A teacher bound and gagged students and put cockroaches on their faces. And no child ever reported it?

IF true, how sick can you be?

• Link
• Report this comment

After more than thirty years in the classroom and raising two of my own…..I. Annot imagine children not reporting this! Someone would talk…..

• Link
• Report this comment

I find it hard to believe that anyone could be sick enough to do this. I find it even more difficult to fathom that children in this day and age did not report it .As for cameras in the classroom – bring them on.. Parents are welcome to observe my classroom anytime. Just don’t blame me if you do not like what you see. When you discover what really goes on in a classroom and how students behave on a daily basis, you will be outraged– but not with teachers.

Maureen, I need your email. I tried to email you an article, but it came back to me.

• Link
• Report this comment

Consider this my skeptical nature, but something about this just doesn’t add up….

• Link
• Report this comment

@Jarvis
I guess so….

• Link
• Report this comment

The only problem with cameras would be just as the previous poster stated. I do not worry about my action as a teacher but parents amazed at what other students do in the classroom and the privacy issues for all the students. Mom would not only be watching teacher but also 20-30 other little ones and then could report any number of issues to the principal or board. That would get alot of attention I am sure.

• Link
• Report this comment

I never told my parents til I was an adult that I was slapped for being left handed. This is very common. Abusers know how to intimidate, and the children think its their fault too. No parent should trust their kids with anyone these days. And if you have a gut feeling something is not right, speak up and do something. Now….corporal punishment is still legal in the state of Georgia…there have been several cases now where this leads to abuse, injury and even abuse of a sexual nature. Parents should never consent to corporal punishment in any school district, because you have no clue who these people are what their motives are. And schools have been known to lose the paperwork or ignore it completely. In addition immunity is a problem and is a glaring loophole in the child protection laws in the state of Georgia.

• Link
• Report this comment

It’s not the children who are going to report it if they are scared….it’s the school that has mandated reporters in it. Maybe somebody didn’t do their job. I wonder how long this has been really going on. It’s the other adults in the school and at home who are responsible to do the reporting. I think someone did not do their job.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ELMom….I can relate to your story, when I was in the 4th grade my teacher required each student in the class to do long division on the blackboard, when it was my turn I got several of the steps wrong, each time my teacher would hit me in the head with one of those long eraser that was full of chalk. Needless to say I was humilated and near tears, alas I didn’t tell my parents because my stepfather who was already abusive would have made it seem like it was my fault. To this day I think back on that horrible ordeal and I realize we lived in a different time where the teacher had all the power and the child had none.Although it was 45 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. From that day forward I became a whiz in math and every other subject, because in my young mind kids who were smart or learned at a faster rate, things like getting hit in the head didn’t happen. So yes I can understand why some students kept quiet. On the other hand kids aren’t as passive as we were, so I can’t believe they couldn’t find a single trustworthy adult to report this monster.

• Link
• Report this comment

Personally I don’t think schools do enough to get rid of abusive teachers. They brush things under the carpet most times or pass the educator from school to school, or just let them take a leave, or don’t do anything at all. The courts in Georgia don’t do much either…it comes down to the immunity laws. Educator are the ONLY population that can say..sorry, it was ‘discipline’ and get away with what would be considered abuse if a parent did it. The courts’ hands are tied unless the laws are updated, immunity for teachers needs to be strictly limited or none at all (that will never happen because they would all lobby against it)

• Link
• Report this comment

Ahh…Government Schools at work…

• Link
• Report this comment

I need to point out two important things. However, let me say upfront that what this monster did was wrong.

1. This is one teacher out of tens of millions of teachers across the US. However, because of this one monster’s actions is it right to find fault with the teaching profession? Note the comment at 5:27 by Csoby.

2. Why is it when a teacher turns out to be a monster, it is plastered all over the news? Are you saying that not one medical doctor does anything bad? Are you saying that not one pharmisist does anything bad? What profession is WITHOUT a monster once in a while? Yet, it seems that news media loves to plaster these stories all over.
If the news media feels the need to do this, then they should be required to also plaster the GOOD and the POSITIVE people in the profession at least equally as much and as frequent!

• Link
• Report this comment

HS Teacher you maon and groan that teachers are being unfairly picked on by the media because they reported tihis strory. You feel that teachers are unfairly sought out for ridicule.

Oh please.

Child abuse is big news everywhere because it strikes at the heart of almost all Americans. Almost all adults have children so they are invested in this type of story and of course humans everywhere are interested because the victims are so helpless.

Football is darn near a religion in our society and when a football coach molested kids it was “plastered” everywhere in the news. When a priest molests children it is big news. WHen a parent abuses a child it makes the news. Abuse of children is big news period.

The fact that you want this heinous crime covered up says a great deal about you. You expect people to give you a get out of the news media free card because you are a teacher? You want the crime to be covered up. You sound just like a teacher in the CRCT cheating scandal. Just deny and hide.

Your comments are way off base. The media does everyone a service by reporting and highlighting crime. We as a community need toknow where the dangers are and we are very fortunate that the photo mat clerk reported seeing the nasty pictures of abused children.

You need a reality check, HS Teacher. A criminal is a criminal, regardless of their profession and a criminal who preys on the most vulnerable members of our society deserves a stronger punishment. Let’s throw this teacher in the jail and lock him or her away for good.

• Link
• Report this comment

Maureen, why didn’t you report the full extent of the abuse? These children weren’t just gagged and had cockroaches on their face..

