Summary - November 15, 2007

TOP STORY
A labor consultant at a teachers strike in Ohio was charged for not telling the truth in his report that a security van for the school ran over his foot on the picket line. The reporter wasn't quite candid either. John Avouris isn't a labor consultant. He's the Ohio Education Association (OEA) representative at the labor talks and described elsewhere as a union president. Don't miss the videos of the thuggery at the picket lines and intimidation of children on the school buses.
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SENTENCED - Sex with student
She's officially our Teacher Trash of the Month. Kirsten Kinley, 27, was sentenced to three years in prison, with all but 18 months suspended. She pleaded guilty in August to one count of a third-degree sex offense involving sexual relations with a 15-year-old boy. Charges of improper sexual conduct with a second boy were dropped after he refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
She will be required to be a sex offender for life.
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Note: Two other teachers in Howard County, Maryland schools are awaiting trial for - sex with students.

GUILTY VERDICT - Murder
In Houston, coverage of the trial of David Temple, accused of killing his 8-month pregnant wife was intense. The jury found him guilty of the 1999 killing.
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Another teacher, Carla Hughes, is on trial in Mississippi for the murder of her husband. This is the second trial. The first jury found her guilty. A judge ordered a retrial because the jury wasn't "race neutral." TT - Link

GUILTY VERDICT - Sex with student
Michael Ashley, 41, was found guilty of third-degree rape and third-degree sodomy for sex with a 14-year-old girl. The jury recommended a six-year sentence. (Kentucky)
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ACQUITTED (Partially)
A New Jersey history teacher was acquitted by a Pennsylvania jury on 17 charges after a knife fight at an underage drinking party. They couldn't decide on another 7 charges against Christopher Davis, 35. It's a USA Network Story-of-the-Week material.
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RETIRED
An elementary school teacher in Pennsylvania agreed to retire and never teach again in Pennsylvania after an elementary student saw a sexual image on his computer. He was acquitted in 2001 of lewd conduct at the Catholic school. It's a convenient solution for the school but he's still going to have a teaching license.
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CHARGED - Sex with student
Thirty-nine-year-old Brenda K. Baillargeon was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old male student. The mother of the boy obtained a harassment restraining order against the teacher in October. Maybe she should have bought a gun. (Wisconsin)
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CHARGED - Grand larceny
A technology teacher at an Edison school in Rochester, New York, was charged with stealing the school's robot worth about $5,000. The robot is used in competitions.
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ARRESTED -
In Charleston, S.C., Scott Knight, 38, was arrested, accused of harassing a student.
In North Charleston, Larry Smith, 40, was arrested for assault of a high and aggravated nature against a student.
In Lakewood, CO, Frank Lee Pierce, 30, was arrested in sex internet sting.
Kerry McJunkins, 38, was arrested in Kentucky on sex charges in Arizona that date back to the 1980s.

IN OTHER NEWS

Getting rid of bad teachers
Is how the blog at the New York Times described the latest plan by Mayor Bloomberg to rid New York City schools of incompetent teachers. It all sounds great on paper, but even Bloomberg confessed it was an impossible task in a speech earlier this year. Just after he gave the teachers a 43% pay raise. And then there were those retirement consessions.
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Teacher shortage
While Bloomberg reforms New York schools (kinda), there's a teacher shortage in Maryland. At least, in Anne Arundel County public schools. They're hiring foreign teachers and in a new policy that is aimed at helping the new teachers, the district wants to sponsor their permanent residency in the U.S.
THE USUAL CAUSES of teacher shortage are cited: low pay and benefits.
THE REAL PROBLEM: The problem is teachers who can't pass competency exams after attending expensive American colleges and universities.
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Summary - November 14, 2007

SENTENCED - sorta
In Arizona, Rebecca Kelley, 24, was sentenced to three years' probation for failing to report an offense involving a minor and three separate charges of contributing to the delinquency of a child. The male student was 17-years-old. The judge said he believed probation was appropriate given Kelley’s remorse, acceptance of responsibility and age. (Arizona) We looked up the judge's qualifications.
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SENTENCED - for child pornography
Not only did James Mircovich possess pornography, he distributed it. When he was teaching he was accused of inappropriate conduct or contact with female students. Sentenced to 12 years for possession and distribution of child pornography, including pictures of a 20-month-old baby being sexually abused by her father.
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SENTENCED - Sex with student
In Georgia, Richard Whitehead, 34, will have a lot of time to wonder if maybe sex with a 17-year-old student was a good idea. He was sentenced to 30 years. And after that, he'll be a registered sex offender.
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ARRESTED - Child pornography
A teacher's aide in an elementary school was arrested for possession of child pornography. The aide is James Leonarczyk, 40, and investigators are now looking into his interactions with students at the school. (New Jersey)
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See our list of teachers and administrators who have been sentenced for child pornography and those who are awaiting sentencing.

