What Is Too Much To Say?

Recently a school therapist was charged with sexually molesting a 13 year old middle school student. The story was reported locally, including a story by the Baltimore Sun (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.cw.molest18feb18,0,6313649.story), and at least somewhat nationally (it was included in a Massachusetts’s newspaper). There is no doubt that this is a tramatic event with a multitude of people being affected, each with their own unique reaction to this event. Perhaps it is fear, hate, anger, disbelief, or betrayal. An entire volume could be filled. I would like to discuss, however, the media coverage of this story.

If you read the above website, and view the attached video clip, you should notice how extremely detailed the story is. In fact, details straight from the police report describing the exact act are present. Then, the school where the accused worked was stated. I ask, “is this too much to say?” Was it not enough to report that a school therapist is accused of molesting a 13 year-old child and is currently in jail? Did we need to know exactly what they were doing, and where, and how many times it had happened before? Did the school where he worked at have to broadcast to the city? Maybe they did need to be included. Maybe the school was included so parents won’t automatically think that the accused worked at their child’s school. Maybe media’s need to report what is sensational (and horrible) drove the editor’s decision. Maybe the implications of including these details were just never discussed.

As educators we are always looking out for the best interests of our students. So, what about the student in this story? What are the implications of this news coverage for him? Will his peers find out that it was him (the school has a relatively small population and word usually travels fast in that type of setting)? What are the implications for that school? Would you want to send your child there? What are the implications for the staff of that school? How did this happen with someone they worked with every day?

I offer only questions and not answers. These questions, however, I believe are important to contemplate and discuss so that situations that may occur in the future are addressed in an appropriate manner. Personally, I don’t know if this one was.