Citizens of the rural northern Michigan West Branch-Rose City school district are outraged that many teachers and a board member showed public support for former Rose City Middle School teacher Neal Erickson who was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy over a 3-year period. As protesting parents are pulling their children from the district, Erickson's supporters stand by their statements, including that his sentencing was harsh because the molestation was homosexual, not heterosexual.
“I’m appalled and ashamed that the [teacher] community could rally around, in this case, you. What you did was a jab in the eye with a sharp stick to every parent who trusts a teacher.”
-- Circuit Court Judge Michael Baumgartner
UPDATE 11/2/14: Drama-teaching Gay Sex Offenders: California Trend
UPDATE 10/20/14: Gay Pedophile Teacher Says Child Porn OK to View
For background, read Gay Teacher Sexting Boy Resigns, Media Silent
In addition, read Pedophilia is Sexual Orientation, Like 'Being Gay' and also read Normalization of Pedophilia Urged by Psychiatrists
UPDATE 12/20/13: Teacher's union demands $10,000 severance for pedophile
-- From "
Student exodus in Michigan school district where teachers defended child molester" by Perry Chiaramonte, FoxNews.com 9/12/13
The student body count in the West Branch-Rose City district, in northeast Michigan is down unofficially some 87 students following a tumultuous summer in which angry parents blasted seven teachers for writing letters in support of former teacher Neal Erickson. The letters urged a judge to be lenient in sentencing Erickson, who admitted to sexual misconduct with an underage, male student from 2006 to 2009. When the school board declined to take action against the teachers, many parents vowed to pull their kids out of the public schools, which have a total enrollment of just over 2,000.
Erickson, 38, was originally investigated last October once allegations that he sexually molested the then 14-year-old boy surfaced and was eventually arrested in December 2012. Erickson pleaded guilty May 8, and asked for a lenient sentence, citing "stress" and financial hardship for his family.
Although his attorney contended that the victim, who was 14 years old when the sexual incidents began, did not suffer severe psychological damage, the boy's family has said the incident left him depressed and angry.
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From "Ogemaw County teacher arrested on criminal sex charges" posted at WSMH-TV66 (Flint, MI) 12/13/12
Prosecutor LaDonna A. Schultz said Neal Haviland Erickson, of West Branch, engaged in sex acts with a male student over the age of 13, but under the age of 16. The student was enrolled at the school where Erickson taught.
According to Schultz, the three CSC charges against Erickson are for allegedly engaging in oral sex.
In addition to the criminal sex charges, Erickson's other charges include a count of distributing sexually explicit, visual or verbal material to a minor, a count of possessing child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime.
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From "Ogemaw County middle school teacher charged with sexual assault of student waives hearing, bound over for trial" by Andy Hoag, Flint Journal 1/16/13
Police began investigating Erickson in October, Schultz said.
"It originally came in as an investigation into sexually explicit photos of a minor," she said. "They were looking into the child pornography and discovered an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student."
Records indicate Erickson was hired by West Branch-Rose City Area Schools in 1996.
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From "Sick teachers beg judge for leniency for pedophile colleague" by Eric Owens, Education Editor, Daily Caller 8/7/13
Residents in a speck of a rural farm town in northern Michigan want to recall a school board member and fire several teachers who showed support for a local middle school teacher convicted of having sexual relations with an eighth-grade student.
The male [student], who is now a 21-year-old student at Western Michigan University, told police that he and the pedophile teacher had a homosexual relationship in 2006.
There were about 10 encounters. They involved oral sex, reports WSMH FOX 66. They occurred at the teacher’s house.
Prior to his sentencing, six current teachers and two retired ones penned letters to the presiding judge seeking leniency for their child-molesting colleague. The group — along with board member Michael Eagan — also sat with Erickson’s relatives during his sentencing hearing.
The letters painted a flattering picture of the convicted pedophile.
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From "Victim’s parents speaking out against WB-RC board member, teachers" by Eric Young, Ogemaw County Herald 7/19/13
When John and Lori Janczewski attended the sentencing for former Rose City teacher Neal Erickson July 10 who pleaded guilty to first degree CSC against their son, they thought they would finally receive some closure.
