday to Friday evening from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of June. With the exception of a few special presentations, the weekly schedule of topics is Monday: Sea Turtle Talk, Tuesday: Traditional Arts & Crafts, Wednesday: Music of the Caribbean, Thursday: Birds Of St. John, and Friday: Coral Reef Ecosystems. To learn more about Friends events, visit their website at www.friendsvinp.org.
Giving Thanks Friends of the Park Store Discount
It’s time for giving thanks to donors, supporters and volunteers! From Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) to Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2) Friends of the Park is offering a 25% discount to everyone shopping in the Park Store in the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay, or online at www.friendsvinp.org with the discount code: THANKYOU. All proceeds contribute to the support of programs like School Kids In The Park, Learn To Swim, Trails Management, and Sea Turtle Protection.
The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority would like to inform the community of its operating hours for Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28, in observance of the Thanksgiving holidays:
Regular business operations will resume on Monday, Dec. 1.
The VIWMA team extends its best wishes for a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.
For more information, contact the Division of Education and Communications Management at 340-474-2811 or email communications@viwma.org. Stay connected with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X for updates.
The University of the Virgin Islands Buccaneers defeated Florida National University 80-63 in a wire-to-wire victory on day one of the Keiser Thanksgiving Classic at Massimino Court in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Khari Person defends FNU player in UVI victory. (Submitted photo)
The Buccaneers maintained control throughout the game, starting strong with a 15-4 lead and extended their advantage to 20 points in the first half, peaking at 38-18. Despite a 10-2 run by Florida National that reduced the deficit to 12 points, UVI led 40-28 at halftime.
Senior forward Eliyah Stevens energized the Buccaneers’ offense, contributing 10 points in just eight minutes off the bench in the first half.
Graduate forward Brandon Rasmussen anchored the defense, recording four steals that were translated into points for UVI.
“It was a solid team win,” remarked head coach Kevin Sheppard. “The team was eager for this victory after recent close losses. We dominated the first half, but we need to improve on closing out halves and keeping the pressure on our opponents when we are up by a lot. Our opponent fought back in the second half, but we made the necessary adjustments to pull away again.”
In the second half, Florida National mounted a comeback with a 13-3 run, narrowing the gap to just two points. However, the Buccaneers responded with a 7-0 run, regaining control and gradually widening the lead. UVI maintained its composure and ultimately secured a decisive victory.
Five Buccaneers achieved double-digit scoring on the night. Senior guard Khari Person, along with Stevens and Rasmussen, each contributed 14 points. Juniors Sebastian Dokum and Devin Binyard added 16 and 10 points, respectively.
Junior point guard Chad Molloy got his teammates involved, tying his season high of seven assists.
As a team, the Buccaneers shot an astounding 50% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc.
The Buccaneers are set to return to action on Nov. 25 against the host team, Keiser University, currently ranked 25th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the latest college basketball rankings.
“It’s always a challenging matchup when facing a ranked team, but we are committed to giving it our best effort. We must play our brand of basketball to achieve the results we desire. This will certainly not be an easy task.”
Attorneys for former V.I. Police commissioner Ray Martinez and former Office of Management and Budget director Jenifer O’Neal said during a final pre-trial conference Monday that they are ready to proceed to trial Dec. 3 on federal wire fraud and bribery charges, though issues remain to be resolved, including what evidence may be introduced about the extensive criminal background of the government’s key witness.
V.I. District Court Judge Mark Kearney said he would take the last-minute motion to introduce David Whitaker’s long felony history, filed Friday by Martinez’s attorneys, under advisement but admonished them for missing the Nov. 4 deadline for all final pretrial motions — including to admit or preclude evidence.
“Why the delay? This is pretty well-known stuff. … I mean, it takes about half a second on a Google search to find out about Mr. Whitaker,” he said. “Is the answer that ‘I’m a busy guy’? Is that the answer? ‘I didn’t get to this’?” Kearney asked Miguel Oppenheimer, who is Martinez’s court-appointed attorney along with Juan F. Matos de Juan, both of Puerto Rico.
While Whitaker’s criminal background has been widely reported, including by the Source, Oppenheimer said his office only realized the extent of it as they began preparing for trial in earnest two weeks ago. Once an FBI background check confirmed the information they were finding online, they filed the motion to admit Whitaker’s prior convictions beyond the usual 10-year time limit.
Claiming that “your investigator just found out is not good cause. Give me a better reason,” Kearney said, especially as the issue was addressed in the recent federal bribery trial of former Sports, Parks and Recreation commissioner Calvert White, where Whitaker was a key government witness, and in the U.S. Justice Department’s trial memorandum of Oct. 15, which outlined the case against Martinez and O’Neal and estimated Whitaker will testify for eight to 10 hours.
A jury found White and co-defendant Benjamin Hendricks guilty of honest services wire fraud and bribery in late July after a weeklong trial in the U.S. District Court on St. Thomas. Sentencing is set for Jan. 22.
The government filed its opposition to Martinez’s motion Sunday, calling it untimely and noting that convictions “more than 10 years old are presumptively inadmissible to impeach a testifying witness. For the conviction to be admissible, the court must decide that the probative value ‘substantially outweighs its prejudicial effect.’”
Moreover, “the government has no intention of presenting the cooperating witness, Whitaker, ‘as a man who should be trusted,’” it said. “In fact, the government has charged the witness for the same crimes charged in this case, along with two additional, unrelated fraud schemes.”