THEY WERE FED SEMEN! That’s right the pervert fed the kids ejaculate and now the children may have a sexually transmitted disease. This monster deserves to DIE.

”
Other pictures depicted girls with what appears to be a spoon up to their mouths as if they were going to ingest a clear-white liquid.

Sheriff’s Lt. Carlos Marquez of the Special Victims Bureau said it was determined the children were given semen on a spoon or on a cookie. A blue plastic spoon and container found in trash in Berndt’s classroom tested positive for semen, the sheriff’s statement said.

None of the photos showed the students actually eating the semen, but Marquez said the children reported they didn’t like the taste.

Authorities are recommending the children be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/30340657/detail.html#ixzz1l5Kd1MVx

• Link
• Report this comment

Good Mom: I understand that this is a horrible crime against children, made worse by the abuser’s position of power. I also understand HS teacher’s comment about only the bad news of education being reported. Can’t the good that schools and the teachers are doing also be reported?

• Link
• Report this comment

WOW!!!! Gotta love public run gov’t schools!!! True learning at it’s best!!!!!

• Link
• Report this comment

You fail to remember that teachers are often looked up to by the students. For example, can’t we ask the same of the children abused by priests? Did they report it? No. Now that they are grown men they are coming forth. Do not underestimate the power of a teacher over children

• Link
• Report this comment

IF the person is truly responsible for this behavior, he should be as fully punished as is possible. If not, the same effort should be made to correct the information, and those guilty of lying should be punished severely.

• Link
• Report this comment

More happy teacher stories from the Ida Tarbell of educational reporting!

• Link
• Report this comment

Really Amazed
January 31st, 2012
8:11 pm

WOW!!!! Gotta love public run gov’t schools!!! True learning at it’s best!!!!!
——————
Well, I learned the difference between “it’s” and “its” in a public school.

I don’t think there’s any such thing as a public-run school.

• Link
• Report this comment

Sorry Maureen. Ban me if you must, but that cold heartless woman crossed over MY line. I have read her evil posts for a while but by god THAT ONE was just too damn much.

And she teaches your children……………..

• Link
• Report this comment

ROFL@ Fred. “I bet you’re a Baptist, aren’t you?” LOL

• Link
• Report this comment

I find myself in an awkward position agreeing with Fred. I usually love your posts. I don’t think you read the article either.

• Link
• Report this comment

You ask ” Can’t the good that schools and the teachers are doing also be reported?”

Of course. It aleady is. Maureen just ran a piece about the teacher who drove 70 miles a day to buy books for kids that helped to create a judge.

…but that is not what you really mean. What you reallhy mean is that you don’t want anyone posting bad information about a teacher.

The teaching profession is like most — there is bad and good in all professions but what makes this a particularly heinous crime is that the pervert was entrusted to protect the children. Just like a priest, the community and our larger society give up the most precious thing on planet earth to teachers and priests. We hire you to take care of our children so it is particularly outrageous when one of you does such harm. Just like a priest.

If this crime were committed by a homeless drug addict we would still be outraged becaues the victimes are the most helpless.

So for anyone to whiiiiinnnnnnneeeee that poooooor teadhers are being picked on again (dear lord, catlady you make me puke) is to make everyone give up on you.

FOr once, just get over yourselves and admit all teachers are not saints. Stand with the community in their fight against all those who would harm children.

• Link
• Report this comment

ERic, you blamed Maureen for the crimes of a criminal. You wrote “Maureen, you’re succession of articles in the past several years has lead to a huge mistrust of teachers and public schools. Would you please move on to some other topic?”

Maureen’s succession of articles has not led anyone anywhere. The actions of the criminals is what has led the public to distrust. Ninety percent of all AMerican chiildren still go to public schools. So obviously those parents are trusting teachers,

The fact that you want to blame Maureen says alot about you.

• Link
• Report this comment

The answer to Maureen’s question of why the students didn’t report it is that the students thought they were playing a game. That was made clear in the full LA times article.

Maureen, if you did your thesis on child abuse, I am very surprised you were surprised the students didn’t tell. They didn’t tell because they didn’t think there was anything to tell. They thought it was a game and of course they wouldn’t complain about that.

When was your research for your thesis, Maureen? I am very surprised you would not know that perverts trick children.

If we all think about it for just a moment…at that tender age we all make up silly unbelievable stories and tell our children. Reindeers fly and tooth fairies and so on. The children believe these stories. They are so innocent. So if it is easy to make a child believe a fat man in a red suit can fly all over the world in an evening delivering billions of presents, it would certainly be easy to tell the children that the white milky substance on the cookie or on the spoon was milk. THe cockraoches might have been a lesson about animals. Perverts use children because they are so naive.

• Link
• Report this comment

I was nauseated by the story, and can’t believe (1) anyone would do these things, although appears obvious that this man did, (2) that none of the children apparently said anything to anyone, and (3) that no one else in the school had any suspicions that there were odd things going on.

Of course, several parts of the article also raised eyebrows…

At first, neither the parents nor the children believed they had been molested, so there wasn’t much reaction, according to sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore. It was only after the matter of the semen was raised that they became alarmed.

And apparently the children volunteered to participate:

“The reason some of the kids are not his students, per se, is that during the lunch breaks or recess, he’d go out to the playground and entice them back to the classroom,” Marquez said.

“They didn’t know they were being violated in that manner,” he said. “They just thought it was a game.”

