GEORGETOWN OFFICE 121 Screven Street Georgetown, SC 29440 (843) 995-5000
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
SOLUTION TO SUDOKU
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2. 1. Supreme Court Victory for Football Player Talk to Your Children The 9th Annual Turkey Giveaway
3.
Supreme Court Upends Federal Agency Power Ultimate Baked Ziti
... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
before the age of 21 to bring a civil claim for damages up until they turn 27. Unfortunately, however, this statute only applies to private schools, camps, and extracurricular settings. Children and teens who are abused in public schools or in camps or extracurricular activities organized though public schools (including summer camps for elementary students which are commonly organized though public colleges and universities) are currently without a remedy. This is a blind spot in the law, which our state’s legislature has yet to address. What we can all do to reverse this trend is talk to our children. Unfortunately, a healthy dose of suspicion is necessary when camp counselors, coaches, youth ministers, ski-trip chaperones, or anyone is afforded an opportunity to be alone with your children. In the two Richland County cases noted above, it took the courageousness of a fifteen-year-old student to finally bring
an end to Bradley’s access to school children. At the outset of this young student’s case, Deputy Bradley was still on campus, still abusing children, and was still widely heralded as a hero despite years of complaints about him. The odds were stacked in favor of the Deputy and against the students of Richland County. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department withheld documents requested by this student’s mother pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request. It took a Court Order from the South Carolina Circuit Court and a sanction of Ten Thousand Dollars to the Department for violating FOIA before the public records detailing the years of prior complaints about this Deputy Bradley were obtained. The documents revealed a shocking pattern of abuse that ultimately led to Deputy Bradley finally being removed from the schools of Richland County and ultimately to being indicted. Much of the conduct for which he was indicted and ultimately convicted, however, happened prior to the abuse of our fifteen-year-old
client who ultimately blew the whistle on the Deputy Bradley. Multiple students could have been saved from abuse had the initial reports of Bradley’s misconduct simply been taken seriously by the school and law enforcement personnel to whom they were made. Oddly enough, Bradley was never charged in connection with his conduct with the fifteen-year-old student who blew the whistle, despite her being willing to testify against him in criminal court. We can’t continue to rely on school-aged children to have the courage to come forward despite the statistical realities to report sexual abuse before action is taken to prevent it. It is up to all of us as parents — as citizens — to be on guard on behalf of all the school-aged children and teens in our community. For a full version of Jenn Ableson’s exposé, please visit the Washington Post’s website or click the media banner on the homepage of our website.
4
EVANSMOORELAW.COM
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator