They also were pretty flippant with the girl that reported the kiss. She was very credible, she even went to TC first and confronted him and asked him what the relationship was. She wasn't buying any of his stories and wrote down his answers and reported him. She had also been very close with TC and felt they were friends, spent a lot of time in his room. It wasn't even some kid that didn't like him.
They really basically told her their hands were washed from it after she talked to several and she would ask them about it.
Then after they disappeared, one kid sent her a text blaming her for them disappearing. Basically they ran because she reported TC.
Some info in here i didn't know about the child that reported the 'kiss'. She was 12, correct? and she was one that was also hanging out in his room and thought they were 'close'? Don't beat the questioner... BUT... again as a young girl... could she have been 'jealous' of the attention ET was getting, seeing the kiss? and could it have been taken that way by school? Was he also 'grooming' this younger one? or did he act that way with MANY of the girls and that's why they are defending him? was it normal behavior for him (NOT that it is right, he most definitely crossed lines).
I remember being 15.. had a few teachers that were all popular etc... I swear i remember a kiss on the cheek from student to teacher as a thank you. And hugs were VERY common (back in 70s) and not considered sexual. If it WASN"T for the IG accounts and the inappropriateness of those, SOME of the individual things could be written off... there are just TOO many tho... and the IG and secretiveness pushes it over the edge. Bringing her to church WITH HIS WIFE ......... throws a little bit of a curve to it IMO.