Reported hazing incident involving Damascus High School JV Football team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Why wouldn't he want to be seen cleaning house at Damascus with regard to the coaches? Doesn't he make himself more vulnerable by leaving them in place? They're at-will employees and no one is disputing some awful stuff happened in that locker room.

MCPS legal council is waiting for the police and State Attorney to drop the criminal charges. If that happens, MCPS will say no crime was committed so everyone can keep their jobs. Firing an employee would mean MCPS recognizes their liability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Why wouldn't he want to be seen cleaning house at Damascus with regard to the coaches? Doesn't he make himself more vulnerable by leaving them in place? They're at-will employees and no one is disputing some awful stuff happened in that locker room.

MCPS legal council is waiting for the police and State Attorney to drop the criminal charges. If that happens, MCPS will say no crime was committed so everyone can keep their jobs. Firing an employee would mean MCPS recognizes their liability.

MCPS will also come up with a phrase like - Some actions by the coaches and principal were found to not align with MCPS policies or practices. The staff have been retrained so their practices align better in the future. Beyond that, we cannot say more because it is a personnel issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Damascus lost in the state semi-finals last night and in the last two minutes had multiple personal fouls and players rushing the field to fight. This just goes to show the problems are not just relegated to the JV team and the culture of the entire Damascus program is a disgrace. The county really needs to step it up and do something about the coaching staff to fix this problem.

To fix a problem, MCPS would have to admit there's a problem to fix. Right now, they are aiming all blame on the athletes arrested. They are predisposed to only look at the criminal offenders, not the back story of why so many athletes participated in a gang rape.

Unless there is pressure from the Damascus community including a willingness to not let children play football till the coaching staff is changed, the JV and Varsity coaching staff will remain the same for next year. The time is now for Damascus families to contact in writing the principal, the school athletic director, and the MCPS athletic director about your concerns. Contact your school PTA and the MCCPTA as well so you can get help advocating for a change. Unless you make noise and ask for the coaches to be removed, nothing will happen to them and you will have the same coaches next year.

Finally, and more important, if your child was a witnessed or has information about the culture on the JV team, even if it was years ago, contact the police if it was a criminal act and fill out the Bullying and Harassment form for your principal. The more information that is collected, the stronger the case will be to get children the help that they need and to fix a broken athletic program.

I would also encourage parents at other schools where Crouse was an administrator to provide information about the type of environment she fosters and her responses in terms of sexual assault and sexual harassment at other schools. She was principal at Eastern Middle School when male students carried out "Slap Ass Week" (2011-2012 school year) which was so pervasive that girls walked form class to class with binders covering their butts. Her initial response in 2011 was to treat it as a "joke" that some students didn't find "funny". She seemed entirely unaware that touching the private parts of another person without consent fell somewhere in the range of sexual harassment to sexual assault and was a crime not a joke. None of these incidents were reported on the "school safety and security at a glance" forms.

That is a reflection, not only on her, but also on the overall of the extremely poor training MCPS administrators and staff get regarding sexual assault and harassment issues and legal obligations in general.

I had a child at Eastern a few years ago when Crouse was principal. The PE classes at Eastern were often a hostile environment for girls. If parents complained about the conduct of particular boys these boys would typically get transferred to another PE class where they would harass a different group of girls. The PE teachers (with one notable exception) were worse than useless.
I think it is noteworthy that Eastern feeds into Blair high school but we have not heard of these kinds of problems in the PE classes there. The tone and expectations at any school are set at the top by the Principal and Renay Johnson would not stand for this kind of behavior and her PE teachers and coaches know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boys on the team were brought in and interviewed by the principal the day after the rapes.

1) Why were children interviewed by the Principal BEFORE the police? Didn't the Superintendent say MCPS is supposed to wait till the police investigation is concluded?

2) Why didn't the Principal call parents so they could witness the interview? Does a child have a right to have a parent present if the SCHOOL is accusing them?

3) Why was there an assumption that everyone was guilty when many of the boys either weren't in the locker room when the rapes occurred or they were victims?

On this, the Principal deserves to be fired for failure to report, interfering with a police investigation, and traumatizing victims and innocent boys.

