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Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2007 > August > 10 > Entry
Goff trial set for October
Former City Day Community School Superintendent Roseda Goff appeared at a pre-trial hearning Friday, facing a misdemeanor charge of attempted obstruction of official business. Juvenile Court Judge Tony Capizzi set a trial date of Oct. 5, noting that Julie Bruns, chief of the juvenile division of the Montgomery County prosecutor’s office, did not offer a plea deal during a meeting in chambers. Prosectuors allege Goff, 60, of Jefferson Twp., discouraged teachers at the charter school from reporting suspected child abuse to authorities. Goff appeared at the hearing but did not speak. Her attorney, David Turner, declined comment after the hearing.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: City Day Investigation
Comments
By Laura
August 11, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this
Mary: Teachers and administrators are given a lot of information about when and how to report suspected child abuse. If they have questions, they can make phone calls or see the school nurse. There is no excuse for a teacher or an administrator to fail to report suspected child abuse. Teachers are given a yearly inservice to remind them of the rules. Chuck, The incidence of parents being falsely accused is so small. Even if they are wrongly accused, the odds are that the truth will come out. I’d rather err on the side of being wrong occasionally than have children live and die at the hands of abusers. Teachers are not going to be sued for making a report of suspected child abuse unless they make up or falsify information. The law requires teachers to report suspected child abuse- not just whether they know for sure.By Another DPS Teacher
August 11, 2007 5:52 AM | Link to this
Chuck, suspected abuse or neglect can be reported anonomously; so, in order for one to sue they would have to know who placed the call and that’s not the agency’s policy to release the reporters name. However, the problem is that too often the child protection agencies do nothing for one reason or another. A person in my immediate family worked for CSB for over twenty years; they would get a report, have sufficient cause to remove the child from the home, the social worker and the court would return the child to the home, and in approximately six months to one year the child ends up dead.By Chuck
August 10, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this
I think the Government has it’s hand in way to many things. Kid’s already have the upper hand if they choose not to obey parents, by making false claims of abuse, now schools and administrators are put in the middle, if they report falsly they can be sued. I do not believe anyone should be abused, but the laws go way to far, one call and you are guilty until proven innocent, thats not the way our fore fathers meant it to be…By Mary
August 10, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this
Reporting is apparently the law, but I also wonder how “suspected abuse” is defined, the training given, and the judgments involved by the staff. What may appear to be abuse, is not always abuse, but possibly a medical condition. You have to also hope the people investigating “suspected abuse” actually know what they are doing. That has not always been the case. I have read about parents who have lost a child through adoption proceedings because of an inaccurate assessment of abuse. I think the child had a genetic copper storage problem that caused bruises. I think in another case, a child had a top heavy head that caused falls and the parents were falsely accused of abuse.By Lisa
August 10, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this
Every teacher, principal, administrator, janitor, counselor, therapist, librarian, lunch room worker should read the book by Dave Pelzer, A Child Called It! If you suspect child abuse, report it, for the sake of the child! Children should feel safe at school!By null
August 10, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
All school administrators should take note of what is going on here. This is not the first time I have heard of school administrators attempting to discourage their staffs from filing suspected abuse reports. Administrators, beware of what can happen to you when you fail to report or encourage other mandated reporters not to report.