Kyron Horman Missing: Civil Suit Against Terri Horman DELAYED AND SEALED- Prompted By NEW LEADS

Portland, OR-  As many of you have been following since June 2010,  there is a new development today in the disappearance of Kyron Horman.

As predicted at BOC,  the civil suit brought by Deisree Young, Kyron’s  Mother, against Terri Horman, Kyron’s step-mother and the defacto suspect in his disappearance has been granted an abatement.

In a sealed filing,  motions by Assistant District Attorney Michael Schrunk and Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton were granted,  delaying the suit .  The motions included supporting affidavits that continuing the action as already ruled would compromise the investigation.

The decision presents an ironic twist .

Terri Horman’s lawyers originally  fought vehemently to abate the action,  but were unsuccessful.  As recently as last week, the Judge in the case ordered medical records to be accessible to both parties to the action.

In Judge Kantnor’s decision to NOT abate the suit at the request of Attorney Peter Bunch for Terri Horman,  the Multnomah County Prosecutors Office declared “no position” on the matter after being contacted by the court.

It is not known if that order prompted the request to delay the suit .

Sheriff Stanton,  Eldin Rosenthal,  Norm Frink and Stephen Houze declined comment at press time.

On Monday, Judge Henry Kantor granted the motions to abate the civil proceeding and ordered the motions and affidavits filed by the district attorney and sheriff sealed.

A  hearing had been scheduled  for Dec. 14 to hear Young’s attorney argue before the court to compel testimony from DeDe Spicher,  an alleged witness in the case.  Today’s ruling is likely to render a postponement of that proceeding.

Sheriff Dan Staton,  told Oregon Live,  it is based on early leads that are now panning out:

“There are a couple of investigative pieces that are going to open up,” Staton told The Oregonian Tuesday. “Our belief is they’re going to open up several investigative doors.”

He said the new “investigative avenues” are based on information collected in the early phase of the investigation that are now yielding some results.

 

 

 

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4,315 Comments

  1. Rose says:

    @RedRose re Kaine’s engagement with Intel Legal. You made me think. There has been great defense of Kaine in this. Many have said that’s just the way Intel is, and Intel employees are. and so on. But what is the norm with complex international highly-demanding worksites with many employees with clearances?
    In the gov’t, those with clearances report to Security (not Legal) contacts with people from some sorts of foreign states. In private industry, ditto. Otherwise employees believe their business is their own. They do not bring it to the workplace or the employer, whether financial, divorce, child developmental or disability, physical or mental illness and so on. Especially a tough-assed regimented bureaucratic agency that chews up employees and spits them out as Intel former-employee blogs allege. You keep your personal troubles to low profile in such businesses.
    Thinking thru, I can’t imagine a cia, nsa, congressional, white house, Vought Corp, microsoft or google employee, as examples, writing an email to the Legal Dept of his employer about his child going missing.
    They would inform their Supervisor and ask for leave. They might early on & immediately write HR. But not Legal. That Memo to Legal is bizarre and Kaine is too smart for it to be an accident.

  2. Rose says:

    @mbs. re “What I really want to know is whether he was marked “excused” or “unexcused” since that would tell me whether Mrs. Porter indicated she heard and accepted what she thought was a verbal excuse from Terri for an absence, or not.”

    About at the elementary level in a small school (not a HS mbs), imo a Mrs Porter would NOT if puzzled at an absence
    mark the child of an assertive/agressive, firebreathing, but on the other hand supportive volunteer, parent unexcused period. Imo they would mark “excused” thinking I’d clarify & get a note later. After all she had a memory Kiara was sick, so Terri might go to Dr with her & just take Kyron. I can’t see a newish small el ed teacher marking Terri’s kid unexused. So imo “excused” gives no investigatory info.
    (Yes I know one can check unexcused & change it later.
    But we know Porter is low initiative & unlikely to get
    that sophisticated in her decisions.)

  3. T. Ruth says:

    @wpg Are you referring to Mother’s Day 2010? or 2009? I’ll have to go back and take a look.

  4. MockingbirdSings says:

    Rose says:
    February 19, 2013 at 4:10 pm
    @mbs. The Spec Ed Resource was out as was 1 of his paras,
    and there was a SPED sub iirc.
    ———————–

    That’s what I thought too, but I don’t know where the information came from. I also remember hearing that the school psych was at a district meeting, but I don’t think we can confirm that.

    When I first started working in PPS, subs came for Special Ed aides as well as teachers. Then it was gradually cut to only aides in behavior classrooms and for students who had a personal aide for some reason. Even that wasn’t always possible if they couldn’t find anyone who would come. I used to get a sub when I was a counselor too, but they also cut that with the excuse that a sub wouldn’t know the kids anyway. There was a ton of work in our department that didn’t involve personal counseling – it was always about money.

  5. T. Ruth says:

    RE: those who still list either both Kaine and Terri as friends, there are others that might surprise one who list both, such as MC and some Intel employees. Unless that has changed recently. I haven’t looked back since late 2011 or so.

  6. erose says:

    I’m sure this has already been posted, but “no serial patterns” seems the basis for the isolated incident comment.

