Stricter Penalties In School Sex Abuse Cases?

While teaching is a noble profession, not all who enter have noble intentions.

An Associated Press article in the January 28, 2008 edition of the Bangor Daily News, exposes an unsavory assessment of America's schools response to the "increasingly well-documented phenomenon: While the vast majority of America's teachers are committed professionals, there also is a persistent problem with sexual misconduct in U.S. schools. When abuse happens, administrators too often fail to let others know about it..."

In case you think that it can't or hasn't happened here, think again!

In late October of 2007, Auburn police charged 26-year-old James Raymond, an elementary school music teacher with unlawful sexual touching.

As reported by WCSH Channel 6 , Court papers indicate Raymond told police he is attracted to young girls. In the case in which he's charged a 7-year-old girl told police Raymond put his hand up her skirt and touched her buttocks.

"Everyone has a responsibility," says Auburn Interim Superintendent Tom Morrill. "The school has a responsibility, the parents have a responsibility, to make sure that young people are safe and that when there are concerns, how do they respond to those and who do they report those to."

The December 22 arrest of Carrabec High School assistant principal and athletic director, Frank "Skip" Gleason was reported in the BDN on December 24, 2007, on charges of sexually abusing a student. It was reported that Gleason had been identified as an abuser by a 15 year old boy who had come forward earlier on the day of the arrest with "sufficient evidence to believe that the complaint was factual," according to Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi of the Somerset County Sheriff's Department. On January 23, 2008 "Skip" Gleason pleaded guilty and is now awaiting sentencing.

When teachers, coaches, or administrators prey on students and engage in sexual conduct with them, who will protect the children?

In an AP investigation of sexual misconduct of teachers from 2001 through 2005 only three cases were reported in Maine.

Before you start to celebrate however take notice that Maine was the ONLY state that refused to release its records on teacher misconduct.

Concerned citizens like Terri Miller, president of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, suggest a cover up by school officials.

"Reports aren't being made by administrators when these allegations come to light," she said. "They are allowing too many teachers to quietly resign and move on to go molest somebody else's children."

Bob Unruh has kept a running list of teacher-student sex scandals for WorldNetDaily.

"The procedures are not really set up to publicize and let people know about predators," he said, "but really to conceal and to protect that person's tenure or protect a job, or allow them to resign and move on to another location."

Recently our Governor John Baldacci declared that the State must stop the practice of protecting the misconduct of teachers and administrators. He said that under the present system, an educator in Maine could commit an inappropriate act leading to loss of certification but that information would not be released to other states. Obviously the public would never find out either.

It is shameful that some in authority become aware of these types of aberrant, illegal behavior and look the other way. Governor Baldacci has indicated that he is considering asking the Maine legislature to revise the law, saying "I want to make sure we do all we can do." Keeping the repeated assaults and rapes of children secret allows the predators to go virtually unpunished.

We hope that he and the legislators act soon. It certainly is too late for many, including some of our own students who not too long ago found it necessary to wear hooded sweatshirts for protection from predators.