This is a huge issue in Montgomery County. Principals do this ALL.THE.TIME and they are not supposed to. They end up destroying evidence and compromising testimony.

My H worked for MoCo Police and he worked really hard on a punishment for principals that do this but nobody wants to fire principals.

This is why child abuse goes on in Montgomery County school. Somebody reports, principal tries to investigate, the perpetrator figures out what is going on, destroys evidence, the police are eventually called... no evidence.

[Anonymous]

How does Smith still have a job? Who's job is it to fire him? I know, after the cops are finished. Speaking of which, what exactly might the cops still be doing at this point?

Is the MC Police Department in cahoots with Smith and the School Board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
How does Smith still have a job? Who's job is it to fire him? I know, after the cops are finished. Speaking of which, what exactly might the cops still be doing at this point?

Is the MC Police Department in cahoots with Smith and the School Board?

MCPD, the State Attorney, and CPS have a memorandum of understanding with MCPS. They collectively meet behind closed doors and share information.

If MCPS is withholding information from or providing misinformation to the police, CPS, and State Attorney, these conversations could sway the police and CPS into closing an investigation and prevent an arrest, prosecution, or ruling. The victim doesn't have a seat at the table. The conversations are sealed. Same for the actual police and CPS reports. There's no accountability or review as to whether an impartial investigation was done that considered all the facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys on the team were brought in and interviewed by the principal the day after the rapes.

1) Why were children interviewed by the Principal BEFORE the police? Didn't the Superintendent say MCPS is supposed to wait till the police investigation is concluded?

2) Why didn't the Principal call parents so they could witness the interview? Does a child have a right to have a parent present if the SCHOOL is accusing them?

3) Why was there an assumption that everyone was guilty when many of the boys either weren't in the locker room when the rapes occurred or they were victims?

On this, the Principal deserves to be fired for failure to report, interfering with a police investigation, and traumatizing victims and innocent boys.

This is a huge issue in Montgomery County. Principals do this ALL.THE.TIME and they are not supposed to. They end up destroying evidence and compromising testimony.

My H worked for MoCo Police and he worked really hard on a punishment for principals that do this but nobody wants to fire principals.

This is why child abuse goes on in Montgomery County school. Somebody reports, principal tries to investigate, the perpetrator figures out what is going on, destroys evidence, the police are eventually called... no evidence.

Would your husband be willing to reach out to the Governor's office and legislators in Annapolis on this? Hogan supports criminal punishment for failure to report and prosecuting people who interfere with a police investigation. Until the laws are changed in Maryland, children will continue to be victimized by the public school systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys on the team were brought in and interviewed by the principal the day after the rapes.

1) Why were children interviewed by the Principal BEFORE the police? Didn't the Superintendent say MCPS is supposed to wait till the police investigation is concluded?

2) Why didn't the Principal call parents so they could witness the interview? Does a child have a right to have a parent present if the SCHOOL is accusing them?

3) Why was there an assumption that everyone was guilty when many of the boys either weren't in the locker room when the rapes occurred or they were victims?

On this, the Principal deserves to be fired for failure to report, interfering with a police investigation, and traumatizing victims and innocent boys.

This is a huge issue in Montgomery County. Principals do this ALL.THE.TIME and they are not supposed to. They end up destroying evidence and compromising testimony.

My H worked for MoCo Police and he worked really hard on a punishment for principals that do this but nobody wants to fire principals.

This is why child abuse goes on in Montgomery County school. Somebody reports, principal tries to investigate, the perpetrator figures out what is going on, destroys evidence, the police are eventually called... no evidence.

This is unfortunatley true. My neighbor works for the MCPD in the child sex crimes division. Many of the people in the PD are horrified by what goes on in MCPS. Especially over the past 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys on the team were brought in and interviewed by the principal the day after the rapes.

1) Why were children interviewed by the Principal BEFORE the police? Didn't the Superintendent say MCPS is supposed to wait till the police investigation is concluded?

2) Why didn't the Principal call parents so they could witness the interview? Does a child have a right to have a parent present if the SCHOOL is accusing them?

3) Why was there an assumption that everyone was guilty when many of the boys either weren't in the locker room when the rapes occurred or they were victims?