    “Everyone is a person of interest,” Staton said in response to questions about any specific individuals. Staton added that there were no “serial patterns” that indicated a threat to the community.

    http://www.kgw.com/news/Second-grade-student-missing-from-Skyline-Elementary-95670454.html

  7. erose says:

    Last seen at about 9 am.

    Terri said goodbye to Kyron and watched the second-grader walk down the hallway toward his classroom. Police say that the last time the boy was seen was about 9 a.m. Investigators have not revealed who saw Kyron last, or whether he attended his first class.

    http://www.kgw.com/news/Second-grade-student-missing-from-Skyline-Elementary-95670454.html

  8. wpg says:

    T. Ruth says:
    February 19, 2013 at 8:22 pm
    “@wpg Are you referring to Mother’s Day 2010? or 2009? I’ll have to go back and take a look.”

    2010, T.Ruth.
    Thank you.

  9. T. Ruth says:

    @wpg

    Geeze, what a dip I am. I see you asked about 2010. There is a photo posted of two mothers day cards and more than a dozen red roses. One card appears to be from her Mom & Dad. The other is a humorous one. It was posted on May 13, 2010, but Mother’s day was Sunday, May 9. That’s the only reference to MD 2010 that I see.

    Can I ask why you are interested in Mother’s Day, or May 9, 2010?

    ****************
    The week prior is when Kyron was in the play about Oregon Settlers, the white shirt whistling one, and this was posted on May 6, so I guess the play at the school was May 5, interestingly, one month earlier than Kyron disappeared. :

    Geena Williams How did it go last night?
    May 6, 2010 at 6:41am

    Terri Moulton Horman He did well. I got 6 or 7 videos and several pictures of Kyron and other kids. The principal saw me taking all those pics and asked if he could have some for the yearbook. Thanks for asking!
    May 6, 2010 at 6:46am

    ***************

    We, JQ pub, were privy to a portion of one video of that night. Hmmm, says she took 6 or 7 videos plus photos. Christina Porter posted a photo Kyron in that same shirt on her FB account on the anniversary of Kyron’s disappearance. Where, I wonder are all these other photos/videos?

    (not gonna link these, because I’m just not so sure about FB anymore)

  10. Rose says:

    @mbs. re “That’s what I thought too, but I don’t know where the information came from. I also remember hearing that ”
    The info came from The List.

  11. wpg says:

    “Can I ask why you are interested in Mother’s Day, or May 9, 2010?”

    Sure, T.Ruth, and much appreciation for your informative response (I wondered when that performance video was takem!).

    Just trying to get some insight into the family dynamics around that time. Best to my recollection DY said multiple emails were sent to multiple people a few weeks(? – - something like that in terms of time) before Kyron disappeared.

    Mother’s Day being a special and emotional day . . .
    Wondering if TMH saw J on that special day and if so where – - and if not, why not. Did all the parents and kids meet up somewhere together?
    etc.

    btw, read an old article that it was S.Hall that supplied LE with the photo of Kyron – - no, I didn’t save the link.
    Do remember thinking, hmmm who all had access to the student photos and was the school yearbook on line? And when were the printed books delivered to the school?

    Thanks again, T.Ruth.

  12. erose says:

    Not sure how reliable these stats are, and if they include all school staff or just teachers, but with Logan Storm in mind, it is just not that hard to believe (anymore) that Kyron might have been abducted by a school employee.

    The Statistics of Teacher sexual abuse to Students
    •The best estimate is that 15% of students will be sexually abused by a member of the school staff during their school career.
    •Though, when the American Association of University Women Foundation surveyed more than 1,600 students in eighth through 11th grade, 25 percent of the girls and 10 percent of the boys who said they had been harassed or abused said the harasser was a school employee.
    •The number of K-12 public and private school students in 1996 who have been or will be sexually abused by a member of the school staff is nearly 7 million of 51,331,000.
    •Between 1% and 5% of teachers sexually abuse or harass students.
    •At least a quarter of all school districts in the United States have dealt with a case of staff sexual abuse in the past ten years.
    •Most cases of sexual abuse of students by teachers are never reported.
    •In nearly half of the cases, suspects were accused of abusing more than one student.
    •Only two cases were cases of false accusations; less than 1 percent of the cases studied.
    •No type of school was immune to abuse: public or private, religious or secular, rich or poor, urban or rural.
    • Responses to Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Students by Staff
    •38.7% of the teachers resigned, left the district, or retired
    •17.5% were spoken to informally
    •15% were terminated or not re-hired
    •11.3% received a formal verbal or written reprimand
    •8.1% were suspended and then resumed teaching
    •7.5% were cases where the superintendent determined that the teacher hadn’t meant to sexually abuse
    •Of the nearly 54% of abusers who resigned, weren’t rehired, retired, or were terminated, superintendents reported that 16% were teaching in other schools and that they didn’t know what had happened to the other 84%. All but 1% of these teachers retained their teaching license.
    • Teacher Student Sex Legalities
    •In 20 states, it is not a crime for school employees—including teachers, administrators, and coaches—to have sex with students aged 16 and over.
    •In 23 states, it is not a crime for school employees to have sex with students aged 17 and over.
    •In 45 states, it is not a crime for school employees to have sex with students aged 18 and over.
    •In 16 states, it is a crime for adults in a position of trust and authority—teachers, administrators, and coaches among them—to have sex with students under the age of 18.

    http://www.cpiu.us/statistics-2/

    You know, this floors me and I am not sure why. Maybe because there was not a hint of it when I went to school, and still none with two teenagers in the PS system. I think it says plenty about parents not being engaged with their kids if this crap is happening under their noses.