• Link
• Report this comment

To those of you who say “you make me sick,” oh, well. Sometimes trying to be fair to someone who is accused of something, but not convicted, or arguing the opposite, gets you approbation from others.

IF this person did this, he should be put UNDER the jail, AFTER he is convicted.

As to my religious beliefs, NO, I have never been Baptist, or Catholic.

As to my “popularity,” kids and their parents clammor to be in my classes. The kids and their parents come back to see me and thank me. You are off base on this. I am frequently one of a child’s few cheerleaders and advocates.

And, yes, I have seen MANY horrors visited upon kids by their parents or parent’s live in, in the nearly 4 decades as a teacher, starting the first year when a little girl came to school with a handprint on her face. She had walked in on her mother and boyfriend in bed.

• Link
• Report this comment

Oh, and did I read the whole thing? No. It makes me sick to be aware of abuse like that described. I was unable to finish it. Our local judges know not to even think of putting me on a jury dealing with child abuse.

• Link
• Report this comment

Oh teacher mom,

Cameras are needed. The only people who are opposed to the idea are ,,,,,,, TEACHERS! SURPRISE!! Then and only then will real education happen. And yes, we can then go to the video tape for a timely instant replay. Not a year later.

I find the huddled masses commenting on here attempting to defend one of their own the ones who are disgusting. Perhaps you folks can team up with Jessie Ventura and continue his Conspiracy Theories reality tv show. Or you can continue like teacher mom and blame it on administration. Oh no teacher mom. The other faculty members should not be expected to police one of their own?

I still cannot get over the fact they knew about this for a year and continued to allow this “THING” to practice his craft. All you folks who claim he is being falsely accused need help. And lots of it.

• Link
• Report this comment

The crazy is really coming out now. Catholic Priests?

• Link
• Report this comment

Also, “The Freedom Writers” is a movie about a South Central LA high school — it’s very well done, based on the true story of a “newbie” idealistic and very intelligent English teacher who bucks the system. It’s received a lot of attention and is worth watching but won’t give you as much of the flavor for the elementary school setups in South Central LA (concrete buildings, doors opening to courtyards, that have no grass and no windows, individual rooms on outside hallways, etc.– my recollection from watching Hobart… like a lot of Miami schools .. they are not like ours, where they are inside a big building with rooms off of hallways).

• Link
• Report this comment

catlady, you claim your students love you and you claim their parents do too. that is not a sign that you are a good, honest person or a good teacher.

If you bothered to read the story you would know that this 30 year “teacher” was very well loved by both students and parents. He was often invited to the homes of the students — by their parents.

The teaching profession is not only not immune to pedophiles –it has more of them than other professions. Pedophiles seek out opportunities to be around children so they have a big pool of victims to choose from. This sicko you defend lived a couple blocks from the school and the park, where children are. Sandusky the rapist lived literally across the street from an elementary school and became the leader of a charity for disadvantaged children. It was his strategy to keep a nice flow of new victims handy.

So, telling us, catlady, that children and parents “love” you does not mean a darn thing. This pervert’s students and parents loved him too. You admit you haven’t read the story but you immediately rush to defend the pervert. You admit you don’t have the facts but you rush to defend the pervert. Protecting your own is more important to you and that is a huge red warning flag for everyone. You put yourself under suspicion when you rush to defend without the facts.

Because you are too busy to read, here are the facts:
The pictures were on film, which cann’t be retouched. A clerk at a photomat reported the pictures to police.
The pictures show the children with a spoon held to their lips as if they are about to drink the clear, white liquid.
The spoon in the photo was found by police in the trash with semen on it. The DNA test proved it was this pervert’s sperm.
There are more than 400 photographs of children in these positions and with cockroaches on their faces and being bound and gagged. The photos show the events happened in his classroom.

OK, now catlady, now do you believe? What other proof do you need? You say IF he committted the crime. IF? IF?

Will you admit it now that he is guilty? or will you continually defend this pervert simply for the fact that he is a “teacher’”?

• Link
• Report this comment

The beauty of having cameras in the classroom is we as parents would be able to monitor your classroom like many of you monitor this blog instead of using your time during the school day doing what you claim you have no time to do. Ahh, by the way, that would be teaching our children in case someone out there didn’t realize what I just said.

• Link
• Report this comment

cameras in the class? get out of here with that jive. parents really dont want to see how their children behave. besides, they wouldnt believe it anyway and somehow blame the teacher for the childs behavior.

• Link
• Report this comment

I love the idea of cameras in the classroom. I can watch children from the start of classes on the East coast to the end of classes on the West coast.

Totally for their safety, of course.

• Link
• Report this comment

A dentist fondles a child while the child is under gas. This dentist feeds the child ejaculate. This dentist does this to multiple children. This dentist has been in practice for 30 years.

Are all dentists doomed? Is the dentist profession “broken”? Do you advocate that all dentists should now go through some extra step for whatever? Do you advocate that all dentists should be jailed?

No one, NO ONE, is saying that this monster should be protected. No one, NO ONE, is saying that all teachers are saints. No one, NO ONE, is whining that teachers are perfect.

This is a monster. This is an individual. This individual should be punished accordingly.

Should the administrators have caught this early on? Probably. So, I would suggest that the “fault of the system” falls into the administrators lap.

However, if you are unaware, whenever administrators are asked to do anything, they simply pass the buck and make teachers do it. So, this would end up being another responsibility for a classroom teacher to do rather than to focus on teaching contect to the students.

