MANATEE (FL)
Bradenton Herald
MICHAEL BARBER, AIMEE JUAREZ and STEPHEN MAJORS ters
Herald Staff Wri
MANATEE - Under state law, Haile Middle School assistant principal Joseph Gilpin was not obligated to inform school district officials about the sexual molestation accusations lodged against him in Massachusetts and Maine.
Because Gilpin was never criminally charged, a civil case filed in Boston four years ago never came to the attention of Manatee County school officials until last Wednesday. That same day, district officials also learned of a second, similar abuse complaint filed in Maine in September 2003 against the 34-year veteran of the Manatee school system.
"No criminal charges were, nor have they ever been filed against him," Superintendent Roger Dearing said. "There is no obligation on his part to notify us unless there is a criminal charge filed against him."
Upon learning of the allegations, Dearing immediately placed Gilpin on paid administrative leave. Gilpin, who was a Catholic seminarian in the 1960s, submitted a letter of resignation on Friday. Gilpin has declined repeated requests for comment but has denied the allegations in court documents.
Posted by kshaw at February 1, 2005 06:33 AM