Today's N-G has an excellent article on how Jon White might have been stopped earlier, and wasn't. There's also a followup about what's happened since, and some related articles about mandatory reporting.
Jon White could have been stopped much earlier.
There were at least seven warning points at which a school employee in either Urbana or McLean County could have justified a call to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
No one did.
And so White – the man convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for acts involving 10 children – kept teaching.
Discuss.
Reminds me of a mugging on the subway, where everyone who could help just pretends they don't see it. *sigh*
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Glock21 Op/Ed
Something that seems to escape me in all this reporting - so WAS the banana only a banana? Or was it something else?
To Glock 21--your observation, albeit uncomfortable, is probably dead on. There have been many postings about the nursing home, county board, unit 4, etc. indicating that things happen without an uproar of community input. A malaise hangs over this community. What can be done to change this if such an incident in Unit 116 has not done so?
There is an article in today's N-G written by Fred Giertz, UIUC Institute of Government and an economist, about the proposed new school sales tax. Here is an issue to which the community ought to direct attention and commitment. He even points out the potential ethical conflict of this consulting firm that is doing the gratis phone survey. Maybe even a parallel to the nursing home consulting firm having an oar in the water.
Pattsi Petrie
Something that seems to escape me in all this reporting - so WAS the banana only a banana? Or was it something else?
White's plea bargain meant that he only pleaded guilty to the actual banana charges, but he was originally charged with "something else" too.
Reminds me of a mugging on the subway, where everyone who could help just pretends they don't see it. *sigh*
I'm not sure if it was a matter of indifference as much as incompetence. Janice Bradley really didn't sound too bright. A lot of the "warnings" that the article discussed could have seemed like creepy behavior but not clear-cut abuse.
wayward... your perspective is probably more accurate. My subway comment was just the first thing that popped to mind after reading this little bit. The problem with "warning signs" is that they usually don't seem so dire except in hind sight. School shooters are probably a classic example. After its over all of these horribly eerie facts come to light that seem to point directly at what was going to happen. But they're usually spread out over several people seeing them and rationalizing them differently due to other variables. Where as afterwards we get to read all about it in a quick summary and timeline where all the pieces can be observed as fitting together perfectly by any individual observer.
Still... sometimes there's a 'magic bullet' observation that should have triggered something having been done to stop it, and perhaps that was the case here. But that would probably fall more in the realm of incomptence than indifference, as you so aptly noted. I think we all probably share the frustration in trying to find the 'magic bullet' to prevent all sorts of abuse, violence, without having to reduce ourselves to taking lie detectors and metal detector tests wherever we go. Just not sure if we'll ever find one that's ideal in the balance of liberty and safety.
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Glock21 Op/Ed
It seems clear to me that a significant portion of this tragedy, including the numerous victims, could have been avoided if simply one school official had done what they are required to do by law - report the suspicions to DCFS and let the professionals conduct an investigation. Not only did these school officials break the law, but they abdicated their responsibility as school officials by either "passing the trash" (Normal) or making excuses for the numerous complaints parents presented against Jon White (Urbana). These people need to be held accountable for their recklessness.
The U of I police officer who contacted the Urbana police is a hero in my book.
Why is the N-G choosing to run this story...again really with no new info? For goodness sake...for the vicitims and their familes and the family of White too...enough is enough.
No angel it is not enough,,,,that is the attitude in Champaign County ,hide the bad stuff,,,drag out printing it,,,,this helps the families in my opinion,,,,they know this has not been forgotten.
Reading this reminded me of why I was so angry, and why I'm so very relieved to no longer live in Urbana's school district:
And nobody ever will. There will be platitudes about how procedures have changed, but in reality it about covering asses more than protecting kids.
Jon White could have happened anywhere. It's the way the District covered it up, and now wants to pretend that they did everything they could do that makes me so incredibly angry.
"Why is the N-G choosing to run this story...again really with no new info? For goodness sake...for the vicitims and their familes and the family of White too...enough is enough."
Because the failures of the District to report when they clearly knew enough to report should be a warning to any parent who thinks that the District will choose to protect their child over protecting an employeee and/or themselves.
And there is lots of new info in this story, at least to me. The spokesperson's quotes and journal entries were chilling. I thought this was one of the best NG articles I've seen.
It wasn't just a banana.
This was the part that really irked me from the first story:
In a conversation Wallig had with Thomas on Jan. 31, 2007 – after White's arrest – Wallig wrote that Thomas "was amazed at the information the police had about the original incident involving (the two girls). She kept saying 'they didn't tell me that' or 'I didn't know that.'
