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Image: Oprah Winfrey, Steadman Graham
MJ Schear  /  AP file
Oprah Winfrey says the South African girls' school she founded is not facing a second sex scandal.
By The Scoop
msnbc.com
updated 3/31/2009 10:03:31 PM ET 2009-04-01T02:03:31

Reports claiming that The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa is plagued by a second sex scandal are incorrect, according to Winfrey herself, the school’s spokesperson and other sources with knowledge of the situation.

The U.K. Daily Telegraph reports that a student at the academy, which was founded by Winfrey in 2007, “preyed” on a schoolmate, and six others are “alleged to have touched each other intimately.”

Because the girls are minors, specifics can’t be divulged on the record. However, a source with knowledge of the situation at the all-girls' boarding school reports that recent expulsions weren’t due to the alleged sex scandal outlined in the reports.

"Several students were expelled last week for violating the Leadership Academy's Code of Conduct," said Lisa Halliday, spokesperson for The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. "We consider this to be a confidential school matter. Therefore, we will not confirm any personal information or disclose any details related to these expulsions,”

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Talk-show host Winfrey addressed the incident March 31, saying that “common infractions” get excessive attention due to her famous name, and that the school “will not tolerate” a violation of policy.

A dorm matron at the school was charged with abusing six students in 2007.

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Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.

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