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	Brophy Sex-Abuse Scandal a Fiasco By E. J. Montini Arizona Republic December 4, 2011 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/12/03/20111203brophy-sex-abuse-montini.html Thanks to the good folks at Brophy College Preparatory, one of two grotesquely evil circumstances now exists: Either an accused child molester will not have the opportunity to prove his innocence. Or a child molester will roam free on our streets. There is no other option, unless Brophy officials do the right thing. Now. Last week, a longtime instructor at Brophy was fired after two former Brophy students, now adults, allegedly came forward to accuse him "of inappropriate sexual advances when they were minors." Officials at the school said they immediately notified the police, but they would not tell investigators the names of the accusers. Apparently, the victims did not want their names released. Without that information, police can't do a thing. As Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said, "The information has been documented in a departmental report, but this investigation cannot proceed without additional information." I asked officials at Brophy if they could discuss their reasons for withholding the names. I was referred by Adria Renke, school vice president, to a statement sent to Brophy parents last Tuesday by Edward Reese, a priest and the president of Brophy. After naming the teacher (which I won't do unless the man is arrested), Reese said in the statement that the teacher "has not been charged by the police and must be considered innocent until proven guilty." Then he added, "Out of concern for the safety and well-being of our students, I feel obligated to bring the accusations to your attention. I also strongly encourage any former or current Brophy student to feel free to approach us and the police if they have suffered abuse." I understand Reese's concern for the "safety and well-being" of his students. But what about the other kids who live here? In an interview with another news organization, Renke said, "The police took a report, and then we had some thinking to do. And we spoke with the alleged victims over and over again. Very difficult, very intentional, thoughtful process. These are people's lives." She's also quoted as saying, "For the betterment of the students here and the alumni, we needed to go public. Especially to plead to anyone out there who may have been sexually abused to please, please contact us." In Arizona, adults are required by law to report the suspected sexual abuse of children. But there are exceptions. Rachel Mitchell, the sex-crimes bureau chief at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said that under Arizona law, once a victim becomes an adult, the rules change. A person who learns of possible abuse, as happened at Brophy, is not required to tell police the names of the victims once the victims themselves are adults and can report the abuse on their own. But, she added, "Just because the law doesn't require it doesn't mean you can't do it." There is also an exemption in Arizona law for a clergy member who acquires information by way of "a confidential communication or a confession." We don't know if that is why officials at Brophy are not giving up the names of the alleged victims. What we do know is that they could tell the police if they wanted to. Have we learned nothing from the fiasco at Penn State? We pretend that a situation like this is complicated when it's not. If two young men walk into your office and say they were abused by a member of your faculty, you calmly but firmly tell them that you are going to call the police immediately. If they say they don't want to talk to the police, you tell them that remaining silent is their choice but that you are going to give the police their names. Why? Because you not only have an obligation to the two young men as victims but an obligation to do everything you can to prevent future victims. As it is, the folks at Brophy are relying on other victims (presuming they exist) to come forward with the hope that those victims will speak with police. Unless and until that happens there are only two possible outcomes: An innocent man won't get to salvage his reputation or a predator walks free. Contact: ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.

BishopAccountability.org
	Brophy Sex-Abuse Scandal a Fiasco By E. J. Montini Arizona Republic December 4, 2011 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/12/03/20111203brophy-sex-abuse-montini.html Thanks to the good folks at Brophy College Preparatory, one of two grotesquely evil circumstances now exists: Either an accused child molester will not have the opportunity to prove his innocence. Or a child molester will roam free on our streets. There is no other option, unless Brophy officials do the right thing. Now. Last week, a longtime instructor at Brophy was fired after two former Brophy students, now adults, allegedly came forward to accuse him "of inappropriate sexual advances when they were minors." Officials at the school said they immediately notified the police, but they would not tell investigators the names of the accusers. Apparently, the victims did not want their names released. Without that information, police can't do a thing. As Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said, "The information has been documented in a departmental report, but this investigation cannot proceed without additional information." I asked officials at Brophy if they could discuss their reasons for withholding the names. I was referred by Adria Renke, school vice president, to a statement sent to Brophy parents last Tuesday by Edward Reese, a priest and the president of Brophy. After naming the teacher (which I won't do unless the man is arrested), Reese said in the statement that the teacher "has not been charged by the police and must be considered innocent until proven guilty." Then he added, "Out of concern for the safety and well-being of our students, I feel obligated to bring the accusations to your attention. I also strongly encourage any former or current Brophy student to feel free to approach us and the police if they have suffered abuse." I understand Reese's concern for the "safety and well-being" of his students. But what about the other kids who live here? In an interview with another news organization, Renke said, "The police took a report, and then we had some thinking to do. And we spoke with the alleged victims over and over again. Very difficult, very intentional, thoughtful process. These are people's lives." She's also quoted as saying, "For the betterment of the students here and the alumni, we needed to go public. Especially to plead to anyone out there who may have been sexually abused to please, please contact us." In Arizona, adults are required by law to report the suspected sexual abuse of children. But there are exceptions. Rachel Mitchell, the sex-crimes bureau chief at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said that under Arizona law, once a victim becomes an adult, the rules change. A person who learns of possible abuse, as happened at Brophy, is not required to tell police the names of the victims once the victims themselves are adults and can report the abuse on their own. But, she added, "Just because the law doesn't require it doesn't mean you can't do it." There is also an exemption in Arizona law for a clergy member who acquires information by way of "a confidential communication or a confession." We don't know if that is why officials at Brophy are not giving up the names of the alleged victims. What we do know is that they could tell the police if they wanted to. Have we learned nothing from the fiasco at Penn State? We pretend that a situation like this is complicated when it's not. If two young men walk into your office and say they were abused by a member of your faculty, you calmly but firmly tell them that you are going to call the police immediately. If they say they don't want to talk to the police, you tell them that remaining silent is their choice but that you are going to give the police their names. Why? Because you not only have an obligation to the two young men as victims but an obligation to do everything you can to prevent future victims. As it is, the folks at Brophy are relying on other victims (presuming they exist) to come forward with the hope that those victims will speak with police. Unless and until that happens there are only two possible outcomes: An innocent man won't get to salvage his reputation or a predator walks free. Contact: ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.