• Link
• Report this comment

To the teachers who are wondering why this is reported. This is a matter of public record. You are teachers paid by tax dollars. These kind of abuses need exposure. You people are mandated reporters and your profession seems to attract an awful lot of pedophiles, along with the priesthood, college coaches, etc. They all need to be plastered all over the news, no one is singling you out. Please get over yourselves and be part of the solution not part of the problem. You want the news to go away – clean up your own profession, then. And you wonder why there is negative backlash, it’s because of comments made by educators on these and other blogs.

• Link
• Report this comment

@gamom

You state: “This is a matter of public record. You are teachers paid by tax dollars. These kind of abuses need exposure.” Agree, agree, and agree.

You state: “You people are mandated reporters and your profession seems to attract an awful lot of pedophiles, along with the priesthood, college coaches, etc.” MAJOR disagree!!! If you look at the percentage of ‘monsters’ in teaching, I would bet it is far less than in many many other professions. Remember that there are likely MILLIONS of teachers in the nation.

I can understand WHY you would be so mis-informed. And, it is BECAUSE these few are in the news continuously (I’m sure we’ll hear about this one instance for months). So, you THINK that there are many teachers like this. But, it is not true. And, THIS is what is upsetting – that the news makes it appear as though it is widespread in the profession – and it is not.

You state: “Please get over yourselves and be part of the solution not part of the problem. You want the news to go away – clean up your own profession, then.”

Excuse me? Why the attitude from YOU? You are misinformed about the problem. The problem is NOT teaching. The problem is the monster. Get it? I doubt it.

You state: “And you wonder why there is negative backlash, it’s because of comments made by educators on these and other blogs.”

Again, excuse me? The ‘backlash’ as you put it is only a result of people like you that don’t understand the problem. If you would please first understand things, find out facts, and try a little cognitive processing before lashing out at teachers, maybe, just maybe, you will find a better response!

• Link
• Report this comment

@To HS Public Teacher -

I challenge you to prove it. I do not believe for one second that the percentages of pedophiles in teaching is any greater (and I think far less) than other professions.

I agree that they may physically want to be near their victims such as chosing to visit parks or live near schools. However, keep in mind that to become a teacher does required college education and other vetting. That does make a difference.

• Link
• Report this comment

its actually -sadly- easy to understand.
pedophiles excel in shaming their victims to be quiet.
they are profoundly skilled manipulators.

if this pans out to be true, just turn the animal over to
the parents in a closed gym. send crew in to sweep up remains
in the morning. and hope he lingered in pain for a long time

• Link
• Report this comment

HS Teacher, you wanted your proof. Here it is from the Associated Press:
Link: Source: http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/trial-procedure-statute-limitations/8921607-1.html#ixzz1l9jzDqdx

text:
”
A recent investigation by the Associated Press found that sexual abuse of students by the nation’s teachers is rampant – yet criminal and civil sanctions to punish this behavior are spotty at best.

Over a five-year period, the AP found more than 2,500 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked or surrendered for student abuse, and found that about half of them were also convicted of crimes related to their misconduct.

The investigation concluded that these numbers may be just the tip of the iceberg, noting that school administrators “make behind- the-scenes deals to avoid lawsuits and other trouble” and lawmakers shy away from tough punishments on the state or federal level for fear of disparaging a vital profession.

The result is that many offenders move from district to district and repeat their offenses – a scenario similar to the priest sexual abuse scandal that has plagued the Catholic Church for nearly a decade.

But the lawyers who represent sexually abused children and their families in litigation against teachers say the AP revelations are nothing new.

“The reason pedophiles want to teach or coach is: That’s where the kids are,” said Jeffrey R. Dion, a lawyer who is director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association (NCVBA) in Washington, D.C., an organization devoted to increasing awareness about civil remedies for crime victims. “It’s always been like that.”

Roxanne Conlin, a plaintiffs’ lawyer in Des Moines, Iowa, who has who has handled many of these cases, agreed.

“I’ve read dozens of articles [about teachers sexually abusing students] over the years and I always think someone will take action,” she said. “And it never happens. We’re a society that says we value children, but we don’t.”

Lawyers say litigation against teachers and school districts is difficult for a variety of reasons. The perpetrators themselves seldom have deep pockets, school districts are usually protected by sovereign immunity and strict damage caps, and statutes of limitations disqualify many potential cases.

The Crime Victims Bar tries to monitor litigation, although Dion said it’s impossible to keep statistics on cases filed. But he said there have been 191 appellate decisions involving allegations of child sexual abuse in schools.

The vast majority of these cases settle. But Conlin won a $20,000 verdict in 2005 against the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, school district for failing to protect a fifth grader, Jennah Branmow, from Gary C. Lindsey, who allegedly fondled the girl’s breasts.

The trial revealed that Lindsey’s behavior was nothing new. Thirty-one years earlier, Lindsey had been forced to quit his first teaching job in Oelwein, Iowa, for the same activity. He then moved on to a series of other schools.

The Bramows appealed the $20,000 verdict, contending that the trial court erred in excluding the testimony of a police forensic investigator who had interviewed the girl. The Iowa Court of Appeals, however, let the verdict stand (Bramow v. Cedar Rapids Community School District, No. 5-439/04-1118).

The Bramows reached a confidential settlement with Lindsey prior to the trial.

Dealing with denial

William Friedlander of Ithaca, N.Y., said he tries to bring teacher sex abuse cases in federal court in order to get them out of the local community. Teacher perpetrators are often very popular, he said, and people in the community often find it difficult to believe allegations against them.