    B

  13. erose says:

    Apparently the school districts hands are tied.

    June 2012

    snips>

    The defeat Wednesday of a proposed law that would have made it easier for school districts to fire teachers in cases of sexual and other egregious misconduct has shone a spotlight on the strong sway of the California Teachers Association, widely considered the state’s most politically influential labor union with more than 325,000 members.

    Headlines about the case sparked numerous reports of sexual misconduct by teachers around the state, and highlighted how difficult it is to remove them, typically taking years and incurring hefty legal fees through a labyrinthine process.

    The bill would have truncated the process, allowing a school board to make the final dismissal decision after a recommendation by an administrative law judge and permitted evidence more than four years old to be used. It would have also allowed a teacher to retain counsel and present a defense and witnesses, request a hearing by an independent arbiter and to appeal the board’s decision to a court.

    http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20965275/defeat-calif-teac

  14. Rose says:

    Since we’re on Day 16, my bet is J Kantor decided to stay and is scrambling for some basis & cites to explain hus creative legal reasoning. Imo Bunch will rue that effectively subjective “test” he relied on.

  15. Rose says:

    Kantor has a million $ property. In Portland.
    wife a part-time commty coll teacher.
    http://www.city-data.com/multnomah-county/N/NW-Aspen-Avenue-1.html

  16. raceyrin says:

    At 10 yrs old, in the 5th grade , we had a very strict mean teacher. He had two “teacher’s pets” in his room. One a girl , who he used to have sit on his lap at his desk while going over her tests and another boy , who he had sit in the back next to him to run the film projector. when we were watching a film , we were not allowed to turn around, if we did we were yelled at. We did sneak peaks and saw the teacher rubbing the boys leg. We were creeped out by the teacher but way too scared of him to say anything to any adults. when we got older, we realized he was much more than a creep….

  17. T. Ruth says:

    Eugene, OR:

    Downloading child porn nets man prison time
    Despite numerous pleas for leniency from family and friends, Catalin Dulfu is sentenced to 15 years
    (snipped, more@link)

    For the past year, Catalin Dulfu of Eugene has tried to atone for downloading hundreds of images of child pornography, hoping he could change his life, find redemption and earn a chance at leniency from a judge.

    He may have succeeded on the first two, but on Tuesday he failed at the third when he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Less than two weeks ago, a jury convicted him on 30 counts: 15 for encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree and 15 for encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree.

    It amounts, as a state prosecutor requested, to one year in prison for each of the 15 children depicted in violent pornographic videos found on a computer and hard drive belonging to Dulfu. All of the children were younger than 12 years of age, and all were being raped.

    “Mr. Dulfu’s conduct in this case is unacceptable,” Lane County Circuit Judge Jay McAlpin said, summing up his reasons for imposing the lengthy sentence.

    http://www.registerguard.com/web/news/sevendays/29467888-46/dulfu-child-prison-church-catalin.html.csp
    *************

    Seems to me judges are finally starting to put out some teeth into sentencing for these crimes.

  18. T. Ruth says:

    @erose says:
    February 20, 2013 at 2:30 am
    (snipped)

    • Responses to Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Students by Staff
    •38.7% of the teachers resigned, left the district, or retired
    •17.5% were spoken to informally
    •15% were terminated or not re-hired
    •11.3% received a formal verbal or written reprimand
    •8.1% were suspended and then resumed teaching
    •7.5% were cases where the superintendent determined that the teacher hadn’t meant to sexually abuse
    •Of the nearly 54% of abusers who resigned, weren’t rehired, retired, or were terminated, superintendents reported that 16% were teaching in other schools and that they didn’t know what had happened to the other 84%. All but 1% of these teachers retained their teaching license.

    ************

    Good grief! What’s wrong with this picture? Holy cow, I hope these stats are wrong: 99% of these teachers retained their teaching license? Are you kidding me? Is there a sign somewhere saying if you’re a pedophile you should become a teacher, because not only will you be around children, you can even get away with molestation and keep right on going with nothing more than a change of location? WTH? Gosh, I hope these stats are wrong. Absolutely mind boggling.

    You know, my husband drove a school bus for a few years, and some of the little ones would want to jump up and hug him, etc. Even back then 20 years ago, he was instructed not to let them, and definitely not to hug back. It was a shame, because it was all innocent, but he would/could have lost his job if someone reported something that small as an innocent hug. WTH is going on in our schools that allows teachers to ever touch our children in any way inappropriately and not be taken to task over it? I don’t get it. Is it their freakin’ union?

    Do we need to take the teacher’s union to task, like the Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church have been?

