News

Investigation into alleged assault at youth club closed with no arrest

By Bill Moss, Published: September 17, 2025

The Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County released a lengthy statement on the incident through board President Steve Gwaltney describing the extensive child protection policies the organization uses. Gwaltney also said funders had frozen  “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in grants “as a result of this unsubstantiated report by WLOS.”

“The Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County holds the safety and protection of the young people we serve as our absolute highest priority, and we take any situation that might impact their well-being very seriously,” he said. “The recent allegation of a Club member being sexually assaulted by an employee while inside the Boys & Girls Club on July 24 not only shocked and dismayed our entire team, but put that belief of safety and protection to the ultimate test. We were informed yesterday, Sept. 15, that Hendersonville Police Department (HPD), finding no evidence to support the report of sexual assault, has
closed the investigation. We are grateful to HPD for their professional and thorough investigation and commitment to supporting our goal of safety and protection for the young people we serve.

"From the moment we received notification from HPD of the alleged sexual assault, BGCHC immediately initiated full cooperation with their investigation. We provided full access to extensive video footage from our 33 cameras positioned throughout the property; documentation, some of which showed that the accused former employee was not present at the Club on the day of the alleged incident; and, personal testimony from staff. Contrary to a news report from WLOS, no related claims or allegations of abuse of any kind have been made against any current or former employee of the Club. Unfortunately, the Club has had multiple grants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars frozen as a result of this unsubstantiated report by WLOS. We are working very hard to undo that damage so that we may continue our mission to serve our members.

"Our board of directors and staff do everything we can to make the Club as safe as possible for our members. We have an integrated safety management system, which includes extensive policies and procedures, regular staff training, criminal background checks for staff, board members and volunteers, a safety committee led by members of our board of directors that meets quarterly, multiple annual internal and external safety assessments, and a Club culture that encourages safety at all levels within the Club. We had 33 video cameras that were operational on the date of the alleged incident and all relevant footage was provided to HPD for use in its investigation.

"We are currently in the process of adding 15 additional cameras to our campus. Additionally, the Club is one of the few Boys & Girls Clubs in the United States that contracts with local law enforcement to provide school resource officer-type coverage during most of the me when members are present on our campus. The Club also places two employees on each bus that transports our members, to ensure that our One-on-One policy is never violated and for the safety of our members. The Club goes far above and beyond the rigorous standards set by the Boys & Girls Club of America for Club safety and will continue to do so in the future.

"We would like to thank HPD for their professional and thorough inves ga on into the allegation and are grateful for their communication throughout the process. We would also like to thank the Club’s members and parents and our supporters who have stood firmly with us during this difficult time. We will continue to remain focused on providing a safe, secure and welcoming environment for the kids we serve."