PA - School Covered Up Rapes of Four 1st Graders

[mom3dd]

I pray to God that there will be a huge lawsuit. It is not true that the school is not responsible they have a responsibility to take care of our children.
They can not interfere with our constitutional rights as parents it is mandatory for our children to go to school so they are responsible leagally for what happens on school property they like it or not. They also know this they just won't admit it in public. We had a counselor tell our daughter that it was ok to go to family members and feel like she needed a vacation from us. We lost the lawsuit only because it was a teens word against an adult. The point being it went through the court system was not knocked out as frivoulus. You have to have it taped or they can squiqel out of it. This school is going to be in huge huge trouble and the parents of the special needs child more than likely can be sued also. This is unpardonable. IMO

 

[txsvicki]

Amrraann, thank you very much. :blushing:

I really have just about had it. We also were told a special ed kid in a wheel chair is coming and we are in an old 3-story hospital. We do have an elevator but cannot use it during fire drills. We have been told we must carry him down 3 flights. I have had a herniated disc and I have said I WILL NOT DO IT unless the building is ablaze (of course I would carry him, then). I will not throw my disc out again for a drill. The other teachers (all but 1 of us is over 45) mostly echo my sentiments either because of something physical or because they worry they may drop him (lawsuit) or that he will accuse one of us of touching him inappropriately during transport down the stairs. Once I would have laughed at that but we have all been accused of it, many of the parents chase lawsuits.

One kid insisted my colleague had a hidden camera in his classroom rest room and we had to tear apart the whole ceiling and search for the non-existent thing. Meanwhile he has the accusation in his file and our administration says "We cannot back you up in any way. We must remain neutral. You are on your own. You may, of course, contact the union." If a kid says "She touched me," we have to immediately call the police. They have been here many times for this.

I am sick of being paid like a peon, expected to perform mental, physical and and emotional heroics and being treated like a common criminal half the time.

Eve

What on earth did a disabled wheelchair bound child do to end up in an alternative school? It couldn't be fighting. I know the school tried to put my special needs grandson into an alternative school for blurting out too many times and had gotten too many marks over trivial things during the year. He wasn't fighting, doing drugs, stealing, etc. I felt that it was an attempt to get rid of him during the TAKS test since they waited until the end of the year after accumulating marks. TAKS is coming up again soon so I'd be interested to know if more kids are being sent into alternative schools and out into hallways nationwide. Maybe the boy who thought a camera was in the ceiling is suffering from mental illness or a reaction to some medications and needs help. Things sure seem to go from one extreme to the other in all these stories that we hear.

 

[Texana]

If I put a kid in the hallway unsupervised, I guarantee you that I am held responsible for whatever that child does, and what happens to that child. In fact, just having a child sitting out in the hallway unsupervised would result in the very least, in a verbal warning and possibly a written notice in my personnel file.

I can't imagine the school getting away with putting a special needs AND proven risk to others, in an unsupervised setting.

 

[SLP]

I read the whole article and I am left thinking that if the rape of children and then the cover up by educated professional adults is not shocking to the conscience… then what is?



I know someone remarked upthread that the school may have been trying to protect the offender's rights because of limits to how often schools are allowed to suspend special needs. I see the point but I doubt that is true with this case just because it does not seem to me that this particular school cared about ANY laws or protecting any kids rights. I think they were trying to cover themselves and that is it. I am wondering if the assaults did not take place because of a violation to the special education childs rights (inappropriate placement because of $$$ or his IEP not being followed) so it was covered up again and again so school administration did not have to answer for all of it. The school had a federal obligation to deal with this problem and not just cover it up going on IDEA law alone (not even to mention the human aspect ).

