Everybody is concerned about what happened at Tate H.S. on March first. Nobody is happy about it, and nobody is saying the whole incident has been handled flawlessly by the District or the Sheriff’s office. I’m certainly not happy- and I want answers just like everybody else does. From what I have learned thus far about the incident—I am confident that local media has yet to get this story right.
This is bad enough.
But when local media ups the ante, like this post in “Rick’s Blog”-- and proclaims that the law is not being followed by school district personnel—that is different altogether from an accusation of a sloppy investigation or a procedure not being followed. This assertion of law breaking produces a torch and pitchfork mob mentality in the community and press which leads to inaccurate, biased reporting like this rubbish from the PNJ today.
Here is what is known-the incident was not reported to Tate H.S. Administrators until the end of the school day on March 1st,. The report came second-hand from a person not even in the class. The next school day, On March 2nd, School officials did notice the Tate H.S. SRO about the incident. The SRO did not follow up. Why the lack of follow up by the SRO until two days later? That is a question for the Sheriff's department.
This afternoon, Rick Outzen essentially backed away from his earlier assertion that the school district did not follow state law. He does not apologize, but he does backtrack from the earlier rhetoric. Information provided to him by the school board attorney, Donna Waters, via this blog post was verified by DCF and he admits as much in his post this afternoon. Now he simply needs to retract the part about the school district not notifying law enforcement, because the district did notify law enforcement on March 2nd. Even the PNJ got that part right.
Nobody has all of the answers yet, but the answers will come to light eventually, this incident will be handled, and the guilty will be punished.
Meanwhile—the rushing to judgment and finger pointing to whip up frenzied posters who are ignorant of the facts accomplishes nothing.
5 comments:
ricks blog is a shoot first ask questions later coupon book this is not surprising they got it wrong
anonymous.3/18 6 pm
You are wrong. I disgree with Rick O on most issues but he reported this incident well, thankfully. It would not have been reported otherwise. The school officials delayed, bungled and are now circling the wagons. what a terrible state for ESC county students and our community as a whole. No wonder we are considered backwater USA.
Eric,
You are simply misinformed. Sheriff is closing ranks behind his sro but the truth is the sro knew on 2 march a sexual assault had occured yet the sro did nothing. Why? Now everyone including sheriff general Morgan and Rick outzen blame district personnel. Accept the blame, sheriff. Your sro blew it on this one!
anony...If you call an off-handed comment made to the resource officer by the dean on the way to their cars at the end of the day informing the sheriffs dept than I am wrong.
No one in their right mind could think the school officials didn't bungle this one. Of course, the educators and leaders in the Esc county school system aren't in thier right minds. they are as crazy as Outzen.
Thats a fine point, was there a report made? How was the report made? Are there any documents?
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