What about the Children?
Note: These are two posts blended into one. Events happened too fast for one to be posted before the other … so read on!
Post #1:
Has to be the heat … geez.
From the Ledger-Enquirer*:
Russell County ROTC instructor charged with abuse
A Russell County [Alabama] High School Army ROTC commander was arrested Wednesday afternoon after the Russell County grand jury indicted him earlier this week for allegedly sexually abusing a student, Sheriff Tommy Boswell said.
Lee Eric Washington turned himself in to the Russell County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday afternoon and was charged with second-degree sexual abuse, Boswell said. The retired lieutenant colonel was accused by a female student in the spring of inappropriately touching her sometime in mid-April. Following the accusation, Washington was put on paid leave from his duties as ROTC commander at the school, Boswell said.
The sheriff’s office investigated the student’s claim and presented the results to the grand jury last week, the sheriff said. The grand jury heard all of the evidence and returned with the indictment — a misdemeanor — earlier this week.
Lillian Baker, interim Russell County School Superintendent, could not be reached Wednesday evening to comment on Washington’s employment status.
Post #2:
Recently in my area several school teachers seem to be lacking the common sense god gave a duck …
Earlier this year, several Russell County, Alabama, school teachers were convicted of “failing to report a crime” when advised of a sexual assault on a student — their charges.
Last night I hear of ANOTHER teacher being arrested …
So now the school is going to go all out and — PROTECT THE TEACHER
Uh?
Every year Phenix City school employees are taught the rules and procedures of how to deal with certain situations involving students and any type of abuse.
Evidently not since we have had convictions of teachers failing to abide by these “rules and procedures”.
Another Russell County school employee is behind bars on accusations of alleged sexual misconduct with a student. This morning Russell County coach Sebastian Moore was arrested. He was walked from the sheriff’s department to the jail in handcuffs by deputies.
Moore is now the seventh educator this year employed by Russell County schools to be accused of a crime.
Last week a grand jury indicted the coach on sexual abuse, first class. Authorities say that’s a class C felony.
His indictment stems from a case News Leader 9 told you about several months ago where three Russell County Middle School teachers were found guilty for failing to report a case of an sexual assault allegedly committed by a teacher.
But onto the story about “protecting the teacher” …
School officials in Phenix City [Russell County, Alabama] wanted to protect their employees, so they held a training session with an attorney to go over those rules and policies.
“We were extra sensitive this year to make sure we really emphasized it. In the past we might of sent a reminder at a faculty meeting, we went beyond that this year,” said superintendent Dr. Larry DiChiara.
The rules don’t only apply to teachers, but to any adult in charge of after-school groups and teams. Dr. DiChiara says he meets with the coaches and sponsors to talk about how to avoid inappropriate situations with the students.
“As coaches and sponsors of these groups, we want them to act a certain way, expect them to act a certain way. We just let them know what our expectations are,” DiChiara said.
Not only did school employees go through a training, but to reinforce the rules, Phenix City school officials sent memos to all the principals to hand out to the teachers as well.
Okay – maybe I let the title of this person’s report get to me – but shouldn’t the protection of the children be formost in school administrator’s minds? Sure, in teaching the teachers (boy that sounds odd somehow), you protect the children — but the focus should be to SCARE THE LIVING SHIT out of these teachers to make sure the children are safe. What prompted teachers NOT to report abuse of a child to authorities flies in the wisdom of “children are our future.”
Prevous Posts:
Local Sex Abuse Cases (Again)
Something in the Water?
Local Pedophiles Nabbed
This Man Should Die
7 Years for 2nd Sexual Assault
* Note: The Ledger Enquirer charges for people to read articles after 7 days, so there is no direct link to the article.
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1Austin of Sundrip Journals
wrote on 13 August 2006 at 9:43
Well, I ended up at your site because of a trackback. It’s on some German site or something. It seems to all be about activism but it still irks me to death that my link is on there without permission. After looking to see if any more of my stuff was on the site I saw a name similar to one I’ve used before. I wrote an entry called What Will Happen To The Children. I came here to investigate. Fortunately we just chose similar titles so we’re good. That doesn’t explain why this person had decided to put my link up there . I’ve asked him to remove it. I thought since I was here and you in fact did not post my sh*t w/out asking I’d give you a heads up about what appears to be a link monger blog. I hate that.
nice lay out by the way.
Austin of Sundrip Journals
2Austin of Sundrip Journals
wrote on 13 August 2006 at 9:47
http://magnusbeckerblog.de
/magnus-becker-pressespiegel-gegen-sexuelle-gewalt
-8906/566/
I’m sorry, I forgot to give you the friggin link. Oops. I was too busy trying to explain why I was visiting. The link is long but I have a feeling you know how to put it together without the breaks.
