Update: Jury Convicts Former Mount St. Mary Counselor for Failure to Report Sex Abuse

Arkansas Matters
September 18, 2013

http://www.arkansasmatters.com/story/trial-continues-for-former-school-counselor-accused-of-failing-to-report-sexual-abuse/d/story/beg6sJFm60O-qP3ubuwUNw


Update (3:05 p.m.):

LITTLE ROCK, AR - A Pulaski County Circuit Court jury has convicted a former Mount St. Mary Academy counselor of failure to report a sexual relationship between a student and another teacher who was a partner of the counselor.

That's according to our content partner the Arkansas Times, which also reports that after further deliberation, the jury handed down a sentence of one year probation and a $2,500 fine.

Original story (1:45 p.m.):

LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The trial of a former counselor at Mount St. Mary's Academy accused of failing to report sexual abuse of a student is approaching its closing arguments.

Kathy Griffin is charged with a misdemeanor count of failure to notify by mandated reporter after not calling the child abuse hotline or telling the school administrator that she'd found out about a sexual relationship between a student and teacher Kelly O'Rourke.

Griffin has pleaded innocent, saying she wasn't aware of the sexual relationship between the teacher and student until after the girl had turned 18 and was no longer a student at the school, according to KARK content partners at ArkTimes.com.

O'Rourke pleaded guilty in January and served 120 days of a suspended 15-year jail term, but pleaded guilty Monday to violating the no-contact order issued as part of her original sentence.

ArkTimes.com says the defense did not plan to present any witnesses.