On this, the Principal deserves to be fired for failure to report, interfering with a police investigation, and traumatizing victims and innocent boys.

This is a huge issue in Montgomery County. Principals do this ALL.THE.TIME and they are not supposed to. They end up destroying evidence and compromising testimony.

My H worked for MoCo Police and he worked really hard on a punishment for principals that do this but nobody wants to fire principals.

This is why child abuse goes on in Montgomery County school. Somebody reports, principal tries to investigate, the perpetrator figures out what is going on, destroys evidence, the police are eventually called... no evidence.

This is unfortunatley true. My neighbor works for the MCPD in the child sex crimes division. Many of the people in the PD are horrified by what goes on in MCPS. Especially over the past 5 years.

Thank you for sharing this.
Any thoughts how to clean out the perpetrators and the enablers?

[Anonymous]

I had a very close friend who recently worked with MCPD regarding a sexual offense at MCPS. She raved about how great the police were. I do have confidence in our police department. Not all communities can say this so I am glad I can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a very close friend who recently worked with MCPD regarding a sexual offense at MCPS. She raved about how great the police were. I do have confidence in our police department. Not all communities can say this so I am glad I can.

I agree the MCPD does have a great department and very qualified staff. But MCPS often the principal ruin the investigation with a per-investigation before telling police... that is what needs to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys on the team were brought in and interviewed by the principal the day after the rapes.

1) Why were children interviewed by the Principal BEFORE the police? Didn't the Superintendent say MCPS is supposed to wait till the police investigation is concluded?

2) Why didn't the Principal call parents so they could witness the interview? Does a child have a right to have a parent present if the SCHOOL is accusing them?

3) Why was there an assumption that everyone was guilty when many of the boys either weren't in the locker room when the rapes occurred or they were victims?

On this, the Principal deserves to be fired for failure to report, interfering with a police investigation, and traumatizing victims and innocent boys.

This is a huge issue in Montgomery County. Principals do this ALL.THE.TIME and they are not supposed to. They end up destroying evidence and compromising testimony.

My H worked for MoCo Police and he worked really hard on a punishment for principals that do this but nobody wants to fire principals.

This is why child abuse goes on in Montgomery County school. Somebody reports, principal tries to investigate, the perpetrator figures out what is going on, destroys evidence, the police are eventually called... no evidence.

Would your husband be willing to reach out to the Governor's office and legislators in Annapolis on this? Hogan supports criminal punishment for failure to report and prosecuting people who interfere with a police investigation. Until the laws are changed in Maryland, children will continue to be victimized by the public school systems.

I doubt it, he finally had to quit. He could not take all the politics. He is too burned out, seriously burned out not just a little burned out. Sex abuse is a job that burns you to a crisp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a very close friend who recently worked with MCPD regarding a sexual offense at MCPS. She raved about how great the police were. I do have confidence in our police department. Not all communities can say this so I am glad I can.

Nothing wrong with the police. However, when principals and school officials investigate before calling the police, the delay to report to the police and inexperienced school officials are the ones talking with the perpetrators, victims, and witnesses, the opportunity for the police to make a case is jeopardized. MCPS incredibly time after time, hides behind the police failing to make arrests as if people are 100% innocent of the allegations vs. recognizing that MCPS did everything they could to prevent the police from gathering the evidence needed for the arrest.

Until the police tell the media and lawmakers about how school systems are interfering with their ability to do their jobs, predators will continue to have free-reign to victimize children.

[Anonymous]

“Nothing wrong with the police. However, when principals and school officials investigate before calling the police, the delay to report to the police and inexperienced school officials are the ones talking with the perpetrators, victims, and witnesses, the opportunity for the police to make a case is jeopardized.”

This. This. This.

It’s almost like MCPS doesn’t want the police to make the case. Because then, of course, their “reputation” would be tarnished. And apparently the MCPS brand is more important than the children it serves.

[Anonymous]

The Principal is trying to protect the football coach and program. If her investigation concluded that it was a JV issue, what is taking the police so long? I mean she must have finished her investigation in 5 minutes because her initial letter said it was a jv issue.