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October 29, 2004

Teacher sex-abuse cases soar

By Domingo Ramirez Jr. -- Star-Telegram Staff Writer

The number of educators in Texas public and private schools sanctioned for sexual misconduct with students has risen dramatically in the past decade, an increase prosecutors and experts attribute to better reporting.

A total of 103 educators -- 22 from North Texas school districts -- were sanctioned in fiscal 2003-04 by the State Board for Educator Certification in Austin. In fiscal 1994-95, 19 educators were sanctioned statewide.

The cases include students who were fondled at teachers' homes, molested in classrooms and raped in vehicles. Sanctions ranged from a written reprimand to license revocation, state officials said.

Problems with pedophiles in the Roman Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America have made school officials more aware of teacher-student sex cases, education experts said.

In the past, students were too embarrassed to report sex crimes, and many school officials simply didn't believe them, said Mitch Poe, chief of the crimes against children unit in the Tarrant County district attorney's office.

"Many times, it's just a shock to parents," Poe said.

Nationally, the figures are staggering. An estimated 290,000 students were victims of sexual abuse by school employees from 1991 to 2000, according to a survey by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation.

By comparison, about 11,000 children were sexually abused by about 4,000 priests and deacons since 1950, according to a study released this year by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"There's a lot of students being abused physically, verbally and visually every day," said Charol Shakeshaft, an education professor at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. She is the author of a U.S. Education Department report on sexual misconduct released in June. The report says one in 10 American children has been sexually abused at school.

"And we haven't really sounded the alert," she said.

Shakeshaft said more training for teachers on sexual misconduct and more license revocations for teachers convicted of sexually abusing students are needed.

Darius Hatchett, a health teacher at Keller High School, said the increase in sexual misconduct has made teachers think twice about showing affection.

"In today's society, it's better that teachers be cautious," said Hatchett, a regional director for the Association of Texas Professional Educators, the state's largest teachers organization.

The number of educators sanctioned for sexual misconduct in Texas hit a peak during 2000-01, when 191 were sanctioned. Educators included teachers, principals, school counselors and librarians.

Better reporting also contributed to that surge, said Lisa Patterson, director of the professional discipline unit of the State Board for Educator Certification.

In 2003-04, 22 educators from North Texas school districts were sanctioned, 21 percent of the total statewide. The number could be higher; information on every educator sanctioned was unavailable. The Fort Worth, Dallas and Plano school districts each had three educators sanctioned.

Education experts and prosecutors say sexual misconduct is evident at all levels of public and private schools.

In one recent case, a former teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Grapevine was indicted last month on charges of indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault. Dawn Reiser is accused of having sex with a 13-year-old student at her Euless home.

The state board sanctions only the private school educators who are certified in Texas. Some private schools hire teachers with out-of-state certifications.

Just days before Reiser's indictment, a former Birdville High School special-education teacher was charged with aggravated assault of a child. Michael Powers is accused of molesting a 12-year-old student at his Euless home.

Other area cases include:

• Gary Don Boswell of Cleburne was sentenced to 180 days in jail last year after he pleaded guilty to indecency with a child. Boswell taught third grade in the Fort Worth school district for 29 years.

• Stephen Ray Wilson, a former North Richland Middle School science teacher, got two years in prison this year for trying to molest a teen-age student.

• A jury found a former DeSoto teacher guilty of molesting a 13-year-old student. Timothy Munday, a 30-year-old former English teacher at DeSoto East Junior High, was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was convicted of molesting a girl after coaxing her out of her home.

"It's scary," said Poe, of the district attorney's office. "It goes from day cares to high schools. We have more cases every day."

Educators sanctioned

In the 2003-04 fiscal year, there were 103 educators who were sanctioned because of sexual misconduct with a student.

Posted by Nealus at October 29, 2004 01:08 PM

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