Animals
AP reporters in every state and the District of Columbia identified 2,570 teachers who were punished for sexual misconduct from 2001 to 2005 alone, for actions that ranged from fondling to viewing child pornography to rape.
Though experts who deal with sexual abuse say victims tell the truth more often than not, the ordeal is often worsened when the community around them is drawn in, and people take sides. Often, victims and their families face uncooperative administrators, disbelieving neighbors and an agonizing legal journey.
Are your children really safe in the public schools?
"I thought my children were safest in school," the girl's mother says. She shakes her head. As a child, she went to Pershing Elementary, the same school her two daughters attended and one of several in Berwyn, where Sperlik taught band for 18 years.
Apparently not.
The girls thought it was enough to flag an adult's attention without having to be too explicit.
Grindle, according to court documents, spoke to the children individually and to some of their parents, though she didn't show the letter to the parents. She told them that their daughters felt uncomfortable with the band teacher - that she had spoken to Sperlik, that he explained that he was only correcting their posture and tapping them on the knee to help them keep a beat.
The parents felt reassured."She told me she had my daughter's self-interest at heart. That made me feel good," the mom says.
Later in court, however, the girls claimed they had privately told Grindle that Sperlik touched them in their groin area. Grindle insisted that never happened.
Given her findings, she made no report to police or child protective services. She did, however, tell Sperlik not to touch his students for any reason.
Their daughter gave police the names of the two other girls, whom police interviewed separately. Eventually, other young women came forward, some saying that they hadn't realized what Sperlik was doing was sexual until they were older.
Many in the community didn't want to believe it.
To them, Sperlik was an awkward, but generally well-liked bachelor and accomplished drummer who related to his students better than other adults.
"I've always known Bob's a little socially inept," says Michelle Nafziger, a mother who went to high school with Sperlik. Her five children also had him for band.
- Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Homelessness And The Failure Of The Child Welfare Agency To Follow Up On Reports Of Abuse Lead To These Girls Death.
At least six child welfare workers will be fired for failing to properly address complaints about a woman's care for her four daughters, who were later found dead in their home, the mayor said Monday. So at least six child welfare workers didn't...
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In New Jersey we have Hell in the Public School Classroom. Sixteen-year-old junior Matthew LaClair says he was shocked when history teacher David Paszkiewicz, who is also a Baptist preacher in town, spent the first week lecturing students more about Heaven...
Animals
Teacher sex abuse scars family, town
AP reporters in every state and the District of Columbia identified 2,570 teachers who were punished for sexual misconduct from 2001 to 2005 alone, for actions that ranged from fondling to viewing child pornography to rape.
Though experts who deal with sexual abuse say victims tell the truth more often than not, the ordeal is often worsened when the community around them is drawn in, and people take sides. Often, victims and their families face uncooperative administrators, disbelieving neighbors and an agonizing legal journey.
Are your children really safe in the public schools?
"I thought my children were safest in school," the girl's mother says. She shakes her head. As a child, she went to Pershing Elementary, the same school her two daughters attended and one of several in Berwyn, where Sperlik taught band for 18 years.
Apparently not.
The girls thought it was enough to flag an adult's attention without having to be too explicit.
Grindle, according to court documents, spoke to the children individually and to some of their parents, though she didn't show the letter to the parents. She told them that their daughters felt uncomfortable with the band teacher - that she had spoken to Sperlik, that he explained that he was only correcting their posture and tapping them on the knee to help them keep a beat.
The parents felt reassured."She told me she had my daughter's self-interest at heart. That made me feel good," the mom says.
Later in court, however, the girls claimed they had privately told Grindle that Sperlik touched them in their groin area. Grindle insisted that never happened.
Given her findings, she made no report to police or child protective services. She did, however, tell Sperlik not to touch his students for any reason.
Their daughter gave police the names of the two other girls, whom police interviewed separately. Eventually, other young women came forward, some saying that they hadn't realized what Sperlik was doing was sexual until they were older.
Many in the community didn't want to believe it.
To them, Sperlik was an awkward, but generally well-liked bachelor and accomplished drummer who related to his students better than other adults.
"I've always known Bob's a little socially inept," says Michelle Nafziger, a mother who went to high school with Sperlik. Her five children also had him for band.
- Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Homelessness And The Failure Of The Child Welfare Agency To Follow Up On Reports Of Abuse Lead To These Girls Death.
At least six child welfare workers will be fired for failing to properly address complaints about a woman's care for her four daughters, who were later found dead in their home, the mayor said Monday. So at least six child welfare workers didn't...
- Public School Teachers And Sexual Misconduct
Richland High School teacher was sentenced to 40 years for having sex with two students. A teacher in Tupelo got 18 years for a similar crime. But a teacher in Clarksdale, who was accused of giving an eighth-grade student gonorrhea, struck a deal with...
- Mr Bounds Could You Scrutinize Public School Teachers Please?
A former Ocean Springs school teacher received a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct with two of his students. Doug Alan Lundy, 35, who taught history at Ocean Springs High School, was sentenced to six years in prison,...
- Socialization In Public Schools
Those of you who read my blog regularly know about the Bay High Brawls, in reference to that this was in the soundoff today Fighting won't stop • To all the people talking bad about the fights at Bay High: I am a Bay High student and I do not appreciate...
- Educational News
In New Jersey we have Hell in the Public School Classroom. Sixteen-year-old junior Matthew LaClair says he was shocked when history teacher David Paszkiewicz, who is also a Baptist preacher in town, spent the first week lecturing students more about Heaven...