OTHER NEWS

Sentencing Reform
They are talking about sentencing reform in Massachusetts to require mandatory sentences for child rapists. The average sentence for child rape in Massachusetts is three to five years. One of the witnesses at the hearing was a victim of a Massachusetts teacher who got a suspended jail term and probation after pleading guilty to child rape and child pornography. A MEASURE of the teacher's remorse was that the teacher broke the conditions of his probation and ended up being sentenced to the two years. They ought to investigate the judge. Oh, we already did.
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Ghost Employees
Even while giving stump speeches and writing articles about how there aren't enough jobs in Pennsylvania, former Representative Frank LaGrotta hired his sister and her daughter for ghost jobs. They got paid but did no work. He was charged with conflict of interest in the corruption investigation. His sister is a third-grade teacher. Both she and her daughter were also charged. And that's just the beginning of the scandal in Pennsylvania.
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Understandably Upset
Parents at an elementary school are understandably upset after they found out the school counselor was arrested for indecency with a child in 2004. A jury acquitted him of the charge. Authorities say another charge against him was dropped after a second student who'd accused him of a sex crime previously couldn't be found to testify in court. (Texas)
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Drunk in the classroom
"I'm trying to think why they wouldn't even mention that," one mother commented when she heard from reporters that a teacher her children's elementary school was sent home for being drunk and having a bottle of liquor in his classroom. (Wisconsin)
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Lawsuit
A judge ordered a Pennsylvania school district to turn over the names of 19 students whose names were redacted from documents turned over to an attorney whose client is suing the school district. The lawsuit? The parents of a girl who a victim of Donald James Rosie, 56, contend the school failed to investigate Rosie's involvement with female students. The girl was 16-years-old.
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Summary - November 13, 2007

SENTENCED - Child molestation
In Florida, David L. Mindick, 61, a substitute teacher, was sentenced to 225 days in jail - not prison - and five years' probation for for lewd and lascivious molestation of victims younger than age 12. The six girls were 8-years-old.
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SENTENCED - Sex with a child
Geometry teacher Julio Polo, 36, was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by five years' probation after a jury found him guilty of two counts of lewd battery and one count of having sex with a child. He is married and the father of two children. He turned down a plea offer of two years. His defense was that it was his nephew, not him. The student was 16-years-old. (Florida)
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SENTENCED - Sorta
In Maine, Christopher Dumaine, 39 an English teacher, pleaded guilty to two counts each of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact and one count of violating a condition of release for contacting the victim against court orders. He was sentenced to to four years in jail - not prison - with all but the nine months suspended.

The girl was 16-years-old. She wrote a letter to the judge asking to see Dumaine when she turned 18. Dumaine will be a registered sex offender for 10 years.
[Ten years sex offender registration but only 9 months in the local jail????]
(Maine - as a poster said, breeding ground for Jerry Springer episodes.)
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INDICTED - Lesbian sex with student
Arrested in May, Heather Thornsby, 34, was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts related to an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female student. She is charged with three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and two counts of exploitation of a minor by electronic means. (Tennessee)
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INDICTED
Paul M. Knutson, 58, currently a teacher in Arkansas, was indicted by a grand jury on 13 felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor and drug-related charges. The charges date back to between 1983 and 1985 when he taught in Scottsdale, Arizona. The newspaper reports that at least six cases in which employees of East Valley schools face sexual-related charges involving minors are moving through Maricopa County Superior Court. (Arizona)
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ARRESTED - Vehicular
A technology teacher at a middle school led police on a chase after they were called to the school following a meeting between the teacher and school administrators. The subject of the meeting wasn't revealed, but they would not allow him back on campus and two schools were locked down. It sounds to us like a mental health issue. (Illinois)
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ARRESTED - Suspicion of lewd acts with a child
A 62-year-old teacher's aide was arrested in Alta, California, suspicion of committing lewd acts with a child. John Erickson, 62, is a retired teacher. He is accused of exposing himself to one child. (California)
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ARRESTED - DUI, Drug possession, trafficking in drugs
Arrested at a traffic stop for DUI, police searched the car of middle school teacher Jesse Mockler, 30, and found the painkiller Roxicet, a combination of Tylenol and Oxycodone. They also found three muscle relaxant pills called Flexeril in Mockler’s car. Both drugs require a prescription. He's charged with DUI and drug possession and trafficking in drugs. [That last is because of the schedule and quantity of drugs, not because he was selling.] (Florida
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ARRESTED - Lesbian sex with student
In Pennsylvania, Erica L. Baker, 24, a student teacher, was arrested on charges that she had sexual contact with a 16-year-old female student.
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ARRESTED
A registered sex offender was arrested in Illinois working as a temporary worker for a food service company contracted by the school district. He worked two days at a middle school, one day at a high school and was arrested on the fourth day at the middle school. The company was supposed to conduct background searches on all employees. His previous conviction was molestation of a 9 year-old girl. Taxpayers pay top dollar for this?
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OTHER NEWS