Mrs. Thomas, you don't have the training necessary to do this type of thing. It was not your job...you shouldn't have tried to do it...you simply should have called DCFS and/or the police.
There are some very good follow up stories in todays News-Gazette as well.
Cover up is historically institutionalized in this community. This story is just the most current topic of discussion of this phenomena. There is too much complacency. Too many folks who serve on boards, both appointed and elected, for too many years because there are no term limits. Start a movement to put in term limits; rewards for bringing into the sunshine issues, such as this one; work toward passing a sunshine law on the state level; put sunset provisions in more of the ordinances that are passed; etc. Mostly stop playing politics to the detriment of the community.
Pattsi Petrie
Wallig's resignation speaks volumes about the situation.
"rewards for bringing into the sunshine issues, such as this one;"
The law stipulates that the reward for reporting suspected child abuse is not going to jail. Unfortunately, prosecution won't happen in this case because everyone who should be responsible is too busy covering for everyone else. State's Attorney Julia Reitz' comment about how they have 30 years to prosecute if they so choose was just infuriating.
Why have the law if nobody is ever going to be prosecuted for breaking it?
Let me repeat myself--look at the long-term make up of the Urbana school board, look at the long-term of the superintendent, and look at the hiring from within along with analyzing the roles within the community. Of course, each person is protecting each other. Job security and health insurance coverage.
Pattsi Petrie
The person at Normal said that they no longer give out letters recommendation. What a slick little deception--now they just won't say anything.
Hey folks, how about just honestly answering some questions about the person that someone is about to hire!
Too easy to get sued.
Mind, this happens all the time in the private sector also - you can't rely on references, really. Places get rid of someone, happy to have them leave, don't want them back OR coming back to complain, so they just keep the answers non-committal or else start refusing to give recommendations one way or the other at all.
On the other side, hiring places also know this, so it becomes a "unless your previous employer gives some stellar reference, then you must be damaged goods" situation.
The whole thing is pointless.
So...if "it wasn't just a banana", then why didn't you report what you saw?
So...if "it wasn't just a banana", then why didn't you report what you saw?
Problem was that nobody except White really "saw" it, since the girls were blindfolded.
Not talking about what happened only helps people like White. Trust me---not talking about it isn't going to make these girls "forget" anything....
Reading this reminded me of why I was so angry, and why I'm so very relieved to no longer live in Urbana's school district:
Unfortunately, I think you are being a bit naive if you believe that Unit 4, or any of the local public or private schools are immune to this kind of stuff. It has still not been made clear what happened in this situation but the constant implication that the administrators involved just didn't care that abuse was happening in that school is ridiculous. If you know any of the people you are talking about (and obviously none of you do) you would know that most of them would lay down in traffic to protect Urbana's children.
"Unfortunately, I think you are being a bit naive if you believe that Unit 4, or any of the local public or private schools are immune to this kind of stuff."'
Oh, I've said many times that this could happen anywhere. It's the way it was handled in this instance that is uniquely disgusting to me.
"It has still not been made clear what happened in this situation but the constant implication that the administrators involved just didn't care that abuse was happening in that school is ridiculous. If you know any of the people you are talking about (and obviously none of you do) you would know that most of them would lay down in traffic to protect Urbana's children."
I actually know at least two of the administrators involved, and agree with you. I think they exercised poor judgement, and thought they could handle this themselves and protect both the kids, the employee, the District and themselves. Nobody ever actively decided to endanger the kids. But their poor decision-making had that effect.
Nobody ever actively decided to endanger the kids. But their poor decision-making had that effect.
I agree.
"Why is the N-G choosing to run this story...again really with no new info?"
That the N-G has been running these stories since February 2007 is a clear indication the N-G has given its blessing to a lawsuit against the Unit 116 school district, and is helping the plaintiffs along, forcing a possible out-of-court settlement with widespread exposure of the evidence against the defendants. It was very strange to see interviews with attorneys representing the families immediately after the criminal verdict. Even Rietz chimed in to the press that the school district should have known not to hire White- long before a civil trial has even begun.
What you are seeing is a civil trial being held in the media, and maybe that will save the school district some legal money if they see now they must settle. After this news series, there is no objective jury left in the county to hear this civil case.
I dont think it is so strange to see interviews with attorneys after the verdict,,,,,Big city newspapers have been doing that all along. I think, if anything, it reflects the News-Gazette finally realizing its shrinking readership is tired of the standard Chamber of Commerce approach to news in Central Illinois. Everything is not Sunshine. Lollipops, and Rainbows everyday. It is perverts with bananas, that abuse little girls in schools,,,,that in the past someone would just try to gloss over. Cant have that stuff going on in Champaign-Urbana you know! It also serves the purpose as a good warning shot across these school districts bows, that this kind of crap will not just go away.