  19. Cindy says:

    @T. Ruth at 1:01 p.m. 2/20/13
    Yes, we do need to take the teacher’s union to task and the school districts and whoever else is responsible for the care of our children in the school, on the bus, coaches, etc. Unfortunately, so much of activity of swept under the rug and discussed behind closed doors that most parents don’t know when it is going on in their own system.

  20. RedRose says:

    I don’t really want to know (and I’m definitely not going to do it), but wonder just how many links would pop up on Google if one googled “child porn”.

    I wondered out loud about teachers at the school a few days ago….here is where I wondered: RedRose says: February 17, 2013 at 2:27 pm

    By the way, it’s really amazing to me (or not) how much you can learn from just listening to little kiddies or by asking a question or two. Sometimes they will volunteer information about what happens at home or about things that are done that they don’t really understand, but are just repeating. Kyron seems like a friendly little guy and it’s possible that he repeated things from home that his parents wouldn’t want told, things he (Kyron) saw or heard but didn’t understand.

    I also seem to remember that kiddies have their ‘favorites’ at schools, sometimes a janitor who is friendly to them, sometimes a school bus driver, not necessarily a teacher, but someone connected with the school who is on the periphery. –coaches, subs, volunteers, etc. Nobody really looks too suspiciously at these under-the-radar types but I often think that parents should be extra cautious when leaving their kiddies alone with some grown-ups. I don’t expect that LE paid a lot of attention to any of these, as they were probably focused (at the suggestion of KH?) on TMH. Too bad, too sad.

    What happened to Kyron??

    @erose says: February 20, 2013 at 2:30 am

  21. erose says:

    There is an AP article in the San Jose Mercury, but I can’t get it to post. Not to trying to get political, but we all probably remember what happened to those kids at Miramonte, and here is what happened when someone tried to expedite getting rid of perverted teachers. I realize all good sounding laws are not always so, but after the CA Senate passed, the CA House couldn’t even get it out of committee.

    Perverting Justice

    The teachers’ union kills a Democratic bill to remove criminals from California’s classrooms.

    16 July 2012http://www.city-journal.org/2012/cjc0716ls.html

  22. erose says:

    And I’m sure we all noticed, there is not one stat for calling police, or children’s services. Schools seem to operate as a sovereign nation, accountable to no one but themselves, which doesn’t work to well if there is general corruption within the system.

    The irony here is TH is/was a teacher and lots of people believe she did this, of course not as a teacher, but as a stepmother.

    T. Ruth says:
    February 20, 2013 at 1:01 pm

  23. RedRose says:

    It doesn’t always happen, re some parents, but I still think the primary responsibility for protecting our children until they are old enough to look out for themselves goes to the parents. –the schools don’t do it; the legal system doesn’t do it; no one else except those who love them most (or should) – their parents.

    If this means being reasonably watchful of almost everyone the child comes in contact with, –even to the point of their friends and parents of their friends — that’s what parents should do. IMO.
    Those innocent little babes really have no one else to look out for them except for those who love them most (or should), their moms and dads. I know, I know …. in a perfect world ….

    MOO, MOO

  24. erose says:

    I *feel* the same way, but I am starting to think we were just the lucky ones. I had a mom and dad, who loved – loved – loved us, but looking back, we were vulnerable. In the summer we rode bikes to the pool, took swimming lessons, checked in for lunch, then explored ’til dinner. We went to church vacation bible school, summer camps, brownies, girl scouts and just about every sport. I mean, I am just now really learning how prevalent this stuff has been going on in schools, scouts, churches, for years, every where I was.
    ———————–
    You know, this floors me and I am not sure why. Maybe because there was not a hint of it when I went to school, and still none with two teenagers in the PS system. I think it says plenty about parents not being engaged with their kids if this crap is happening under their noses.

    B

  25. Harleycolt says:

    Wow….Kyron is on page 3 now….I don’t want ys’ll to forget about him.
    But I guess there is not alot to talk about. I pray they find this little tree frog angel !

  26. MockingbirdSings says:

    Rose says:
    February 19, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    @mbs. re “What I really want to know is whether he was marked “excused” or “unexcused” since that would tell me whether Mrs. Porter indicated she heard and accepted what she thought was a verbal excuse from Terri for an absence, or not.”

    About at the elementary level in a small school (not a HS mbs), imo a Mrs Porter would NOT if puzzled at an absence
    mark the child of an assertive/agressive, firebreathing, but on the other hand supportive volunteer, parent unexcused period. Imo they would mark “excused” thinking I’d clarify & get a note later. After all she had a memory Kiara was sick, so Terri might go to Dr with her & just take Kyron. I can’t see a newish small el ed teacher marking Terri’s kid unexused. So imo “excused” gives no investigatory info.
    (Yes I know one can check unexcused & change it later.
    But we know Porter is low initiative & unlikely to get
    that sophisticated in her decisions.)
    —————————

    I know what you’re saying and it makes sense, but ever since I can remember, the absolute rule for marking attendance is that a student is automatically “unexcused” until a note from a parent or guardian is received – within 3 days of the absence – or a phone call is made to the teacher or office AND the teacher or secretary documents that in their own writing and adds it to the attendance file. Terri would be well aware of that procedure and so would Mrs. Porter, as well as every other teacher and sub. It’s not really a sophisticated decision, it’s drilled into you from your hire date.