But at that sentencing, they found several current West Branch-Rose City teachers, as well as a current board member [Mike Eagan], seemingly showing their support of Erickson. And it was there they also learned of 10 letters supporting him that were given to Judge Michael Baumgartner, several of which were written by current teachers in the district.
The Herald, through the Freedom of Information Act, obtained the letters of support for Erickson, written by Toni Erickson, Carol Rau, Sally Campbell, Amy Huber Eagan, Harriett Coe, Marilyn Glover, Sandi Lee, Kathryn Weber, Kathleen Sheel and Kathleen Palmer. Most asked for a reduced sentence.
“Neal made a mistake,” writes Campbell in her letter. “He allowed a mutual friendship to develop into much more. He realized his mistake and ended it years before someone anonymously sent something to the authorities which began this legal process.”
“I am asking that Neal be given the absolute minimum sentence, considering all the circumstances surrounding this case,” writes Amy Huber Eagan.
“Neal has plead (sic) guilty for his one criminal offense but he is not a predator,” writes Coe. “This was an isolated incident.”
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From "Recall language filed against Eagan for third time" by Eric Young, Ogemaw County Herald 9/6/13
Prior recall language against Eagan filed by John Janczewski was rejected Aug. 6 and Aug. 27.
Lori Janczewski states that her reason for wanting to recall Eagan is because of his support for the teachers who wrote the letters.
“We the people of Ogemaw County, wish to recall Mike Eagan, an elected school board official,” the recall language states. “He publicly supported the teachers who wrote letters requesting leniency for Neal Erickson, a teacher and convicted pedophile, who sexually assaulted a student.”
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From "WB-RC chooses not to fire teachers who wrote leniency letters for Erickson" by Eric Young, Ogemaw County Herald 8/20/13
The West Branch-Rose City school board voted 4-2 Aug. 19 to require ethics training for the entire staff of the district, and to attempt to accommodate requests from parents who do not want their children in the teachers’ classrooms.
After the meeting, Bachelder told the Herald he voted no because he didn’t think the recommendations were “stiff enough.” Beasley did not comment.
“As a board, we have examined all sides of this issue and there are no easy answers,” he said. “We believe the letters written by the teachers may be protected under first amendment rights and that any disciplinary action will subject us to expensive, and potentially lengthy, lawsuits. Our students are our foremost concern and the board is not willing to mortgage the future education of the students of this district by becoming embroiled in a first amendment lawsuit.”
Many community members packed the auditorium at Ogemaw Heights High School for the meeting, most speaking out against the teachers, while a few spoke in their defense.
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From "Child Rapists and Other Well-Meaning Liberals" by Jeannie DeAngelis, American Thinker 8/19/13
The [teachers'] letters reveal a mindset, a worldview, and a relativistic standpoint that not only endangers schoolchildren, but is also detrimental to America as a whole.
. . . In her letter to the judge on Neal's behalf, [his teacher/wife Toni] Erickson said this:
As for punishment, because I know that is something the community expects, hasn't he been punished enough? He is losing a job he has held for 17 years [during three of which he was raping a child] and losing all future career potential as a teacher.
I have seen many delightful students who have been damaged by horrible events in their lives. While I acknowledge that Neal's conduct with [a victim he found 'delightful'] was wrong, I do not believe [the 14-year-old] was damaged by Neal's action[s].
. . . English teacher Sally Campbell lauded Erickson's kindness toward his victim by his decision to plead guilty.
Fourth grade teacher Marilyn Glover described a 'sexual predator' as rapist who rapes a child more than once, and Kathleen Scheel defined sexual molestation of a child as an "inappropriate relationship."
. . . [Teacher] Scheel argued that Erickson had access to 1,000 children but raped only one, proving that "Our community's children are not at risk of Neal's presence -- he is not a predator."
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For further background, read the history of President Obama's Gay Agenda for Schools
And also read Obama's DOJ Forces Girl into Boys Locker Room
In addition, read School Doesn't Back Gay Agenda, Obama Investigates
