Oprah Winfrey says Monday that she cried for almost an hour after hearing about the reports of abuse at her South African school. Winfrey said officials at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg hid facts and acted as if everything was alright.
Winfrey said she was not responsible for the hiring of staff at the academy, but that the screening process was inadequate and "the buck stops with me".
Tiny Virginia Makopo, 27, was not asked to submit a formal plea. However, she said she was "not guilty" of the 13 charges of indecent assault, assault and criminal injury against six students ages 13 to 15 and a 23-year-old fellow dormitory matron.
Makopo, who was arrested Thursday, was freed on $450 bail and ordered to return to court on Dec. 13.
The $40 million school opened with much fanfare in January with a ceremony attended by a cast of celebrities including Nelson Mandela, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee, Tina Turner and Mariah Carey.
Winfrey said Monday that the school headmistress' contract would not be renewed and indicated others also would be dismissed as she cleans house "from top to bottom."
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