    State law gives attendance guidelines and then mandates each district to create a policy in keeping with those guidelines. In general, there is little or no variation in those policies. Attendance files and lesson plans are part of regular teacher evaluations, probably more so than whether you can actually teach a good lesson since they are easier to document as adequate or not. Every teacher is expected to mark a student as unexcused unless/until the proper documentation is submitted. There is no doubt about that among staff members.

    Now, whether Mrs. Porter actually followed proper procedure is another question.

    Even without a teaching background, Terri would have had enough experience with James cutting classes to know what attendance procedures were. I don’t think she would give it a second thought if Mrs. Porter marked him unexcused until she sent a note, unless she had given Mrs. P. enough information that she truly expected him to be marked excused – but then that would mean she knew he was gone.
    —————–

    From PPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook:
    Excused Absences from School
    Absences for student sickness, family sickness requiring the student’s presence, religious holidays, death in a family or absences prearranged with staff approval are excused upon notification from parents/guardians. Parents/Guardians must explain a student absence in a signed letter or by a telephone call within three (3) days of the absence or it will be counted as unexcused. Parents/Guardians may submit the signed letter in their home language if English is not used at home.

    Procedures for Reporting a Student’s Absence
    1. A note signed by a parent/guardian ordinarily is required for any tardiness or absence.
    2. If a student has had an illness of a communicable nature (flu, chicken pox, measles, hepatitis A, scarlet fever, pink eye, impetigo, live head lice, boils, etc.), he/she must remain at home until well and present a doctor’s authorization for return to school. Assistance for low-income families is available from the Multnomah County access clinics.
    For information on diagnosis of communicable diseases or permits for returning to
    school call Multnomah Education Service District Health Department.
    3. Parents/Guardians are urged to make medical or dental appointments after school hours to minimize the loss of school time.
    4. Requests to leave school for any reason ordinarily must be presented in writing prior to the planned absence and signed by the parent/guardian.

  27. MockingbirdSings says:

    wpg says:
    February 19, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    AlbaLass says:
    “left the reservation”

    I have no tolerance for comments like this.
    ———————————

    @wpg – I meant to say thank you for your post and time got away from me. Remembering now.

  28. Rose says:

    organized crime & sex trafficking since 2007, and an entrapment or
    blackmail target waiting to happen imo
    http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/02/kemp_strickland_federal_prosec.html#incart_river_default

  29. erose says:

    2008

    They call it “passing the trash,” and it’s a common policy that lets child abusers resign and move to another district

    snips>

    Salem’s deal is just one of 47 similar confidential settlement agreements obtained or confirmed by the newspaper.

    During the past five years, nearly half of Oregon teachers disciplined for sexual misconduct with a child left their school districts with confidential agreements. Most, like Cushing’s, promised to keep alleged abuse quiet. Some promised cash settlements, health insurance and letters of recommendation as incentives for a resignation.

    The Oregonian reviewed 767 cases of educator misconduct over the past 10 years in which the state commission revoked or suspended licenses for misbehavior. Sex-related offenses ranked the most common, and in 165 cases the agency disciplined educators for misconduct ranging from touching students or sending them love notes to molestation and rape.

    Still, it’s the granting of second chances, secret deals, slow investigations and naive staff that help problem teachers remain in Oregon schools, experts on sex offenders say.

    Oregon needs to be more aggressive in deterring offenders who rely on secrecy and ignorance, Walker said.

    “There is a conspiracy of silence, and we need to blast it open,” Walker said. “No children should be robbed of their childhood by an adult.”

    http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/02/schools_cut_secret_deals_with.html

    So is the philosophy that Cushing’s proclivity was limited to females? This goes back to my earlier query- NH has the laxest RSO and Pedo laws in the US. He is still on staff there, bio and all.
    B

  30. erose says:

    Between 1997 and 2007, 767 cases of misconduct involving Oregon educators ranged from minor infractions to criminal behavior. Although those who sexually exploit students are a tiny fraction of the 35,000 educators who teach, mentor and coach in Oregon public schools, sexual misconduct with a child ranked as the most common reason the state disciplined an educator.

    The commission has an additional mission to rehabilitate problem teachers, and it gives second chances to those who have admitted to sex-related offenses, such as propositioning students for sex, videotaping students’ underwear or watching pornography at school.

    http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/02/schools_let_sex_abuse_cases_sl.html

    Have we any National stats to compare where these fall on the averages? In other words, is there any way to know if this is demographically noteworthy? I may compare it to a working theory of mine on overall knowledge of offenders and criminal statutes.

    ie: If there is a chance I (as an offender) I am going to get pinched, dont I want to live where the laws are more on my side?

    B

  31. erose says:

    May 2012
    Reports of teacher sexual misconduct on the rise

    “There’s no question it’s bigger in terms of the number of our reports,” said Vicki Chamberlain, the executive director of Oregon’s Teachers Standards and Practices Commission. That’s the state entity that regulates teachers, suspending or revoking their licenses when they break the rules, or break the law.

