Leaders Must Learn How to Deal with Child Abusers

By Barbara Blaine
SNAP
February 10, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ms_leaders_must_learn_how_to_deal_with_child_abusers

Imagine the outcry if a police chief disclosed that that she lets corrupt, trigger-happy cops stay on the job but allegedly keeps them away from cash and firearms? Or if a fire department head revealed that he let pyromaniac firefighters stay on the job but allegedly keeps them away from matches and gasoline?

People would go nuts over this kind of crazy behavior. So why aren’t people in Clinton Mississippi going nuts over two officials there who kept a credibly accused youth minister and teacher, John Langworthy, on the job but allegedly away from kids?

Morrison Heights Baptist Church pastor Greg Belser in Clinton Mississippi decided Langworthy could stay on staff after hearing about Langworthy’s alleged abuse of kids in Texas. Belser emailed one of Langworthy’s victims, saying “I want to assure you that (Langworthy) has no contact here with children. He continues to lead our youth choirs, but there are so many eyes on him right now, he is no risk to anyone.”

That’s no misprint. A pastor actually wrote that a twice accused youth minister “has no contact here with children” but “continues to lead our youth choirs.”

Clinton’s school district superintendent Phil Burchfield is no better. Burchfield apparently told a Langworthy victim that Langworthy “was only around kids one hour a day and that he was being supervised.”

Every civilized society jails child molesters for one simple reason: that’s the only way to stop them. Why do these men – and so many others in leadership positions - not understand this?