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A 48-year-old North Carolina school bus driver, Leetwain Darrell Tate, also known as “Ms Sharon” or “Sharon,” was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple boys. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged him with two counts of statutory rape and six counts of indecent liberties with a minor.
The allegations involve at least four boys, aged 14 and 15, with authorities suspecting additional victims. According to an arrest affidavit, one boy claimed Tate offered him money for sex, and the victims were found staying at Tate’s home. Tate, employed by Sugar Creek Charter School in Charlotte, was suspended during the weeks-long investigation and terminated on September 30.
Police confirmed the alleged crimes did not occur on school property or during Tate’s bus route. Standing at 5-foot-7 and weighing 210 lbs, Tate is currently held at Mecklenburg County Jail on a $1 million bond. His family insists on his innocence, but neighbors are deeply unsettled. Neighbor Tony Sanders stated, “It’s pretty disturbing that it is so close to home and you are just shocked. To me it’s a shame. Fourteen, 15 years old can be so impressionable at that age. To think someone would take advantage of that is very alarming.”
This case underscores the profound risks to vulnerable children when individuals in positions of trust exploit their authority. Tate’s transgender identity has prompted scrutiny of mental health vulnerabilities in such roles.
A 2016 review in International Review of Psychiatry, analyzing 38 studies, identified elevated rates of psychopathology, including depression and anxiety, among transgender individuals. Similarly, a 2022 Psychological Medicine review of 22 studies confirmed a higher prevalence of co-morbid mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, driven by social stigma and rejection.
Most strikingly, a 2019 Transgender Health study found that 58 per cent of 10,270 transgender patients had psychiatric diagnoses, with major depressive disorder (31 per cent) and generalized anxiety disorder (12 per cent) totaling a combined 43 per cent, compared to just 13.6 per cent in a control group of over seven million non-transgender individuals.
These findings reveal that transgender individuals, due to significantly elevated rates of co-morbid mental health disorders, may pose heightened risks to public safety, particularly to vulnerable populations like children.
The 2019 Transgender Health study’s stark contrast, 58 per cent psychiatric diagnoses versus 13.6 per cent in non-transgender peers, highlights the potential for untreated mental health issues to exacerbate harmful behaviors in high-responsibility roles.
The case highlights the urgent need for rigorous background checks, continuous oversight, and stringent safeguarding policies to protect society’s most vulnerable, as Charlotte grapples with a betrayal that shakes the community’s trust and demands justice for the young victims.