IDEA laws says that the school district must have a special education student in an appropriate setting and if a special education student’s behavior interferes with their or any other students learning environment the school is to have a FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) by a professional and a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) put in place for the student. This is a federal law and not optional for schools. If this child had a problem that could threaten his safety or the safety of other children this child should have AT THE VERY LEAST had a personal one on one aide that was with him at all times. Schools have more responsibility when it comes to children in special education because of laws that target these specific kids and what kinds of services the school has to provide for them. This child should have had appropriate services and one teacher in a regular classroom is not able to give the kind of attention and supervision this child needed even if he/she gave it 100%. The school was required to make the appropriate modifications/ accommodations or if those could not be arranged then change this child’s placement. If they could not change the placement to an appropriate alternative within the district then they had a legal obligation to pay for a private placement. Bottom line is that someone was not doing their job but I would run after a principal, school diagnostician, school psychologist or even the director of Special Education before I blamed a teacher. There are too many people involved in a special education child’s IEP team for no one to have known anything or done anything. To me that is what makes this case even more outrageous. Personally I would love to have a peek at this child’s special education file because I bet there were years of violations that the school was never called on that led up to this tragic situation.


All of this is of course before you get to school administration covering up one sexual assault and then allowing it to happen three more times! I hope these parents win this battle to show schools that they are held accountable and have to comply with federal law. Some people at this school were making up their own rules and slacking off big time on the job. Probably thinking of course that worst case scenario would never happen. Well it did and it is horrible that these four children had to pay the price for that!



By the way what did they tell the parents of the children that were sexually assaulted? Don’t sexual assaults have to be reported to doctors for medical care reasons, protective agencies, police, etc?

 

[Amraann]

"The district asserts that under the Constitution it can't be held responsible for failing to protect youngsters from assaults by other children."


I just wanted to comment that just because the school district says this doesn't mean its true.

 

[samhoney]

"The district asserts that under the Constitution it can't be held responsible for failing to protect youngsters from assaults by other children."

I'm sure a civil lawsuit brought by the parents of these children might make them change their minds.

 

[mrsjonnob]

It was unclear to me even though I read the article- Were the parents not told that this happened until later????

How disgusting.

 

[SLP]

It was unclear to me even though I read the article- Were the parents not told that this happened until later????

That was my question and I found this article that seems to give more info.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5rapejan19,0,794502.story

It says though that," After the third assault, the suit alleges, school officials told a parent of the assaulted boy they had called police, but hadn't.The assaults ended after the fourth attack when the father of the assaulted boy called police." No words. Just awful :furious: .

Here is an article that has an interview with the fourths boy's parents. Heartbreaking. http://iqte.st/blog/?p=442

ETA Is it Ok to link? Please tell me if I should not! TIA!

 

[mrsjonnob]

That was my question and I found this article that seems to give more info.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5rapejan19,0,794502.story

Is it Ok to link? It says though that," After the third assault, the suit alleges, school officials told a parent of the assaulted boy they had called police, but hadn't.The assaults ended after the fourth attack when the father of the assaulted boy called police." No words. Just awful :furious: .

I smell a HUGE lawsuit.

 

[MREG2]

I do too and by h*ll they better win it!!!!!!! :furious:

 

[curious1]

I am not one for lawsuits, but in this case I would definately sue. I also think that every one at the school, teacher and Admin and the School Board that had anything to do with this should have it noted on their permanent records that they allowed this to happen and behaved in a negligent way. They would not have a job anywhere if I was hiring. Hell, I would not let these people walk my dog or clean my bunnies cage.:razz:

 

[Ang50]

The first link said there was a lawsuit - 15 million right now. It'll settle, and I would guess the amount won't be disclosed. The parents sued b/c they were getting such a callous response from the district.

The school's response is legal wrangling. I don't know what the specific tests are, but generally if administration and the school had knowledge that this child was dangerous, then they will likely be accountable in some way.

The parents sound pretty knowledgeable, and pretty pissed off. I will guess that most of the administration, school board, etc. is going down here - anyone that touched this will likely lose their jobs from public pressure.

Also - this was filed in federal court, but I believe there are probably state tort actions as well. So even if "under the Constitution" doesn't work, there will be ways for parents to be compensated and changes will be made.

