DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — Some in DeSoto County say they are outraged and frustrated by what they call a “lack of accountability” by the school board.

That outrage reached a boiling point after Lindsey Whiteside, a former basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School and a former youth minister, was sentenced for sexual abuse of a minor.

WREG has reported numerous times on disturbing allegations against some DeSoto County teachers.

“We want Henley to resign, get that on the news, this ain’t going anywhere,” said one protestor.

An emotional outcry from protestors who demanded the DeSoto County School Board take action after Board Member Michele Henley wrote a letter of support for Lindsey Whiteside a convicted sex offender.

“You been here for 40 years and we’ve had 15 sexually assault arrests in the last 15years, what are you doing,” said another protestor.

“I know that they run background checks but that’s not enough. There’s a lot of non-convicted pedophiles out in this world,” said Brittany Benson, Licensed Master Social Worker.

Benson made her case recently before the school board and says it boils down to protecting the most vulnerable, the students, and folks in Desoto County are fed up with what Benson says is a lack of action.

“They are losing confidence in their children’s safety, and you can’t go to work and be sitting at your desk and functionally do a job while you’re worrying about, ‘is there a predator in my kid’s school, is my child safe,” said Benson.

Benson said there are not enough questions being asked of potential hires, not enough supervision and oversight, not enough accountability when abuse occurs.

“Why is our school board not…not being harder on this…why is there not a broader message being sent that we will not tolerate this…this will not happen and if you are caught doing this then we will push it to the letter of the law,” said Benson.

“No matter how big the system is…should this volume of pedophiles slip through the cracks if you’re asking the right questions,” said Benson.

WREG asked DeSoto County Schools how applicants are screened in the hiring process or what exactly is being done to ensure people with questionable backgrounds are not being hired. We have not received a response.