BishopAccountability.org
	An Abuse of Trust By Rhonda Holman Wichita Eagle October 26, 2011 http://www.kansas.com/2011/10/26/2077500/an-abuse-of-trust.html Authority figures are human, not superhuman. But it shouldn't be too much to expect them to avoid sexual misconduct, especially involving minors. When they don't, their actions not only victimize innocents but betray trust and tarnish institutions. And they must be held accountable. Think of the scandals of the Catholic Church, including the recent criminal charges against the bishop of the diocese of Kansas City and St. Joseph, Mo., for allegedly sheltering a priest accused of abusing children. But also consider the recent arrests of two female Clearwater teachers who allegedly had sex with students and Monday's news that a male Garden Plain teacher and coach had been arrested in an underage sex sting targeting human trafficking. In addition, a former Lansing police officer and school board member was convicted Monday in federal court for attempting to entice a minor for sex, a former Holton teacher was sentenced last month for having sex with a 15-year-old, and a former Wichita Northwest High School choir teacher was sentenced to probation in May for having consensual sex with an 18-year-old student. Police say one of the Clearwater teachers likely maintained a relationship with a 15-year-old boy for at least a year. The other was charged Monday with two felony counts of having unlawful sexual relations with a student. "One incident in a year, or one in 10 years, is too much as far as I'm concerned," Mike Roth, schools superintendent at Clearwater, told The Eagle. He's right — not just about his district but about any sexual relations involving a teacher and student, which is illegal under Kansas law. Yet a 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Education indicated that nearly 1 child in 10 faces inappropriate sexual conduct involving a teacher. The opportunity has only grown with the explosion of texting and social-media sites — suggesting that schools and other institutions need to step up employee training to try to prevent problems. In any case, the Wichita-Sedgwick County Exploited and Missing Child Unit can't look forward to a lighter caseload anytime soon, especially with local sex-trafficking cases having tripled in recent years. In two of the recent area cases involving teachers, charges have yet to be filed. In all three, the individuals are assumed to be innocent unless proved otherwise in court. But the arrests underscore the fragility of the trust a community invests in teachers and all authority figures, and the responsibility such individuals have not to abuse or break that trust.
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