Who is watching our kids in school????

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I could hardly believe this when I found it.

The Associated Press 3/23/02 5:15 PM

DERIDDER, La. (AP) -- Two DeRidder High School football players are accused of having oral sex with a 14-year-old girl during biology class, police said.

A teacher and about 30 students were in the class at the time, DeRidder police Lt. Kenneth Pine said. He would not say how many saw the alleged sex act.

Pine said police do not know what the teacher was doing, but are not investigating the teacher. School officials would not say whether the teacher will be investigated or disciplined.

The alleged incident occurred March 15; Principal Ricky Gallien called police three days later and asked them to investigate. Pine said Friday that police did not know how school officials found out.

After a weeklong investigation that included interviewing students, Alvin D. Jones, 18, DeRidder, and Harles Smart III, 17, of DeRidder, both 11th-graders, were booked into the Beauregard Parish jail.

Nobody answered a call to the Smart residence Saturday. No Jones was listed on the street police gave.

Each was booked with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and with indecent behavior with a juvenile. Bond was set at $10,000 each.

The girl was referred to the Beauregard Parish District Attorney's Office, which has a victims' program.

By 2 p.m. Friday, school officials said Gallien had left the school for the day, and the assistant principal referred all questions to Gallien.

Beauregard Parish School Superintendent Myrna Cooley would not comment Friday on the teacher's involvement or any possible disciplinary action.

"Students are disciplined according to Beauregard Parish School Board policy," she said. "I can assure you that safety of students is uppermost in our minds."

Cooley did not elaborate on what sort of discipline the students would face.

School Board member Donald Hillman said he did not wish to comment until he is briefed. He said he had spoken with the superintendent's secretary Friday morning and expected to hear from Cooley later.

He said School Board members would wait until they know the details, then they'll take appropriate measures.

Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002

Answers

"IF" it happened,, the girl was apprently a willing participant,,otherwise a simple yell would have been sufficient. But this was in a class room?? GEez,, what happened to tact? WAit till afterschool in the parking lot,, or a filed trip, or the locker room,, or something,, geez. Either that,,or that school is in dire need,, if the teachers are so scared that a student can be raped in a classroom without fear. If my kids went there,, it would be time to sue the schoolboard and homeschool

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), March 25, 2002.

Bob this is beyond belief isn't it-------I got sooooo angry just from reading it!!!!!

What is going on in this world!!!!!

I can't understand!!!!! I'm tooooooooooooo old fashioned ---to prim to proper----just upsets me to no end!!!!

If you find out a follow up--please let us know---thanks---I will be in prayer for those people & what has gone on in a SCHOOL ROOM DURING CLASS!!!!! Unblievable!!!!!!!!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 25, 2002.


Sonda,

I don't think that you are too prim and proper, you are not the old fashioned one here. You are just following what some would call common sense. Others would call it conscience. Whatever it is called, it is obviously the correct choice over this kind of crude behavior.

If I hear any more about this incident I will post it here.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.


So what's the big deal about them playing football?

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), March 26, 2002.

"Pine said Friday that police did not know how school officials found out."----

Well DUH! I'm sure the boys told everyone they knew as soon as class let out!

Sad to say, but that behavior is, and has been for a while, a part of our youth's culture.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@somewhere.com), March 26, 2002.



This has nothing to do with that, except the where were the teachers part. A few years ago, in a school near my hometown, a small girl was kidnapped off the schoolground before school, and killed. This child had been seen safely to school, and was on the playground during that period between school breakfasts and being allowed in the classrooms. It was just infuriating to think a parent could see the child to school, and have her be where she was supposed to be during that few minutes, and completely unwatched. I know the teachers are setting up classrooms, or something, but someone should have been responsible for the safety of the children on the schoolground during that time.

-- anon (notthistime@somewhereelse.com), March 26, 2002.

I tell ya, homeschooling is the only way to go. ...wow.

4th-graders reprimanded for lewd acts in classroom

By Janet Jacobs and Jonathan Osborne American-Statesman Staff Tuesday, March 26, 2002

MARBLE FALLS -- Police are investigating allegations that five fourth-grade boys performed oral sex on one another during class at least twice at Marble Falls Elementary School.

School officials confirm that the incidents took place and that they are treating the acts as lewd behavior. The boys were suspended for a day, have been put in alternative classes for 10 days and will receive counseling, said Superintendent Dana Marable.

"It was a dare," Marable said.

However, at least one mother, who asked not to be identified to protect her son's identity, said the acts were done under threat.

"My boy didn't want to, and the other boys threatened him if he didn't," she said.

In interviews with police, the boys -- all ages 9 and 10 -- admitted the acts took place last fall and again in February, said Marble Falls police Capt. Robert Sooter.

Marable said the acts took place during a free reading time, when everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, is supposed to be reading. The boys had retreated to beanbag chairs in the back of the classroom and were using their coats to hide from the teacher, the parent said.

"The little boys didn't do it in front of the teacher," Marable said. "They hid."

A child in the class told the teacher about the sex acts March 7, two days before spring break. The boys were suspended March 8. When they returned from spring break March 18, they were placed in alternative education.

Police said they learned about the incident March 18. School officials said they notified authorities March 8, in compliance with a Texas law requiring that abuse incidents be reported within 48 hours.

"All authorities have been notified in accordance with the letter of the law," said Marble Falls Elementary Principal Steve Shroft.

Police are concerned about three things: whether any of the boys used coercion and might be charged with a crime; whether the teacher or school officials were negligent or were slow to report the incidents; and whether the boys were re-enacting behavior they had learned elsewhere.

"Obviously, this is some kind of learned behavior, and it's our job to learn where it came from," Sooter said.

Amanda Van Hoozer, director of program services for the Children's Advocacy Center in Austin, said it's possible that one boy is more sexually advanced than the others and is sharing this knowledge. But, she said, a history of sex abuse is a more likely explanation.

"Some kids are really precocious," Van Hoozer said. "They know a lot more than other kids. They've seen it in a magazine, and they've decided to try it out for themselves. But if these kids are just normal, average 10- year-olds, most 10-year-olds have not been exposed to this. If they are sexually acting out . . . you certainly want to look at what's going on because it is indicative of abuse."

Van Hoozer said another child in the same circle of friends might have taught the acts to the boys.

"I think it's definitely a red flag that a child somewhere within this network of kids has been abused," she said. "But again, you have to stress that it may not be any of these kids."

Officials with the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, which investigates allegations of child abuse, said they are aware of the situation but have not opened an investigation.

"At this point, it doesn't appear to have been any neglect or abuse by the caregiver, because it was child on child," said Marla Sheely, spokeswoman for the agency. "We're still following it. We're still looking over the whole issue of supervision."

The teacher, who was not identified by school officials, is still teaching the class, and there have been no changes of policy, Marable said.

"I'm sure that particular teacher has changed her policy," she said.

jjacobs@statesman.com; 445-3698

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), March 26, 2002.


And the list goes on and on and on and on and on...............

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

Don't fret people. We have 6 new schoolboard members coming in to straighten up the old members messes and cover-ups. There is a alot of cover-ups that y'all don't know about. That will be exposed within the next 4 years. Please pray for the new members that God would give them wisdom and strengthened.

-- unknown (Muttonman15@cs.com), October 30, 2002.

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