COURT NEWS
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a court clerk who tried to get a husband's criminal record cleared so he could be a teacher. She prepared an order to dismiss all charges against her husband, but an employee at the state police records unit got suspicious.
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SHODDY CANADIAN TEACHER DISCIPLINE
Newspapers in Canada are starting to look closely at the teacher disciplinary records and, not surprisingly, are finding the same lack of discipline found in most U.S. states. In British Columbia, the review panel consists of -- get this - one staff lawyer representing the parents and two former union officials. Predictably, the cases are resolved in consent agreements so no one is the wiser. And since, Canada also reports teacher discipline to NASDTEC ("National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification") the records don't quite reflect reality for Canadian teachers either.
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SHODDY U.S. TEACHER DISCIPLINE
USA Today had a similar theme. In an editorial, they want confidentiality agreements eliminated. They also want school districts to quit passing abusers on to other districts. They also report that some states are making it hard for teachers to get away with sexual abuse. In Maine, where state officials refused to release teacher disciplinary actions to the AP reporters, the governor has vowed to change confidentiality laws. In Missouri, legislators are considering a bill that would ban confidentiality agreements in sexual abuse cases. And in Florida, legislators are debating a registry of teacher offenders.
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DRUG SWEEP A drug sweep in an Ohio school was noteworthy for the lack of drugs. Two students were arrested when drug sniffing dogs found drugs in one of their lockers. However, the real story is how the school provided garbage bags in every classroom and teachers told the students they would step out of the room for 90 seconds and students could put whatever contraband they had inside with no questions asked. What did that accomplish? (Ohio)
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Summary - November 1, 2007

TOP STORY
A music teacher in Maine was arrested, charged with misdemeanor touching of students. It is a case that perfectly illustrates how a popular teacher is shielded by that popularity from serious scrutiny even by the parent of a victim. An earlier story of his arrest was filled with accolades gleaned from the newspaper archives, leading to widespread support for him and an accusation that the victim made up the story because of grades.

A second story today shocked readers when they learned that the teacher had admitted his attraction for very young children, had a previous complaint reported against him, and is under suspicion of buying child pornography. The self-examination by readers is thoughtful and serious and very informative.

It also illustrates how communities are torn by their loyalties and how devastating that is to the victim and their families. Some comments from the site are below.
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I imagine the mother must have felt the weight of the teacher's popularity - not an excuse, but that's the way it often is. Some of the first reactions yesterday smacked of what folks fear to face when they speak up. It's been seen before that people with these tendencies ingratiate themselves with the community even while they groom their victims. I don't know if it's intentional camouflage or some kind of subconcious compensation - the good feelings they get from the praise for what they publicly do assuaging to some degree any guilty feelings they get for what they privately do? Maybe a little of both. It might seem like sensationalism to some, but the more these stories are reported the easier it will be for victims to come forward and the harder it will be for perpetrators to continue. Good job, SJ. - Graylady

AND,

I am still reeling over yesterday's comments. My, how everyone changed their tune overnight, and suddenly stopped defending the scumbag teacher. - justme

AND,

Another Park Ave. parent here. Obviously the students he touched were victims, but I think the whole school community: parents, teachers, and students are victims this week. Our trust has been betrayed. It's really easy for outsiders to blurt, "lock up the scumbag", but not so easy for those who worked with him daily, developed a friendship, and have had your child look up to him. Now I make sure my 8 year old doesn't see the news on TV or this site, because I'm just not sure how to explain it to him. As angry as I should be for what he has done, I still can't help feel bad for the guy when reporters are banging on his door and showing his house and address on statewide TV. It's just hard for some to mentally "flip the switch" and change their view from "happy, nice guy" to "horrible criminal". It's just a bad situation all the way around and hope the school can recover and move on as best they can. -DW

AND,

I think cameras in every classroom would be a deterrent to a lot of this behavior. -william

From JohnBerry:

JaneDoe, Please let your niece know that many of the members of this community greatly admire her strength and courage. We are proud of her. ----- Please let your sister know that she did the right thing. She looked at the whole circumstance and made a decision with the facts she had at the time. It is easy to look back and pass judgment as many are taking the opportunity to do. Their statements about what they would have done or what the mom should have done can be seen as people taking an opportunity to discuss the difficulties that face every parent and caregiver. A conversation like this (without the criticism) can be healthy. Through this we will all learn to better deal with these problems. ----- My best wishes and prayers are with this girl, her mom, and all of the families in our community.