As an example, he described a case that he brought against a popular math teacher and coach, Gary Serlo, on behalf of two boys who said they’d been abused by him.

Serlo was widely admired, and had been chosen by students and faculty as “teacher of the year.” But Friedlander said the admiration was not universal. His two clients and several other students complained of Serlo’s behavior and actions. In class, he fondled their backs and found reasons to reach for items so that he would rub against them. He grew more aggressive and began surreptitiously reaching into their pants.

Then he took one of the boys onto his boat and forced him to perform oral sex. The boy told his grandmother, who came to the school in a fit of rage, Friedlander said. The school looked into Serlo’s background, apparently for the first time, and saw that 24 years earlier – as a teacher in Pennsylvania – he’d served six months in prison when he was convicted on charges of attempted deviate sexual intercourse with eight named students.

Serlo was charged and convicted and is back in prison.

But the families also filed a Title IX suit in federal court. Both Serlo and the school district were named as defendants, and the claims included negligent hiring and negligent supervision.

“It’s very tricky handling these cases,” said Friedlander. “These kids need counseling and a lot of kids don’t want to do it because it’s traumatic. When you’re dealing with adolescents, it can just be very, very hard.”

So when the school district offered a confidential settlement, his clients accepted.

While Friedlander can’t talk about the case in any detail, he does talk about the events that led to the lawsuit and the criminal conviction.

“They had no policy, no training for anyone to recognize sexual abuse,” he said. “In depositions, teachers said they didn’t know what to do.”

In the wake of the lawsuit and criminal trial, the district now has a policy in place – and New York State now requires schools to conduct background checks on teachers they’re considering hiring.

Tips for plaintiffs’ lawyers

“These cases are very difficult,” Conlin said. “They require the ability to investigate independently, [because] the records will be incomplete and the people who know will be gone.”

Lawyers must also deal with federal school privacy laws that prohibit the release of personal information about students without the consent of parents or guardians.

Conlin said perpetrators are often difficult to corner and are skilled at talking their victims into secrecy.

“Most teacher pedophiles are very kind [to their victims],” she said. “They don’t threaten. They say, ‘This is our little secret.’”

Dion agreed. “It’s not something where a stranger jumps out of the bushes and grabs a kid,” he said. “They groom their victims over a long period of time. They tend to find victims whose credentials can be undermined. They pick kids from troubled homes, kids with behavioral problems.”

Before taking these cases, lawyers should conduct an “environmental scan” of the school where the alleged incidents occurred, suggested Mary Jo McGrath, a plaintiffs’ attorney with experience in sexual abuse cases and the founder of McGrath Systems, an educational consulting company in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The first indication of an abusive teacher typically comes in the form of rumors among students, said McGrath. Adults have a tendency to discount talk among schoolchildren, but “in 30 years of doing these cases, I can tell you that I’ve never heard a false rumor. Students know what’s going on.”

The first step for an investigating lawyer, therefore, is the student interview. Most students will be hesitant to share the information with adult authority figures, “but if you get them in the right environment, they’ll open up.”

“I tell them the reason I’m talking to them is to check on how school is going for them,” she said.

“But you don’t want to plant ideas, or use leading questions,” she said. “The interviews need to be well crafted. When they are, it’s amazing what comes out.”

It is also common for victims to come forward years – sometimes decades – later. Dion said the single biggest impediment to bringing civil actions for teacher sexual abuse is the statute of limitations. In most states, cases must be brought within two or three years of the incident. However, he pointed out, three states – Alaska, Delaware and Maine – have eliminated statutes of limitations for sex-abuse cases involving children.

He also said that some states have modified the law to adopt the concept of “delayed accrual.” These states allow individuals to claim a “point of awareness,” when they realize after the fact that they have been injured.

Another impediment for plaintiffs’ lawyers is sovereign immunity, which varies widely across the country. But Dion said lawyers should be aware that sovereign immunity doesn’t automatically preclude a claim. Sometimes, he said, school personnel can be named individually as defendants.

For instance, in 2000 the father of an abused South Carolina boy won a $105 million jury verdict for the emotional injuries that he suffered in learning of his son’s abuse. (”Father breaks new ground suing for sexual abuse of son,” Lawyers USA, Jan. 8, 2001. Search terms for Lawyers USA Archives: Meyers and Flowers).

In that case, a private school was held liable for only $250,000 because of the state’s charitable immunity statute, but two individual defendants were covered under the school’s insurance policy, each with $2-million limits.

“It takes creative litigation to figure out ways to get around some of the sovereign immunity issues to get justice for these victims,” Dion said. “It’s difficult, but it can be done.”

An ounce of prevention

“With a minimum amount of effort, [these suits can be] avoided,” said William Friedlander, an Ithaca, N.Y. lawyer who won a confidential settlement in a suit against teacher and school district.

Attorney Mary Jo McGrath, founder of McGrath Systems, a Santa Barbara, Calif., educational consulting company, said this holds true for any litigation against a school district. After many years as a plaintiffs’ lawyer, she now devotes much of her time to conducting training sessions for schools on how to avoid being sued for teacher sexual abuse.

A good anti-abuse, anti-harassment policy, she said, contains three tiers:

1. Awareness.

School personnel need to be made alert to “warning signs.” This includes teachers who are seen to be spending too much time with individual students.

“It also means recognizing what I call ‘boundary violations,’ like sitting too close, moving in too close, looking too closely into a student’s eyes,” said McGrath.