 

[Sheromom]

This is one of the saddest things I've read in sometime. I cannot believe they allowed this to happen and continue. At my kids' elementary school, each classroom of K-3rd grade has its own bathroom so that the kids can "go" without "leaving" and the teacher can keep an "ear" on them. I was very happy when I learned that they designed the school this way. Even when I volunteered there, it was much, much safer and easier on us volunteers not to be responsible in that way with students that we didn't come into contact with regularly.

What an excellent idea; having their own class bathroom would solve many school problems; I wish all new schools would be required to build each class an attached restroom!

 

[Details]

I really hope they don't settle. I'd kinda understand it if they did - but I really hope they don't. Win money and a commitment to some serious changes.

From the sounds though, we need some major changes in schools. I don't know how to deal with some of these juvenile criminals, but it sounds like we need some very different schools - and some real changes in what power a teacher has, how the administration works.

 

[Ang50]

What an excellent idea; having their own class bathroom would solve many school problems; I wish all new schools would be required to build each class an attached restroom!

It would be a great idea - except for taxpayers who are too willing to say that's "fancy" for a school... of course in this case, those taxpayers are going to take a multimillion dollar hit that MIGHT have been prevented w/ separate bathrooms.

A lot of bullying goes on in bathrooms - and it is such a secluded area.

 

[nanandjim]

...Where did this child learn this?????
I am not going to advocate his attacks on the first graders but I am going to ask where he got this from?? ...

This was my first thought. This youngster is a victim of sexual assault himself. I surely hope that his acting out is investigated.

 

[angelmom]

It would be a great idea - except for taxpayers who are too willing to say that's "fancy" for a school... of course in this case, those taxpayers are going to take a multimillion dollar hit that MIGHT have been prevented w/ separate bathrooms.

A lot of bullying goes on in bathrooms - and it is such a secluded area.

I don't think it's that expensive when the school is being built. Adding them would be very costly. Our school was built in 1999, and all of the K-2 classrooms have an individual bath that kids can use during class. There is also a bigger bathroom in the pod that they can use to go as a class.

My other favorite thing is that the school is split into pods, so the K-2 kids are separate from the 3-5 kids except possibly in the library or lunchroom (where of course there are plenty of eyes). A 5th grader in the K-2 pod would be a major red flag to anyone around. There is no good reason for a 12 yo and a 6 yo to be unsupervised together.

 

[txsvicki]

I am not one for lawsuits, but in this case I would definately sue. I also think that every one at the school, teacher and Admin and the School Board that had anything to do with this should have it noted on their permanent records that they allowed this to happen and behaved in a negligent way. They would not have a job anywhere if I was hiring. Hell, I would not let these people walk my dog or clean my bunnies cage.:razz:

They ought to have done to them what happened in old timey days, tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail, but I predict that none of them will lose their jobs and they will continue to lie about what happened and protect each other, feeling vindicated by blaming the parents of the child, the children, poor school district, etc.

 

[kylie]

Unfortunately, kids hide behind the "special ed" label and IEP's all the time..it is absurd...they get away with the most outrageous behavior and abuse..it is disgusting and yes, teachers are mandatory reporters.....I hope that district gets sued.....the teachers could have anonymously called the cops at least...how horrible.

 

[Bobbisangel]

It's hard to believe that this happened. I can't imagine that many children being raped and everyone in the school just turning their heads and they are still doing it. When our children are in their care you better believe it is their responsibility to watch over them. Who else is supposed to be responsible for them when they are at school. No wonder more and more people are home schooling their kids.

If that was my little boy I would be fighting mad too. It is one thing to have your little guy raped at school but for everyone from the Super down to the Principal of that school to act the way they have acted and are still acting is just beyond belief. I would be tempted to scratch their eyes out. Hard to understand. I wish everyone who has a kid in that school would move them to another school...maybe they would get the message then. That school put every little child in danger when they did nothing after the 1st boy was raped. I really wonder if there were only 4 little boys that were raped during those years?