Public School:
Sex, Transfers, and Intimidation
Do you ever
wonder what lies beneath the skin of some of our schools? There have been
dozens of books written, articles authored, and even federal investigations
conducted into the conduct of public school employees and their
superintendents. Every month or so we seem to read allegations of sexual abuse
in the news when it comes to the community, a rampant predator out there who
takes down children at will.
I have both read and heard countless tales of sexual abuse, by teachers, parents of their own children, uncles, cousins, and even neighbors. Tales of how families make deals to cover it up to save face, of promises of money, support, even trading yard work in an effort to not send the person to jail. Seemingly just to protect the family, or the system, but what about the child? Does anyone even care about the anguish and suffering of the child? It's seemingly not enough to look the other way. They tell the child, “Oh, this is best. You're OK, aren't you?” and “Here's some more money, go buy yourself something.” It's pathetic and also pervasive and in public schools across the nation we seem to practice our own version of ignorance and that is to simply transfer these individuals. Whether it be from island to island or state to state-all in an effort to hide or mask what is really going on. Why?
Perhaps as many legal advisors would report, it's a liability in regards to due process and or costly litigation. Of course another successful practice is to simply move the child off island or out of state and send them to a grandparent or cousin who lives in the mainland or host country, and let them go to school there. Sometimes travel arrangements are even paid for by the system, that network of adults who for no reason but their own want make the problem go away. They don't want their family member or relative going to jail-“Oh he didn't mean it, he didn't really hurt you, did he?” They say how bad this will be for the family, or how so and so may not win the election if this gets out, it'll destroy his/her career but again no mention or attention to the child. The child quietly slips into the darkness to deal with everything themselves and you wonder why they hate you.
According to a draft report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, in compliance with the 2002 “No Child Left Behind” act signed into law by President Bush, between 6 percent and 10 percent of public school children across the country have been sexually abused or harassed by school employees and teachers. For the CNMI that's equates to hundreds of our children potentially at risk.
Over the years I've seen it in the eyes of children, I've seen the difference it makes when a school official takes the stand and sides with the child, I see the child gain strength, courage, and the feeling of perhaps finally being safe from harm and that someone believes in them. And I also see the dark side, when the system transfers someone or lets them just disappear, when they make it go away. I see the defeat in the child's eyes, the anguish, the seemingly endless pain they will endure for what will be a lifetime.
School officials who bring these cases forward are often chastised by their superiors, warned by legal counsels, and even spoken to by board members-all in an effort to put a lid on it. They don't want to answer questions, they don't want to expose the reality that they have a serious problem in not only the way they handle these issues, but in the policies they themselves create which often perpetuate the problem.
In defense of themselves they try and find alternative means to avoid the conflict. They'll deflect the story, lay blame on other people, cast doubt on truth, almost as if they were running for their political lives. They use fear and intimidation tactics-system employees who know what's going on, subordinates, everyone runs for cover because they fear someone's head will roll. They'll lie to protect themselves, cower into corners from the intimidation that comes from the top down.
Like dictators, those in power wield their sword of conviction, all in an effort to somehow absolve themselves of any knowledge of events or admission that there is a problem in public school. When will it stop? When will the children truly be first in our lives? For me, they will eat before I do, they will drink before I do, they will laugh before I do, and I will not sleep until I know I have done all I can to protect them from harm, so do me a favor-get out of my way!
I have both read and heard countless tales of sexual abuse, by teachers, parents of their own children, uncles, cousins, and even neighbors. Tales of how families make deals to cover it up to save face, of promises of money, support, even trading yard work in an effort to not send the person to jail. Seemingly just to protect the family, or the system, but what about the child? Does anyone even care about the anguish and suffering of the child? It's seemingly not enough to look the other way. They tell the child, “Oh, this is best. You're OK, aren't you?” and “Here's some more money, go buy yourself something.” It's pathetic and also pervasive and in public schools across the nation we seem to practice our own version of ignorance and that is to simply transfer these individuals. Whether it be from island to island or state to state-all in an effort to hide or mask what is really going on. Why?
Perhaps as many legal advisors would report, it's a liability in regards to due process and or costly litigation. Of course another successful practice is to simply move the child off island or out of state and send them to a grandparent or cousin who lives in the mainland or host country, and let them go to school there. Sometimes travel arrangements are even paid for by the system, that network of adults who for no reason but their own want make the problem go away. They don't want their family member or relative going to jail-“Oh he didn't mean it, he didn't really hurt you, did he?” They say how bad this will be for the family, or how so and so may not win the election if this gets out, it'll destroy his/her career but again no mention or attention to the child. The child quietly slips into the darkness to deal with everything themselves and you wonder why they hate you.
According to a draft report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, in compliance with the 2002 “No Child Left Behind” act signed into law by President Bush, between 6 percent and 10 percent of public school children across the country have been sexually abused or harassed by school employees and teachers. For the CNMI that's equates to hundreds of our children potentially at risk.
Over the years I've seen it in the eyes of children, I've seen the difference it makes when a school official takes the stand and sides with the child, I see the child gain strength, courage, and the feeling of perhaps finally being safe from harm and that someone believes in them. And I also see the dark side, when the system transfers someone or lets them just disappear, when they make it go away. I see the defeat in the child's eyes, the anguish, the seemingly endless pain they will endure for what will be a lifetime.
School officials who bring these cases forward are often chastised by their superiors, warned by legal counsels, and even spoken to by board members-all in an effort to put a lid on it. They don't want to answer questions, they don't want to expose the reality that they have a serious problem in not only the way they handle these issues, but in the policies they themselves create which often perpetuate the problem.
In defense of themselves they try and find alternative means to avoid the conflict. They'll deflect the story, lay blame on other people, cast doubt on truth, almost as if they were running for their political lives. They use fear and intimidation tactics-system employees who know what's going on, subordinates, everyone runs for cover because they fear someone's head will roll. They'll lie to protect themselves, cower into corners from the intimidation that comes from the top down.
Like dictators, those in power wield their sword of conviction, all in an effort to somehow absolve themselves of any knowledge of events or admission that there is a problem in public school. When will it stop? When will the children truly be first in our lives? For me, they will eat before I do, they will drink before I do, they will laugh before I do, and I will not sleep until I know I have done all I can to protect them from harm, so do me a favor-get out of my way!
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