2. Intervention and complaint management.

People need to recognize what McGrath calls “the ‘Ick!’ factor” – reports that might not rise to the level of abuse but are nevertheless troubling.

3. Investigation by professionals.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ga mom – Bite me.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Good Mom.

First, your article is not from the Associated Press. It is an opinion piece from an online magazine – hardly reputable.

• Link
• Report this comment

To: not the real sloboffthestreet

I’m certain you are not a real anything. People who are against such a thing as cameras in their classroom are most likely to be the ones that have secrets to hide from parents & administration. As for you watching children closely and providing after school help? This I have got to see!!!

Maureen, Is Moderation like Time Out?

• Link
• Report this comment

HS teacher – if I am to understand your posting..you say that a college degree and other vetting might make a difference – abusers come from ALL walks of life. College Degree, no degree, it simply does not matter. Abusers are often ‘well liked’, respected, even revered, that’s how they ingratiate themselves to the families of victims. And masters at manipulation…if these kids were blind folded and rewarded for this game….this is perfectly reasonable why the kids didn’t report it. My question is …where was the administration? Is anyone watching these sickos.. Come On..this clown worked for 30 years and no one raised a question — especially the adults who are working at the school? ! Lots of questions here.. similar to Penn State. Makes me wonder how many other victims there are. It seems to me that a lot of educators don’t realize they are mandated reporters, and if they don’t report a suspicion, they are definitely part of the problem. And for your ‘bite me’ comment….WOW, enough said.

• Link
• Report this comment

To cat lady and others defending this POS teacher.

Give me one good reason a cup and spoon in the classroom trash should test positive for semen. Just ONE good reason.

Anyone?

• Link
• Report this comment

Correction * this case has NOT been tried in court yet.*

• Link
• Report this comment

@Prof
“In support of poor catlady—Please remember that in our court of law, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

I will also say that I have always regarded catlady’s posts as sensible and wise, and often warm-hearted.”

Agreed…

• Link
• Report this comment

Prof, we all understand that “And I gather that this case has been tried in court yet.”

Everyone on the blog I am absolutely sure understands it. The outrage is over catlady’s knee jerk defense of a pedophile. Her default setting is that regardless of the evidence or the crime, she will defend anyone for any reason simply because they are a teacher.

In this case, the evidence is overwhelming. They found his cup and spoon, pictured in the photographs in the garbage can in the classroom. The DNA of the sperm in the cup proved to be his own. He had 390 photographs of children either bound and gagged with mouths taped shut with cockroaches or had pictures of teh children being fed sperm.

The evidence is so overwhelming that no one could deny the pervert’s innocence. Yet, catlady, who admits not even reading the story, rushes to this perv’s defense.

The outrage is understandable and inevitable and certainly justified We don’t need a lesson in very basic law. We get it. We just believe catlady has had way too much of her own teacher catnip.

• Link
• Report this comment

BTW, the U.S. Dept of Ed also did a study on teacher sexual misconduct. It’s on their website too, I believe published back in 2004.

• Link
• Report this comment

Another Math Teacher

There is no “IF”. What there was continued during a year long investigation with no information being provided to parents of the students who YOU allege were abused. Your “IF” if you will. There are times when our legal system and constitution provide proper protection to the citizens of America. Then there are times when a year long investigation is continued because of the occupation of the criminal. It reminds me of the young lady who was deemed by a court of law to be “To Pretty To Go To Jail.” And you folks whine you have no union?

• Link
• Report this comment

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!

• Link
• Report this comment

SC671

Of course you were told by your local county office people as you like to call them that they do not want cameras in the classroom. I just love the way you try and distance yourself from your friends in the central office like they are a separate entity. I’m going out on a limb here but perhaps you were told as a young child that there was a Santa Clause also. So please try and use some common sense when being told something is a fact. The legal avenue is a wonderful excuse but you should be aware that with Infinite Campus, parents must register and sign in with a password to access the system. The same would hold true for cameras in the classroom. Funny how parents are asked for their autograph every year so that the school system may use photos of our children in any manner they see fit for school publications. Where is the big stalker/pedophile concern there? They even have password protected video feeds at hospital nurseries so family can view the newest member of their clan. So please approach your central office people once again and request you and your fellow educators would like to have video feeds of your classrooms made available to parents ASAP. It pleases me that all the teachers where you teach had no problem with classroom cameras. Make it so number 1.

YMMV? I don’t think so. It does seem to improve going downhill as opposed to going uphill though. But when I divide the gallons used into the miles traveled it always comes out the same. Something about being a creature of habit I suppose. Then there is the old “What goes up must come down.” You figure it out. You’re the Science Teacher, not me.

• Link
• Report this comment

@Prof, Science Teacher, and others of like mind.

We need to keep in mind that most of these posters really don’t know education. What they know is simply what they might recall from their k-12 education.

Also, they seem to be overly emotional rather than reasonable and logical. They respond to Maureen’s initial blog with emotion rather than logic.

Finally, I’ve noticed that most of them also have pre-determined opinions based on what they don’t know and are steadfast without wanting to hear other sides or consider any facts. They are quick to search for and find any base-less publication to support their opinions and use it to justify what they think.

