Some educators need long detentions

Seething. That's what I was. I wasn't enraged, but I was beyond angry.

"This isn't some drunk jackass smacking the ass of a waitress late Saturday night at some pub," I said, my hand pointing out the window, my voice raised.

The prosecutor stayed pretty quiet. My impression was he didn't like me very much.

"I'm not going to ruin this guy's life over this. This is a personal matter."

This wasn't a personal matter. This was a teacher allegedly committing sexual battery against a student. And aside from the initial police report I'd read and reported about a few days earlier, not a single fact was going to see the light of day. 

He gruffed.

"I feel like I'm talking to a tabloid. This is none of your business."

I'd been standing in the prosecutor's office -- somewhere in America -- at some point in my life. A co-worker was with me, and while I was pissed, he was stunned. We weren't told there wasn't evidence or the purported victims statements wouldn't survive a trial. We weren't told he had an iron-clad alibi.

We were told this was a personal matter.

The story had been whitewashed from the start. An initial report we'd written had been sent to a corporate attorney, who edited out any reference to the educator, whether it was a man or woman; if the educator was involved in extracurricular activities. The teacher was well-known, and through his extracurricular activities, brought in a certain amount of money and -- in theory -- prestige to the community. All we'd gotten in was a Day One brief, a few paragraphs, buried with a small headline which amounted to "Someone at some school investigated for some thing, some police say."

Sometimes, when a story is a big deal, it's too big of a deal.

My co-worker and I had been spending time on it. We thought it was important. A teacher had, according to the police report, cornered one of his students -- trying to kiss her and grab her breasts, as I recall. As I investigated, I spoke with her father. "She's a good, Christian girl," he said. Well, that didn't really matter to me. "I'll tell you this much: She doesn't lie; she doesn't have any reason to lie." That was much more compelling.

My co-worker was trying to dig up the dirt. He'd stopped by the school on another assignment, but brought up the allegations. He came back and looked at me.

"Yeah. That was bizarre. [Popular, nice girl of school] said to me 'That [victim] is a stupid slut.'"

"Really?" I asked. "What the fuck?"

"Yeah. [Popular, nice girl of school] called her a slut."

Knowing [Popular, nice girl of school] on some levels, it struck me as out of character. But I guess we don't really know everything about anybody.

Despite the prosecutor's decision to not pursue charges, the teacher's spouse was putting pressure on him. At least, that's what we were hearing through grapevines. We weren't really sure of anything going on. Everything that wasn't a personal matter became a personnel matter at school.

The teacher resigned, and soon was at another school -- again holding a position where he brought in some money and, in theory, prestige for the community.

Some time later, I was at a social gathering that included alcohol and community members. I guess since I had a rum and Coke in my hand, everything was considered some sort of off the record. These people were involved with the school where the allegations took place.

"So, is it true about [educator]?" Community member 1 spoke to Community member 2.

"About what?" Community member 2 responded. He was someone who knew the sexual-battery-allegedly-committed educator.

"His new babysitter?"

"Oh yeah. She's hot. She looks just like [Popular, nice girl of school]," Community member 2 responded.

Adrenaline raced into my brain. That rush like you're falling out of bed.

"Holy shit. Seriously, he likes that type, huh?" Community member 1 said. "He fuckin' her now?" he said.

Community member 2 raised his eyebrows and chuckled, nodding his head.

My reaction was numb. Really? I thought. We just laugh about this? What the fuck is wrong with us? I took a long sip of my drink and counted to 60 in my head, deaf to the conversation. I made up some excuse and left. I was seething.


It was in that moment that I really didn't know if I'd let a daughter participate in extracurricular activities. Somehow this wasn't a topic of instant damnation. This was a punchline. Adults laughing about other adults using teenagers. We're not talking about a 20-year-old making out at a party with a 15-year-old. We're talking about adults with power and influence lording it over teenagers ... no matter how attractive or damaged they are. It angered me, but there was nothing I could do. I was seething.

***

Let's advance to Modern Day. MaryBeth Lebo has been coaching volleyball at LaPorte High School for a long time. Among the community, she is held in high esteem.

One of Lebo's assistants, Bob Ashcraft, is now starting to serve 21 years in prison for sexual misconduct with a minor and felony child seduction. Ashcraft had started a "relationship" (and I use that word very, very liberally) with a 14-year-old volleyball player.

Now, prosecutors are charging Lebo and LaPorte High School athletic director Ed Gilliland with failing to report the sexual misconduct of Ashcraft. 

The news broke yesterday and will be -- by the end of today -- pretty well covered. Check nwi.com, southbendtribune, heraldargus, the newsdispatch.com or -- my guess -- even Chicago news. Because this is pretty rare.

The charge is a misdemeanor -- but one that could end up with them in jail for 180 days. If nothing else, they have lost their jobs (for now) and will have their actions (and inactions) related to Ashcraft under a microscope.

Lebo and Gilliland are innocent until proven guilty. But I will be interested to see what is reveled in court. There are hints of email conversations, but we'll see what they knew, when they knew it and how they reacted to it. 

I don't know of many other situations like this where higher-ups were actually held accountable for coaches having sex with kids. And maybe this is a trend that needs to take place much more often.

Do I feel bad for them? No. It is about time that a prosecutor investigate and charge officials who turn a blind eye to a culture of child seduction. We send our children to schools for a basic education. Not for adults to lust over. Not for adults to take advantage of them. 

Lebo has been a great coach in terms of wins and losses. But protecting her team from Ashcraft was more important than any semi-state win. I'd rather go 0-20 with the basics instilled than win a state championship with ethics and innocence left in the front seat of a pickup truck.

***

Do I think all educators do this? No. I wouldn't even say 40 percent. But I'll say this: The percentage is higher than you'd like to hear. The prevalence would probably alarm all of us. I've just heard of far too many cases like the one I mentioned above where an educator or coach was known for having a "relationship" with a kid, and instead of police being informed or charges being filed, the educator was allowed to resign and retreat. Usually to another school. Nothing damning put on their resume. Just that they left for personnel reasons.

Shifted around. Kinda like, no, exactly like, Catholic priests who preyed on kids the last century.

So if you don't care about the kids being seduced by educators, maybe you should be concerned about your wallet down the line.

Here's my prediction. One day, in the not too distant future, the victims of these educators are going to start to connect online. They are going to unite like victims of priests and file lawsuits. They are going to find a good attorney who wants to help them with discovery and criminal cases that never existed are going to become civil cases where the public has to ultimately pay for the sins of the educators.

I've been told it's difficult to sue public entities like school corporations. But it happens. And, in the past, it was difficult to sue tobacco companies and the Catholic church. But if a jury gets a hint that a teacher was shuffled from one school district to another to another to another, because the educator couldn't get enough loving, there are going to be tens of millions paid to thousands of victims from the last several decades.

And I won't be upset with the victims.

But for the perpetrators and those of us who let them get away with it, I'll be seething.