The quote about comments and you not giving a shit, is that copyright protected cause if not, I’d so love to post that on my blog! It started off by saying that you couldnt say it as well as someone else so you’d just quote them. Is that copyright protected? If not I’d really like to snatch that.
sorry about that.:oops:
Austin of Sundrip Journals
3ROSETTA
wrote on 17 January 2007 at 21:19
JUST FINISHED READING THE ABOVE ARTICLE ABOUT CHILDREN’S SAFETY AROUND TEACHERS. WELL, TO SAY THAT I AM APPALLED ABOUT THE LACK OF BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION WHEN HIRING NEW TEACHERS. HAD THEY DONE THEIR JOB, RUSSELL COUNTY (ALA)BOARD OF EDUCATION WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEE IS AN ABUSER WHOM WAS CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HAD A PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDER AGAINST HIM. BESIDE BEING AN ABUSER SUCH TEACHER HAS COMMITTED SEVERAL REPULSIVE ACTS INCLUDING POSSIBLY MOLESTING HIS OWN DAUGHTER.I OFTEN WONDER WHAT THIS TEACHER COULD POSSIBLY TEACH TO HIS JUNIOR ROTC CADETS? HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ABUSER OR HOW TO MANIPOLATE THE SYSTEM?
LET’S REFLECT ON THIS
4A Friend
wrote on 2 February 2007 at 20:51
HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!HELP!H
I anyone has Information concerning Retired LTC Washington,s Past, any information on the abuse charges or any claims of sexual harassment, please post them here in detail, Washington is a predator, and needs to be held accountable I have heard numerous complaints from kids in the Russell county JROTC program, I have contacted cadet command and have asked for a full investagation, I was assured that it would be investigated fully, if anyone would like to contact the military, please feel free cadet command equal oportunity SFC Wamble(775)788-7219 Chief of operations 8th BDE Dave Reagan(256)876-0121, COL Glover (757)788-3435 Inspector GeneralSFC Hopkins (253)966-2979 HQ
W.Montague Winfield Major General U.S. Cadet Command (757)788-4521 As parents and educators you need to understand that its not just your right but your obligation to to do every thing possible to keep our kids safe, and if there is ever any doubt in your
minds that anything has happened, we must always weigh on the side of caution, and get these predators out of the school.
Please copy this and send it to anyone you think may have been sexualy harassed, mistreated touched in any way, even if it was 20 years ago the Military is very serious about this issue and will do a full and complete inveasigation
I have not given my name, because of the investigation
5ROSETTA
wrote on 19 October 2007 at 13:32
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE ABOVE COMMENT REGARDING COL WASHINGTON. I DON’T KNOW THE MAN BUT I DO KNOW THAT WAS A CO-WORKER OF THE MAN WHO WAS MY ABUSER. HED THE PERSON WHO SENT THE REQUEST FOR MORE INFO ABOUT COL WASHINGTON ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR I WOULD BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE SOME GROUNDS TO THOSE ALLEGATIONS, HOWEVER KNOWING MY ABUSER AS WELL AS I DO I AM SURE IS ONE OF IS SCHEMES TO BRING COL WASHINGTON DOWN. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SUCH INDIVIDUAL HAS MOVED ON TO ANOTHER SCHOOL, AFTER COL WASHINGTON WAS CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES; NOW MY CONCERNS ARE HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN?
THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HAS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, HE HAS LIED UNDER OATH, RIPPED OFF PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED HIM, ENGAGED IN RELATIONSHIP WITH MARRIED WOMEN ETC. ETC. ETC. IS ANYBODY EVER GOING TO LOOK INTO HIS AFFAIRS? GOD HELP US ALL IF HE IS OUT THERE TEACHING “HIS TACTICS” TO OUR CHILDREN. THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE WILL NEVER BE BROKEN AS LONG AS INDIVIDUALS LIKE ARE ROLE MODELING OUR KIDS.
LET’ NOT FORGET RUSSELL COUNTY HIGHSCHOOL, THEY TOO HAVE A PART IN ALL THIS. THE STAFF IN GHARGE WAS INFORMED ABOUT SUCH INDIVIDUAL BACK GROUND BUT CHOOSED TO BURY THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND RATHER TO MAKE WAVES. AFTER ALL HE WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH ONE OF THE HIGHSCHOOL COUNSELOR.
I AM SURE SUCH INDIVIDUAL IS WHAT EVERY PARENT WANTS AS TEACHER FOR HIS KIDS.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE MESSAGE ABOVE IS, I CAN BACK MY ALLEGATIONS AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO SIGN MY NAME
ROSETTA FOUNTAIN