• Link
• Report this comment

HS Public Teacher & Friends

You who teach and continue to want to advocate for this ex teacher claiming he has rights and has only been accused show very poor judgement. Being aware that the investigation went on for one year and his bail is set at $23 million, it should be obvious even to the people who are so superior to the rest of us knowing things about education that we would never be privy to, that the trial will be no more than a formality. Case closed. I would think people being so highly educated would be just a little more careful about the fights they pick. I say it was you the teachers who hold the same title as this man accused of such horrific acts that are being emotional. You wish to defend this man hoping the claim is false keeping the good name of your profession something to be proud of. This I understand but please remember what this man did is not a reflection of your work. It is a revelation to us all that this kind of evil is out there and no one is above suspicion. Remember this man taught for 30 years. He was respected and welcomed into many students homes. It appears to myself that he was given special treatment being an educator. This is what perhaps many find so outrageous. Poor judgement by administration as well as law enforcement was shown to allow this man to walk the streets for one year not knowing if he continued this behavior outside the classroom also. The latest is that he was accused in the 90’s of fondling a young student. The school system has no record of the accusation. That fact alone should trouble even you. No matter how many or how few abuse their trust given them to teach our children, everyone and especially those who hold the title “Teacher” should be the most outraged. Think about it?

• Link
• Report this comment

Slob, I don’t get your metaphor at 3:07.

• Link
• Report this comment

Defending a teacher accused of such behavior because you are one of them is in very poor taste and exhibits poor judgement. That is the outrage you are reading. How this man was allowed to walk the streets for one year also shows poor judgement by the authorities and for the school district to be hush hush about the matter is also a mistake. Teachers have protections the general public does not enjoy. This is where the outrage lies. Lynch Law? This case was allowed to be investigated for one year. His bond is set at $23million. The court case is a formality at best. Case closed. Pick your battles more carefully in the future. The educators on here are the ones acting with emotion because you are also a teacher. This evil lurks and for all we as parents know it could also live inside one of you. If that is the case I say, “String em up.” Here is a link with a little more of that good old fashioned emotion.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/la-teacher-suspected-of-lewd-conduct-keeps-benefits.html

• Link
• Report this comment

@sloboffthestreet. I meant “lynch law” on this blog, as a general behavior. Catlady was not “defending” anyone; she was cautioning that his case hasn’t gone to court yet, so while the evidence may seem overwhelmingly against him, we should let the courts decide his guilt. I believe that she was cautioning against a common tendency toward lynch law, as a principle.

And bam! Suddenly the responses seemed to be that she thought whatever teachers want to do is fine, so off with her head!

Yes, she probably was foolhardy to point out the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution at that point… I felt rather foolhardy myself in entering the fray. But the constitutional principle should be stated: innocent till proven guilty, no matter how abhorrent the crime.

• Link
• Report this comment

Slob, it’s obvious you’ve never worked in a school system if you think the people at the board office are the friends and allies of the students, parents, and classroom teachers. That may be true in a few very small rural systems.

Here’s another clue for you: who do you think would pay for these password-protected cameras in the classroom, teachers, or the people at the board office?

• Link
• Report this comment

Remeber, Maureen, the pervert who fed semen to children was also a trusted commenter. Parents opened their homes to him. Even if you personally know catlady, you don’t know and as a parent I am outraged anyone would protect and defend this monster.

• Link
• Report this comment

YOu write “I am not interested in using this blog space to attack individual posters. I want people to comment on the issues.”

Exactly. The issues. The issue IS catlady. She identifies herself as a teacher and turns a blind eye to abuse by teachers. This IS EXACTLY the issue. Perverts and abusers are allowed to abuse and hurt children BECAUSE of the actions of teachers and administrators who turn a blind eye to it and even cover it up after they are aware of it.

Read your own links to articles you blog about. Abusers and perverts get away with their crimes because people like catlady ignore it and defend the abusers.

This IS the point.

GM

• Link
• Report this comment

Sloboffthestreet and Good Mom are focusing on the abused child who is not believed by teachers or authorities, and how to protect that child; and that is a good thing. It does seem like the real lesson to be drawn from this horrific tale.

But they’ve gone beyond that to personal attacks that almost seem like scapegoating. Catlady has been pilloried and shamed pretty thoroughly for posting that we should remember the accused are innocent until proved guilty and there have been cases of false accusations of teachers. That was all she wrote. It’s not because I’m a teacher myself that I found it very painful to watch. It was. I agree with Maureen: comment on the issues, not the posters.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Mahopinion, 9:48 am. Yes.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Good Mom, 11:40 am. Yes, this links to a study done by Associated Press…in 2007. The study notes that over 5 years, 2500 cases of teacher abuse were reported, out of 3 million teachers nationwide. The point of the study was that although the number reported is a very small percentage, there must be abuse that never gets reported.

Please believe me when I say that I do not condone teachers’ abuse of students, sexual or otherwise. I just want to observe that the survey speculates “there must be much more abuse,” but only has data for the 2500 cases out of 3 million teachers over 5 years. The “abuse” covers all sorts, not just that by pedophiles. And the study is 4 years old.

Sorry–I’m just not going to change my position that the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution must be observed. The accused must have their chance to prove that they are innocent in a court of law…even with a crime as terrible as the one that is still unfolding in California.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Good Mom, 12:17 pm. Of course we should be on the look-out for pedophiles. No-one has said we shouldn’t. They’re also attracted to religious groups, churches, and the ministries that come into contact with young people. Not to mention the Boy Scouts. (I don’t know about the Girl Scouts…never heard of a case of a Scout leader sexually abusing her Brownies or Scouts.) Lots of examples there.

