What in the hell were they thinking?
Okay -- picture this situation:

You're a principal at an urban high school. Four male students are accused of punching a speech impaired-girl in the mouth, then forcing her to perform oral sex upon two of them. Another student captures parts of the attack on tape.

Bleeding from her wounds, the young woman is taken to the school nurse's office and her parents are called.

Do you think, maybe, that the police should be called? I mean, we are only talking about multiple felonies captured on video tape.

If you think calling the police would be a good idea, then you WEREN'T an administrator at this Columbus, OH school.

A 16-year-old disabled girl was punched and forced to engage in videotaped sexual acts with several boys in a high school auditorium as dozens of students watched, according to witnesses.

* * *

Also, the principal, Regina Crenshaw, was suspended and will be fired for not calling police, school officials said. And three assistant principals were suspended and will be reassigned to other schools.

* * *

School officials found the girl bleeding from the mouth. An assistant principal cautioned the girl's father against calling 911 to avoid media attention, the statements said. The girl's father called police.

Calling the police when you know that multiple felonies have been committed? What a concept!

Too bad Principal Regina Crenshaw and Assistant-Principals Vincent Clarno, Suzie Ritterer-Helfrich and Richard Watson don't quite understand that concept.

But wait -- it gets worse.

According to a story in the Columbus Dispatch (subscribers only -- link is to a summary service), not only did these idiot administrators fail to call the police when they discovered the crime, one of them refused to call police when the father arrived at the school, learned the story AND ASKED HIM TO DO SO! Apparently, they even refused to call for medical help, forcing the father to drive his daughter -- the victim of a sexual assault AT THE SCHOOL DURING CLASSES -- to the hospital!

The principal has been fired. The assistants, though, appear to be getting a slap on the wrist from the school board:

The board also voted to suspend for 10 days without pay the three assistant principals. They are Vincent D. Clarno, Suzie Retterer-Helfrich and Richard G. Watson. All three have been on paid leave since shortly after the incident.

In addition, Retterer-Helfrich's contract has been amended from a two-year term to one year.

Following their suspension, the three will not return to Mifflin, Harris said, and must write a performance plan and receive additional training.

So, for refusing to call the police after learning that a sexual assault occurred on campus, these idiots lose 1/36 of their annual salary (my guess is that they make about $75K/year, so this cost them about $2,500). Wow.

Where does the victim go to recover her innocence? More importantly, where does she go to recover her sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and most importantly, security?

Even as it fires Principal, however, the school board effectively dismisses the seriousness of this event:

A Columbus high school principal made what the school board is calling a mistake and now she is looking for a new job.

Emphasis mine. You see, it was all a mistake, like when you accidentally dial the wrong phone number or leave your driver's license at home. Nothing to see here, move along, move along.

Thankfully, state officials are conducting a review to determine whether these idiots should have their professional licenses revoked. My opinion, of course, is that they should be revoked, and quickly. These idiots not only tried to sweep a sexual assault under the rug, they ran their campus in such a manner as to allow the sexual assault to happen in the first place. Such people should not be allowed a second opportunity to endanger children.

I find the whole incident disgusting, and, as the father of a disabled daughter, more than a little terrifying.
- posted by MrSpkr @ 08:37