    “We’ve had 22 reports since November,” Chamberlain said.

    The reports range from inappropriate exchanges with students to sexual abuse and rape. Among other factors for this increase, Chamberlain points to the effect of the digital age.

    http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/Reports-of-teacher-sexual-misconduct-on-the-rise-students-Oregon-151370805.html

  32. erose says:

    IMO, the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force has some disputable notions, though I have no stats to argue, only common sense. They claim to be victim centered, but by their own Value and Belief Statement, they seem IMO sympathetic to the offenders. This is an OAG sanctioned program.

    Aside, the problem, as I see it, is the churches, schools, and by extention sports programs and scouts all operate as institutions that are not accountable. They all have their own governace, answer only to themselves and dispense justice within their own walls by their own policies. As I see it, is simply a tactic to keep a lid on it.

    If a child is sexually abused, a crime is a crime is a crime, regardless of where it occurs. Do not report it to the superintendent, or the head of the church, or the council, or any other affiliated person. Report it as a crime, it is not an incident, and if your state’s AG is offender sympathetic, then get a lawyer, too. All JMO.

    Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force
    Myths and Misconceptions About Sex Offenders

    http://oregonsatf.org/about-2/satf-membership/offender-management-committee/myths-and-misconceptions-about-sex-offenders/

    Offender Management Subcommittee
    Values and Beliefs
    1. We believe that sexual violence is preventable.
    2. We believe that effective offender management and treatment must be victim-centered, aligned with evidence of efficacy, and responsive to real threats and risks rather than fear.
    3. We believe that working together to create collaborations between victim/survivor and offender treatment professions increases our ability to prevent sexual violence.
    4. We believe in creating partnerships and collaborations with victim/survivor treatment organizations in order to foster more powerful and effective legislative advocacy to support prevention.
    5. We believe that when we work in collaboration, we are more effective in creating safer communities.
    6. We believe that as experts on treatment and management of sex offenders, we must share our expertise and knowledge of offender behavior to enhance and/or evaluate prevention programming
    7. We believe that many sex offenders want to be safe from harming others, can be effectively treated and can reduce their own risk to reoffend.

    The BOD (the President is a CPA, which is what all sexual assault victims need, right? a good CPA.)
    http://oregonsatf.org/about-2/board-of-directors/

    Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force
    http://www.nsvrc.org/organizations/3640

  33. erose says:

    Grab a cup of coffee for this one…

    Disciplined Teachers Past Stories

    http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/02/disciplined_teachers_past_stor.html

    Don’t you think it might cross investigator’s minds *just once* that Kyron might be a victim to someone other than his stepmother?

    Or his parents. I want to know the answer to that question and I have yet to ever hear anyone ask them that directly.
    B

  34. erose says:

    Right now, educators are having a serious case of denial,” said Mary Jo McGrath, a California attorney who specializes in education.

    “I believe that children being abused by teachers is common. I wouldn’t be surprised if every school district in America has someone harming children,” McGrath said.

    McGrath spent much of her career prosecuting educator misconduct cases before the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

    Kuba said in all the years he’s investigated sex crimes he has never had a case prosecuted in which a child lied about being abused by non-family member. “Occasionally a child will be coached by parent to lie during a custody dispute but that is easily discovered when the child is interviewed,” he said

    Kuba has specialized in investigating child sex crimes for much of his career.

    “The problem isn’t that many teachers do this. The problem is how many children one pedophile can harm once he becomes a teacher,” he said.

    http://hiddenviolations.com/stories/?prcss=display&id=358899

  35. Rose says:

    to go “off the reservation” as used about L Storm leaving a geographic area he was restricted
    to is used constantly in the press, mostly about politicians breaking party lines.
    But, here is a Native American perspective about its offensiveness:
    http://blog.nrcprograms.org/off-the-reservation/
    Waving to Word Girl.

  36. Miss Bri says:

    This is what I like to see! A school district in one of the Chicago suburbs is requiring all school visitors to show ID, which will then be cross-checked against the sex offender registry. Its so good to see a district take preemptive measures to protect our children instead of just reacting when something bad does hapen!

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/batavia_geneva_st_charles/ct-tl-batavia-101-security-20130301,0,6079103.story

  37. T. Ruth says:

    I can’t speak to private schools, but by golly as an Oregon tax payer, and since the majority of my property taxes go to public schools, the records of any teacher (and administration staff) who work for a public school, should be public……period, end of story. And if that public school receives Federal funds in any capacity then, by golly, they should be nationally available as well. This just ticks me off. The fact that I may be paying the salary of some pervert allowed to be teaching our children, really makes me angry.

  38. Rose says:

    @erose . This quote you posted is horrendous public policy:
    “The commission has an additional mission to rehabilitate problem teachers, and it gives second chances to those who have admitted to sex-related offenses, such as propositioning students for sex, videotaping students’ underwear or watching pornography at school.”
    http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2008/02/schools_let_sex_abuse_cases_sl.html

    I discovered by going back to find more on a prior response I made on something being a PTA issue (should be a county pta safety committee issue) that Oregon pta state and county wide is so poorly organized structurally it might as well be on Mars compared to my and other Counties’ PTA structure and process. For example, it’s not Countywide & wealthier, whiter suburbs are cut off from PPS. I

    And imo that is why there is not as much accountability on State ed policies like this.