But I certainly think you’re making an unjustified leap of logic to say that we should expect pedophiles to be teachers, any more than we should expect pedophiles to be ministers, priests, rabbis, ministry youth leaders, Scout leaders, police officers…. Pedophiles are found throughout the population, including teachers.

And btw…I think that HS Public Teacher was pointing out what I did in my 12:11 pm post: the actual percentage of the 3 million teachers nationwide who have been found guilty in abuse cases is very low. Anything else is speculation.

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Good Mom. Kind of unlikely that pedophiles are looking for 19–25 year old undergraduates, or 26-40+ year old graduate students.

• Link
• Report this comment

@Good Mom

You must simply be totally insane. Your post at 11:40 to Prof is just filled with outright lies, especially regarding me. What have do I “deny at all cost”????

• Link
• Report this comment

You are making my argument for me, HS Public Teacher. Are you sure you are up to debate this topic?

You say “the actual number IN THE AP ARTICLE of teachers with their certification revoked is a very very small percentage of teachers in the profession. Can you at the very least agree on that point?”

Why certainly, even after being caught “red-handed”, this pervert who fed semen to kids, STILL RETAINS HIS LICENSE and get this — his full pension and benefits, including medical care.

You’re making my point for me, HS Teacher. These teacher-pedophiles have no fear of getting caught and when they do, they still get their salary and benefits and the unwaivering support of teacher-pedophile supporters like you.

• Link
• Report this comment

Thanks for the updtae, GaMom. I found the story. Prof, HS Teacher, Catlady, are you still there? Still listening?

That’s two teacher-pedophiles in the very same elementary school…and you claim abuse by teacher-pedophiles is so rare I mean IF they are guilty, right? IF? IF? IF? huh catlady?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/03/justice/california-teacher-bondage-photos/index.html

• Link
• Report this comment

You said “It would be nice if we could stop the strawman tactics of bashing other posters and concentrate on the issues at hand.”

but then you just also bashed another poster (me) by saying “Frankly, I can’t understand how someone who supposedly works and commutes 10-12 hours per day and seems to post on this blog 24/7 could possibly be a “Good Mom,” but maybe internet personas can be deceiving?”

Ironic, huh, Science Teacher?

But you go ahead and take your best shot, I can take it. I won’t slink away with my tail between m y legs like catlady.

…and because you asked, I’ll say again. I’m on staycation and blogging much more than usual. No 60 hours work weeks for me at all. Just relaxiing with the kids and enjoying the nice weather.

and if my blogs become tiresome, please feel free to make good use of that page down button on your keyboard…

and if you want a sure fire way to shut me up altogether, go tell your teacher-colleagues to quit whining on a public blog where every parent can read how much the teachers in Atlanta hate their childrne and want to “piss on them” – a quote from teacher V for Vendetta/Viscious.

Piss on them.

This teacher, V for Vendetta wants to piss on our children and you think that isn’t abusive?

• Link
• Report this comment

Science Teachere you write “Good Mom”, it was purposeful, because you’ve been doing 80% of the trolling on the blog.”

Ys, purposeful. That’s the ironic part. You throw a punch at my face and then complain we shouldn’t be throwing punches at one another.

…but I am not complaining, just observing the duplicitous nature of your comments and throwing it right back at cha.

If you don’t like my posts (and most teachers don’t) they why bother reading them? Just press Page Down. I always sig my comments as Good Mom, Good Mother or GM so they are very obvious. They are easy to ignore and…

if you want to decrease my comments, then stop responding to them, because I’ll always respond back…

and…

if you want me to shut my pie hole altogether, then you and your teachers should stop whining on a public blog about how much you hate your job, hate your managers and hate our children.

…because when you put down an innocent child you will always, always, always, have me to defend them.

• Link
• Report this comment

@Good Mom –

Wow. You just cannot be as stupid as you seem on this blog…. can you?

Yes, the man accused of these monsterous acts currently retains his certification and stuff. However, CURRENTLY, he has not been found guilty. Get it? I doubt it.

Once justice is done, then the rest falls into place. Get it? I doubt it.

Finally, I am glad to hear that you agree that only 0.8% of teachers in the US have had their certifications revoked due to pedophile/other types of things. And, I am glad that you agree that this percentage is small.

Now that you agree on that, can you agree that it is likely that other professions would have a higher percentage? For example, occupations such as the priesthood, medical doctors, and so on would likely have a high percentage – can we agree on that?

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Maureen

A second teacher has been charged at the same school:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/second-teacher-at-la-school-arrested.html

• Link
• Report this comment

Prof
February 3rd, 2012
10:57 am

@ Mahopinion, 9:48 am. Yes.

——-

Then please pray that no one like you is ever standing next to you if some one assaults you. They just might need to wait for a trial to determine that what is happening to you is wrong.

And please stay away from kids. If you need a trial to be told that photographing restrained students is wrong than you have no business being in a classroom. May I presume you are a graduate of Penn State?

• Link
• Report this comment

Since I can STILL post on this blog I can assume I didn’t cross any lines. I am still as disgusted as I was when I made my second post.

• Link
• Report this comment

Good Morning, Fred:)
GM

• Link
• Report this comment

Fred, regarding your post on another blog about citations for being a good mother….I don’t have any citations for being a good mom, but (and I swear) I did win a watermelon eating contest. GM

• Link
• Report this comment

@ Fred. Actually, she wrote “UNDER the jail after being convicted”…which I presume means executed and buried under the jail. Wouldn’t you agree with that punishment for this particular accused person?

• Link
• Report this comment