The public's right to know versus a defendant having a fair trial still has not been figured out. The News-Gazette continues, with the eager help of egotistical lawyers always desiring some facetime in the press, to run trials before trials. While the sentiment is for full disclosure in the press on a case like this, full disclosure should come during a trial and then after a verdict. All the investigative paperwork, including the police reports should be made available to the public after a jury has rendered its verdict.
In Champaign County, the lawyers and police have control of the information, unless....they go forward in the press to win their cases ahead of the trial.While the issue of catching pedophiles in the application process is a legitimate discussion to have in the public, the News-Gazette series publishing the possible liability of the school district should have been revealed at trial, not to the jury before they've ever been picked. Jon White's case had the unusual procedure of a 1000 sample telephone survey conducted by his defense attorneys, where something like 64% of the respondents believed White was guilty before he ever pleaded guilty. Likewise, the school district lawyers have to look at the recent news series, and know its hopeless to try to defend the case now. Amberg and the rest of the administrators fleeing like bugs before the guilty plea also indicates that whatever re-structuring Urbana plans to do better include setting aside some money for the victim's families. Look for an out-of-court settlement soon. Thanks N-G.
IP, why weren't my comments, which were submitted yesterday, approved in this thread?
I actually submitted the same comment twice. The first time I forgot to change "Anonymous" to "Deputy Fife". When that wasn't approved I thought it may be because of the "Anonymous" tag, so I resubmitted it, but remembered to change the name field.
What gives?
"IP, why weren't my comments, which were submitted yesterday, approved in this thread?"
Email me to discuss, please.
Not publishing them wasn't an easy decision, and I can be persuaded to change my mind and apologize.
"While the sentiment is for full disclosure in the press on a case like this, full disclosure should come during a trial and then after a verdict."
The N-G is simply publishing the facts. The public has a right to know. People need the facts to make informed decisions. If the public had known about the facts surrounding the county nursing home earlier, perhaps pressure could have been put on the proper officials to not only make wise decisions, but to be held accountable for the decisions that are made. I'm sorry, when our tax dollars are at stake - when we pay the salaries of key decision-makers, we need to know what we are paying for. In the corporate world, if you can't cut it, you are fired and someone who will hopefully make better decisions is brought in. Yet what we see, time and time again, is the people who are responsible for serious failures and breaches of public trust ride off into the sunset with not even a slap on the wrist. It's wrong.
"Likewise, the school district lawyers have to look at the recent news series, and know its hopeless to try to defend the case now."
It shouldn't take the N-G to drive home the point to the school district that it's hopeless to try to defend the case now. It was hopeless before the N-G published any articles. The school district made the decisions that they did. Numerous, awful, stupid, ignorant decisions. What the N-G pointed out was that there were many instances where the school district could have changed course and done the right thing. Maybe these stories will serve to put the school district officials in the entire area on notice - do right by our children, we will not tolerate this sort of incompetence. Maybe these school districts will screen their applicants better as a result of this media attention. Maybe a child is saved from being abused by someone deciding to pick up the phone and call DCFS regarding something they've observed instead of just going to the administrator and reporting the problem. That's a good thing in my book.
"The school district made the decisions that they did. Numerous, awful, stupid, ignorant decisions."
The only reason you know that is perhaps because the newspaper published it. I completely agree that we have a right to know all this information, it's a question of when. You, Annonymous 6:37, can no longer serve on the jury in the civil trial, since your mind is already made up as to who is guilty. I agree the media should have total access to government business as a way to hold officials accountable. But should it come at the expense of having fair trials?
"I completely agree that we have a right to know all this information, it's a question of when."
Every resident of Urbana School District needs to know as much as possible as soon as possible (without undue trauma to the victims, of course), so they can make an informed decision about whether to send their children to a school district who responded as Urbana did to this situation.
I could care less about tainting the jury pool. There are change-of-venue motions to remedy that.
Parents need to know this sort of information, and I'm glad the NG has written about it as much as they have.
Perhaps there should be a law that says that certain jobs--teachers, police officers, doctors and nurses, for example--require full disclosure with background requests. No one hiring a person for a sensitive job should have to guess at what the applicant's personal file says. If the employeer wrote it and the employee got it then the next employeer should also get it. Period. There is nothing to fear in saying something negative because everyone knows going in that the information must be shared. If the person wants to contest the contents of the file then the time to do that is while they are with their current employer, not when the information gets shared with a potential employer that the person wants to work for.
Of course there is always the risk that a current employer will simply not put controversial things in a file in the first place. The problem for them is that is when there are problems then they must have them documented in order to take action.