    I had speculated these policies re sex offenses might be why some teachers moved to OR from CA.

  39. T. Ruth says:

    KYRON’S “BRING THEM HOME” RUN – As we mark the 3rd annual run, we will include awareness for other missing children, and so the Run for Kyron has a new name.

    We can use quite a few talented people to help with the run this year. If you have time or talent, will you email uberthons@gmail.com?

    This year, let’s make a huge difference!

    https://www.facebook.com/BringKyronHome

  40. hervness says:

    T. Ruth says:
    February 21, 2013 at 11:50 am

    I can’t speak to private schools, but by golly as an Oregon tax payer, and since the majority of my property taxes go to public schools, the records of any teacher (and administration staff) who work for a public school, should be public……period, end of story.
    **********************************************************************
    I agree, and, like I posted earlier . . . I was allowed on school grounds, at a school sponsored activity (after hours) along with members of the community with the MOST lax security I have ever seen. I work for a state agency, in a state building (where we typically don’t have kids in the office) and there is better security for us. We have to have a code to go up to the second floor in the elevator. Yet a grade school, just down the street is open for anyone to walk into. Boggles the mind. I even pointed out to my co-worker (who probably thought I was a complete creeper) that we were stationed about 3 feet from the door to the parking lot, nothing between us but a few feet. Kids just running around, with us having quick access to the parking lot.

  41. erose says:

    Why didn’t I think to say that? Glad you did. So true!

    erose says:
    February 21, 2013 at 4:54 am
    snip>
    Don’t you think it might cross investigator’s minds *just once* that Kyron might be a victim to someone other than his stepmother?

    Or his parents. I want to know the answer to that question and I have yet to ever hear anyone ask them that directly.
    B

  42. hervness says:

    I guess when I talk about the event I attended in comparison to the science Fair that day is that . . . 1. It was an event, while advertised to students and parents, was open to others. 2. It was after school, while the SF was before school. 3. There was lots of chaos and kids running around. 4. We were essentially outside “vendors” so to speak, having passed no background checks nor was any ID required by staff.
    Anyway, the whole evening was just weird. I couldn’t help thinking what a perfect storm this was if I were to have ill intents towards a child. Parents distracted, kids distracted, staff distracted.

  43. erose says:

    @Blink, I know what you’re looking for, state by state stats, and I’m not sure they exists. This 2004 report by Dr Charol Shakeshaft of Hofstra (pre-Sandusky) seems to be the most referenced document on the subject. Good references in apendix 1 which is longer than the actual report, so don’t let the 156 pages deter, the report itself is about 50 pages.

    Since it is an under reported crime, even when the victim reports it, it often doesn’t make the stats which are usually district by district or state by state but not comprehensive on a national level. Off the cuff. from what I have read, CA and IL seem to have some of the worst problems, but then they may just be the states that are under scrutiny, as OR and other states seem just as bad.

    The National Center for Educational Statistics, which would seem to be the go to agency for this, doesn’t appear to have teacher sexual misconduct on their radar, as it lumps all sexual assualts together, and then lumps all national stats together. I could not find any state by state data.

    Agree with Rose that the PTA is lax, as it is in my neighboring state of WA. Still baking and selling cookies, I afraid.

    If I could pick one quote from Shakeshafts compliation…
    page 54 of download -

    “There is no research that documents teacher union attempts to identify predators among their members.”

    http://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Teacher-sex-offender-report.pdf

    In 1994, Shakeshaft published a report based on a four-year study of 225 sexual abuse complaints—184 in New York State and 41 in other states—against teachers made to federal authorities from 1990 to 1994.[3] She found that “All of the accused admitted sexual abuse of a student, but none of the abusers was reported to the authorities, and only 1 percent lost their license to teach. Only 35 percent suffered negative consequences of any kind, and 39 percent chose to leave their school district, most with positive recommendations. Some were even given an early retirement package.”

    In 2004, Shakeshaft published Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature for the United States Department of Education.[2] The report indicated that nearly 10% of U.S. public school students, or 4.5 million students, had been the victims of sexual harassment, rape or sexual abuse. The review described the prevalence of educator sexual misconduct, offender characteristics, targets of educator sexual misconduct, and recommendations for prevention of educator sexual misconduct.[2]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charol_Shakeshaft

    The National Center for Educational Statistics
    http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2011/tables.asp

  44. wpg says:

    Waving back to Rose, MockingbirdSings, and all’round.

  45. T. Ruth says:

    erose says:
    February 21, 2013 at 4:47 am
    (snipped)

    If a child is sexually abused, a crime is a crime is a crime, regardless of where it occurs. Do not report it to the superintendent, or the head of the church, or the council, or any other affiliated person. Report it as a crime, it is not an incident, and if your state’s AG is offender sympathetic, then get a lawyer, too. All JMO.

