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An analysis conducted by Fox News Digital looked at local news stories week by week featuring arrests of teachers and teachers’ aides on child sex-related crimes in school districts across the country. The data shows there have been 135 such arrests so far this year alone. You can read the full article here.
The most recent arrest was in the Houston Independent School District, where the district’s police chief told parents that a substitute teacher was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with a student.
The list goes on and on, but here are some recent high-profile cases:
Anessa Paige Gower, a 35-year-old former biology teacher at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, California, was charged with 29 counts of child molestation on April 8. Gower is accused of sexually abusing seven students between 2021-2022 when she was a teacher at Making Waves, with allegations including forcible sodomy of minors and sharing sexually graphic photos over online platforms. She is due back in court on June 2.
William Landon Smith, a 31-year-old former science teacher at Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged with 27 counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, 28 counts of indecent liberties with a student, and one count of secretly using or installing a photographic imaging device to arouse or gratify sexual desire on March 18. Smith is accused of inappropriately communicating with students via social media apps like Snapchat when he was a teacher at Cape Fear.
Danielle Fischer, a 29-year-old former substitute teacher in the Roxana and Alton school districts, was charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Feb. 4. Fischer is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage male students at her home in Edwardsville during summer break last year. A Madison County grand jury later added child pornography to the charges.
John M. Doty, a 35-year-old former biology teacher at Career Academy South Bend in Indiana, was charged with two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and six counts of child seduction on Feb. 9. Doty is accused of repeatedly raping a 16-year-old female student and threatening to kill her. He is scheduled to stand trial in January 2023.
We know these stories are hard to read. However, it's important to know the realness of this issue. Being informed is the first step to making sure precautions are being taken to protect children and other vulnerable populations.
It’s also important to note that the number of cases reported by local news outlets is not necessarily representative of the true number of teachers arrested on child sex-related crimes. There are several reasons for this:
Many cases do not make it onto the national news, and some may never be covered by any outlet at all. With so many teachers criminally charged each year, there are thousands more whose names are never publicized at all.
The analysis was limited to teachers and teachers’ aides. The analysis did not include cases where the perpetrator was not a teacher or teacher’s aide, such as coaches, volunteers, etc. The analysis also excluded cases where the perpetrator was not arrested, but only because these cases were often from years ago and therefore difficult to find information on.
So, how do you know if the background checks being performed on teachers, volunteers, coaches and others with access to child are actually keeping anyone safe?
You have the right to know how the teachers and authority figures who have access to your children, are being background checked and the limitations and risks involved with some methods. So, what can you do?
Firstly, know the facts:
Secondly, ask Questions:
At BIB we want to help you screen better because if it's worth doing, its worth doing right. If you want to learn more about how BIB can offer you a better way to background check, contact us to begin a journey for better screening! We're here for you, and we're committed to helping you protect what matters.