AND,

I think if you want to be teacher ,They should have some kind of test before to see if they like children,And yes have camers in every room of the school, - Annie

From a student,

am a 15 year old student at Franklin School and happen to be family with one of the little girls that stepped forward. I am very proud of her and have told her this. I do however believe this man should be away for life. If we pay good enough attention to how this man is talking he feels no remorse, he feels what he's done has to do with mental illness..BS! I have a mental illness and I was just taken off my medication. I've been doing well and you don't see me going out and sexually harassing/touching little boys or girls. I believe the schools should be at fault. They were getting reports and handling it very unprofessional. The mother of this little girls is just as hurt nd feels the same fault as the other parents. What if she had made the report? Do you honestly think it would have blown up this quick? Do you really think this man would have been investigated this quick. I don't believe so. I think it would have been another in-house incident. They would have kept it from the press and this man would not only be walking tall but he'd still be teaching and hurting these little girls. The schools all over America need to do something about this. The schools put cameras in the high schools to watch for drugs/alcahol/tobacco and you dont see the teachers there touching the kids. Maybe it's time to realize we need to do everything we are capable of to protect these innocent children. It's time for security, for cameras, micraphones anything that's going to keep these men/woman from scarring these children. I don't blame the mother. I blame the schools, the police departments, the feds. "Protect and Serve?" I'm not so sure anymore... - AmyLee

From another parent,

had a 15 year old son who was 'frisked' at the urinal in the high school men's room by a teacher with the Vice Principal and the Principal present in the bathroom! They thought it was hiliarious! My son, who is a quiet and modest person was very upset and embarrassed, not mention in a very vulnerable position unable to cover himself. When I found out about the incident, I went to the school to request an investigation and the vice principal said, "I was there! It was no big deal, in fact, it ranks this low on my problem-o-meter!" (he held his two pinched fingers together). I was so upset at this lack of concern or willingness to see the incident as a serious matter and one of sexual harassment. I went to the principal who assured me he would 'talk' to this teacher. I wanted the incident documented in his file and proof that training had taken place regarding sexual harassment. (It never happened) I called my attorney and he offered to write a letter on my behalf to the school but said there was little I could do... I guess I can see where that Mom was coming from with her, 'wait and see approach'- but I didn't 'wait and see', I 'went and said' and got nowhere! The 'good ole boy club' watches it's back and the schools don't even adhere to basic employement law. It is frustrating, wrong, and sickening! The school had another teacher who taught keyboarding at the high school level and he would come behind the girls and put his arms around them to 'show them how to do something on the pc'. While he was showing them, he'd look down their shirt or place his hand over theirs and move the mouse around in a more than suggestive way. My adult daughter told me this after she graduated. It is happening even with our older children-not just 5-7 year olds! Mon Dieu! - MoreSkoolin

There are pages and pages of comments. They will be lost when the story is archived, but they reflect the same experiences and concerns in letters we get daily, in stories that are abundant daily. They are pained communities, families, friends and victims. And we place the burden on correcting the problem on that last - the victims.

It's their testimony that results in conviction. It's their courage that leads them to complain. It's their violation that is denied most often by the schools, fellow teachers, then friends of the accused, in open courtrooms with aggressive lawyers and most sadly of all, by fellow students, children they grew up with who can't imagine themselves as victims and let their fondness for popular teachers sway their opinions.

Why must children have to be burdened with changing the system? Why should they have to wait for laws that make sexual abuse by teachers a felony with automatic registration as a sex offenders? Why must children wait for cameras to be required, mandated, for classrooms where there has been one complaint, one whisper, one indication of a problem?

The first blog I ever had was about teacher misconduct. It was in 2002 and for one month I tracked stories about teachers who were arrested for sexual abuse of their students. In one month there were two stories a day on average. That was five years ago. That was when there were significantly less newspapers online and fewer, less effective, search engines. It took 5-7 hours a day to find the stories and no hope of following up.

With the exception of laws that criminalize teacher/student sex in several states, not much has changed. There are discipline records online in many states, but few list the details of the criminal charges or explantion of how a teacher can have their license revoked for sex with a student when no criminal charges can be found. And there is no explanation why teachers convicted of a crime against students haven't had their license revoked even two years later. In other states it never happens.

Some things need to change.