    ***********

    Yep, yep, yep! Not just your opinion, mine too, and I’m sure many others. What would have happened in the Sandusky case if either McQueary or Paterno had gone to the police? What would have happened earlier on if others who were molested had gone to the police as well? IDK, maybe just another dead and missing DA, but good grief, why is everyone so afraid of stepping up? I can see a child being afraid, but adults? I don’t get it, maybe some of these people need to grow some! AND, there ought to be laws that say if you don’t report to LE, not your boss, and not your superintendent, but LE, YOU loose. Gosh this crap makes me mad! In fact, aren’t teachers in Oregon required to do just that? Is it already law and being averted? Could have sworn a friend of mine said that was required. ?????

  46. T. Ruth says:

    OMG, what a bunch of garbage:

    7. We believe that many sex offenders want to be safe from harming others, can be effectively treated and can reduce their own risk to reoffend.

    (snipped from erose’s post, links:)

    http://oregonsatf.org/about-2/satf-membership/offender-management-committee/myths-and-misconceptions-about-sex-offenders/

    The BOD (the President is a CPA, which is what all sexual assault victims need, right? a good CPA.)
    http://oregonsatf.org/about-2/board-of-directors/

    Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force
    http://www.nsvrc.org/organizations/3640

    **************

    I cannot even believe someone put this crap in writing. WTH kind of verbage is this: “Sex offenderss want be SAFE??????????? from harming others?” Like someone is forcing them to do so! (OH, this is making raising my blood pressure, yes it is.) Who the hell wrote this? “can be effectively treated to ****reduce their own risk***** to re-offend? Their own risk? Something is very, very wrong with this concept and I don’t know who authored this piece of garbage, but that person needs to be relieved of any duties involving sex offenders, stat.

    This is just one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever read.

  47. erose says:

    Oregon creates strict teacher
    discipline laws
    TRACY LOEW Statesman Journal
    June 14, 2009

    A package of legislation passed this session has given Oregon some of
    the strictest teacher discipline laws in the country.

    Oregon lawmakers think they are the first in the nation to pass a law
    prohibiting administrators from “passing the trash,” or making secret
    deals to conceal educator misconduct in exchange for a quiet
    resignation.

    Other new laws expand fingerprinting rules, require an ethics test for
    new teachers and allow discipline of student teachers.

    http://www.nctq.org/docs/Oregon_creates_strict_teacher_discipline_laws_-_The_Statesman_Journal.pdf

  48. vw says:

    Just a brief comment as I read up on the concern about sexual perverts in the schools.

    Teachers are mandatory reporters. We are trained and retrained every year to be able to identify and to report if we are given evidence of a child being abused. And that means sexual abuse. By anyone. Every year.

    At least in Oregon. And we will not be able to teach without that training.

    What other organization does that? Not the Catholic Church. Not the Boy’s Scouts. Not private schools (that I know of).

    Yes. There are teachers that are perverts. And those who might go into the field to find their victims. But are the repeat offenders in the same proportion as in other fields? Do they go on to violate parole and continue to subject the innocent to unspeakable crimes against them? If their license is not taken away, why?

    I don’t really know, and i’m not defending all (or any) teachers that have been accused of sexual abuse.
    But we do know teachers and education personnel are a cross section of the real world.
    They simply have more access to children.

    But they also have (in the public schools) more knowledge of the problem than the average day-care or private school or church organization that works with kids.

    And they are MANDATED to protect these babies if they see a problem.

  49. erose says:

    I know, I know. I don’t know who wrote it, but it came from a task force set up by the Oregon OAG. Their philosophy is just too educated for me, as it seems absolutely void of any common sense, and there doesn’t seem to be any basis of proof that it works. Is it a let’s try this approach? The next thing they will want is victim/perp counseling sessions, ftloG.

    Ruth says:
    February 21, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    OMG, what a bunch of garbage:

    7. We believe that many sex offenders want to be safe from harming others, can be effectively treated and can reduce their own risk to reoffend.

    I cannot even believe someone put this crap in writing. WTH kind of verbage is this: “Sex offenderss want be SAFE??????????? from harming others?” Like someone is forcing them to do so! (OH, this is making raising my blood pressure, yes it is.) Who the hell wrote this? “can be effectively treated to ****reduce their own risk***** to re-offend? Their own risk? Something is very, very wrong with this concept and I don’t know who authored this piece of garbage, but that person needs to be relieved of any duties involving sex offenders, stat.

    This is just one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever read.

  50. vw says:

    That said…my above “rant” about PS teachers.

    When I started teaching at a HS that I was at for more than a decade, I encountered a charismatic HS English teacher that had been so “loved” that students left presents for him on his desk. He waited until one of them graduated, and had married her a couple years before I came. The second year I was teaching I watched police come into his classroom and remove him.

    Turns out he was cheating on his new wife and using the school computers to access porn in his classroom.

    Last I heard he was teaching in Texas.

    I remember, too, as a young student teacher in my early twenties a disheveled , bright, student that seemed to “like” me. When I suggested to my male supervising teacher that the student might be getting the wrong idea, he said…”just a few more months and he walks (graduates) …then it’s OK” I remember thinking he was a creep, but was afraid to say anything as he would be my reference.

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