Staff Report

Shandi Leigh Short

COLUMBIA CITY — A Columbia City woman was recently arrested for allegedly neglecting two children by failing to keep them enrolled in schooling.

Shandi Leigh Short, 37, 208 N. Walnut St., Columbia City, is charged with neglect of a dependent, a level 6 felony.

On Jan. 11, a Columbia City detective received a report from the Indiana Department of Child Services regarding possible physical abuse. A DCS family case manager forwarded the detective a form stating a child lived with Short, who has allegedly been violent in the past and is schizophrenic.

According to court documents, DCS also said the child may possibly be pregnant and that the child’s significant other may be physically harming the child, as the child had been seen with bruises. The detective went to speak with Short at her residence, but was unable to make contact at that time.

On Jan. 12, the detective spoke with one of the child’s relatives. The relative said she felt the child was appropriately being cared for at home, but said she believed the child’s significant other was physically abusive toward the child. She said she saw the child post pictures to social media of marks and bruises they had sustained.

In an interview with the detective, the significant other said he was friends with the child, as they had broken up. He also said he never engaged in any sexual activity with the child and believed the child was receiving appropriate care at home.

During conversations on social media, the significant other said the child sent him a picture of a positive pregnancy test, but eventually told him the baby wasn’t his. He also said he and the child never hit one another during arguments.

On Feb. 29, a family case manager told the detective two children had been removed from Short’s home for their lack of appropriate care and lack of education attendance. The removal occurred on Feb. 23.

In a follow-up on March 8, the case manager said the two children had not seen their primary care doctor in several years. The case manager also learned the children were placed into online school for the 2023-24 school year, but had only attended about two weeks’ worth of schooling. She said Short restricted the children from using a laptop and that they were unable to complete schoolwork as a result.

A forensic interview was completed with the pregnant child. She said she was held back in school due to lack of school attendance. The child said she had been sexually active with her former significant other and that he had been physically abusive to her.

On April 10, officers received a report about the children’s online schooling. Reports showed one of the children completed 31 hours and 39 minutes of schoolwork between Aug. 21, 2023, and Dec. 21, 2023. The second child completed a total of 17 hours of schoolwork between Aug. 21, 2023, and Feb. 23, 2024.

Short was booked in the Whitley County Jail on April 30.

Criminal charges have not been filed against any other individuals named in this case.