Alleged victim of Travis Turner, Virginia football coach, breaks silence at school board meeting

The schoolgirl allegedly abused by Virginia football coach Travis Turner broke her silence for the first time since he vanished into the Appalachian woods last year – telling how she initially blamed herself for the scandal in a heartbreaking statement.

“I did not feel like a victim,” said a statement from the girl read on her behalf at the Wise County School Board meeting Monday, the TimesNews reported.

“I felt like I was the problem. I felt like I had embarrassed the school, damaged the reputation of the coaching staff and disrupted something I was supposed to protect instead of myself,” the statement added.

The statement was read by a Wise County parent, who claimed he brought it on her behalf, and also listed off four other county school teachers who have been convicted of sexual misconduct in recent years.

“This is just the cases that have been reported and charged,” said the man, joining a chorus of irate residents who lambasted the board. “When there is this much abuse, it’s not just a few bad apples. It is a culture. The fish rots from the head down.”

The meeting was the Wise County Board’s first allowing public comments since Travis Turner vanished in November as police were on the way to question him over child porn and exploitation accusations.