Martinez and O’Neal are each charged with five counts of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Martinez is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
An indictment unsealed in January alleges the pair accepted bribes from then-government contractor turned FBI informant Whitaker, who subsequently admitted to two counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in a plea deal with prosecutors unsealed in September 2024. His sentencing is currently scheduled for June 10, 2026.
In January, Martinez filed a civil suit against Whitaker in V.I. Superior Court, alleging entrapment, which raised another question at Monday’s conference: Whether Martinez intends to pursue that as a defense.
“My understanding of entrapment means that you’re admitting that you’ve committed the offense,” but it was due to the government’s actions, said O’Neal’s attorney, Dale Smith. “If that is the case, then we don’t have antagonistic effects.”
However, if that is not what he is claiming, O’Neal’s defense could be antagonistic to Martinez, in which case she should go first at trial, even though Martinez is named first on the indictment, said Smith. That way Martinez will have an opportunity “to answer some of the things that I am going to argue on behalf of my client,” he said.
“If I take a position about the evidence in the case and what it means, that adversely impacts the co-defendant, if he has gone first he won’t be able to address it if I go second,” Smith told the judge.
Oppenheimer said that while he did not have an immediate position on Smith’s request, he added that he prefers to go first at trial.
“I’m not going to rule on that today. This is something the lawyers should be able to work out. Whatever happens, it’s going to be the same way throughout [the trial]. We’re not switching it up. You’re not saying, O’Neal will go first today, Martinez will go first tomorrow. It’s going to be the same way all along. So, you can certainly let me know and file a notice if you wish,” Kearney told Smith.
The trial is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 3 in District Court on St. Thomas with jury selection and opening arguments and will resume at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 4 when the government will call its first witness. U.S. Justice Department trial attorney Alexandre Dempsey said Monday that the government expects to wrap up its case by Dec. 10, not Dec. 16 as was previously estimated.
The school administrator charged with sexually abusing a student at a St. Thomas elementary school appeared for an initial hearing in Superior Court on Monday. The judge began by saying that part of the advice of rights hearing had already been completed before the formalities began.
Superior Court Magistrate Judge Paula Norkaitis read off the charges against Assistant Principal Clifton Boyd and said that because he was arrested on a warrant, probable cause had already been established. Boyd is charged with aggravated first-degree rape of a minor under the age of 13, unlawful sexual contact, and child abuse.
Boyd appeared at Monday’s hearing by way of live stream video from the Bureau of Corrections, unshaven and wearing an orange jumpsuit.
An investigation by the VIPD Domestic Violence and Special Victims Unit began in August when a high school student at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School told authorities he had been assaulted by Boyd when he was attending Joseph Gomez Elementary School. At the time of the alleged assault, the student said he was in fifth or sixth grade.
Subsequent encounters between the complainant and the defendant led to explicit sex acts behind a locked door in the principal’s office, court documents said.
After hearing the account of an alleged sexual assault, the Kean High School official notified an administrator who, in turn, alerted police and the Department of Human Services.
“… As part of this investigation, law enforcement subpoenaed records from the Virgin Islands Department of Education. The Department of Education has produced multiple documents, confirming that Boyd was assigned as assistant principal at Joseph Gomez Elementary School when (the complainant) was enrolled as a fifth grader during the 2019-2020 school year,” read a statement included in an affidavit produced by investigators.
The most serious charges carry a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, Norkaitis said. Assistant Attorney General Brenda Scales asked the court to increase Boyd’s bail from $500,000 to $1 million, but the judge decided not to.
“We’re asking that the court consider the type of charges he is facing,” Scales said. “This is to protect the children.”
Although the charges are serious and the defendant is considered a danger to the community, Norkaitis said Boyd had no prior brushes with law enforcement and had sufficient personal assets to secure his bail.
But the judge added that allowing the defendant pretrial release on a 10 percent cash bond was not appropriate.
Boyd’s next court appearance — an arraignment — was scheduled for Dec. 12. Norkaitis accepted the request by Sharon Boyd, the defendant’s wife, to serve as a third-party custodian if the bail conditions are enough to allow for a pretrial release.
In past cases of a similar nature, federal authorities have stepped in to successfully prosecute offenders charged with child sexual abuse in the V.I. public school system. On Monday, Attorney General Gordon Rhea was asked if this case might wind up in federal hands.
“The V.I. Department of Justice is working in close cooperation with the VIPD and the V.I. Department of Education to support the full investigation of child sexual abuse in V.I. public schools. At present, this is primarily a local investigation led by the VIPD Criminal Investigations Bureau, with support by our federal partners, including conducting interviews and securing documents. This investigation is ongoing,” Rhea said.
“As detectives develop evidence sufficient for probable cause, victims may be brought by the V.I. Department of Justice for local prosecution.”
The attorney general also appealed to the public to assist in whatever way they can by calling the CRIMESTOPPERS VI at 1-800-222-8477.
“Citizen tips are anonymous and are critical to the ongoing investigation,” he said.
Regular business operations will resume on Monday, Dec. 1.
The VIWMA team extends its best wishes for a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.
For more information, contact the Division of Education and Communications Management at 340-474-2811 or email communications@viwma.org. Stay connected with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X for updates. 
