Sex ed scrutinized; school district seeks drug dog; no 'passing the trash'
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Odd and interesting news from the Midwest.
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Arizona man who sent text messages to a Wichita police officer about a large amount of drugs he was bringing to Kansas has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says 31-year-old Mark McFarland of Phoenix thought text messages he received while planning his Kansas trip were coming from his former girlfriend. Instead, she had been arrested in a different case and a Wichita police officer had seized her cellphone.
Grissom says McFarland sent a text to the girlfriend's number saying "hi," and the officer texted back. The two arranged for McFarland to drive to Wichita to visit the woman and deliver five pounds of methamphetamine.
He was arrested when he arrived with the drugs.
He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
- By MICHELLE R. SMITH and SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — It's called "passing the trash": A school suspects a teacher of sexual misconduct and forces the teacher out to protect the students. But that teacher can still get a new job in a new school, sometimes with a glowing recommendation.
Only Pennsylvania, Missouri and Oregon ban the maneuver, but a federal mandate passed in December now requires states to address its potential risks. Connecticut is considering such legislation.
One woman abused by such a teacher says it's about time the problem is getting attention.
She was 16 when her English teacher at the exclusive Marlborough School in Los Angeles began grooming her. He showered her with praise, gave her gifts and pitted her against her friends. Then there was a sexual advance, and sex. Eventually, she became pregnant and miscarried.
She reported him only years later, after she learned he had targeted another girl more recently. A lawsuit she filed says he was accused of misconduct at two schools before Marlborough hired him. When he was finally pushed out of Marlborough, the school gave him a recommendation, the suit asserts.
The woman, now 31, says it is infuriating that the man who abused her, Joseph Koetters, was able to "hit the reset button" and start fresh at a new school. Koetters pleaded guilty to sexually molesting her and another girl and was sentenced in October to a year behind bars.
"It's clear that not just in Marlborough but in all these cases nationwide, the schools lack the will or the moral compass to take these measures on their own," the woman said.
A judge last month denied the school's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The school did not comment, citing the pending litigation.
The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual abuse without their consent.
The woman's lawyer, David Ring, says it's a problem at public schools and private schools alike. He won a $5.6 million jury verdict in 2013 in the case of a public school teacher in California who sexually abused a 14-year-old girl. Even though the school knew the teacher had sent her romantic emails midyear, he was allowed to finish the year and left the school with a letter of recommendation.
More recently in Rhode Island, teachers now accused in a sex abuse scandal at the exclusive boarding school St. George's School were pushed out but went on to new jobs in schools around the country.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2010 studied 15 cases of K-12 schools that hired or retained people with histories of sexual misconduct. Eleven involved people who previously targeted children. In at least six cases, the GAO found offenders used their new positions to abuse more children.
One official told the GAO it could cost up to $100,000 to fire a teacher, even with a "slam-dunk case." Others said administrators fear lawsuits if they don't provide a positive reference.
The new federal mandate requires states to create policies that make it illegal for schools to help an employee get a new job if they suspect them of abusing children, according to the office of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who pushed for the federal legislation.
Many states are just now learning of the mandate, Toomey's office said.
Child safety advocate Terri Miller supports such bans. Her group SESAME — for Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation — says the practice is deliberate child endangerment.
"You're passing a known child sexual predator onto another unsuspecting classroom full of children," she said.
The Connecticut proposal says that before schools hire a teacher, they would have to contact past employers and ask if the applicant was ever investigated for abuse or sexual misconduct, or disciplined or asked to resign amid such allegations. Schools would be required to disclose such information, unless the allegations were found to be false.
Some oppose the measure. Jan Hochadel, president of the teachers union AFT Connecticut, said the union understands the bill's intent, but it overreaches.
"There also appears to be an assumption that school employees are guilty, rather than innocent before proven guilty," she said.
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said it worries the bill, if approved, would make it difficult for schools to make timely job offers.
The victim from the Marlborough School said she's hoping California will soon ban passing the trash.
"It's a moment where we can hopefully move the conversation forward and see some positive change," she said.
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Smith reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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Follow Michelle R. Smith on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MRSmithAP and Susan Haigh at http://twitter.com/SusanHaighAP
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FAIRBAULT, Minn. (AP) — Pioneering Minnesota aviator Elizabeth Strohfus, who piloted military planes across the country during World War II and received two Congressional Gold Medals, has died at age 96, her son said Monday.
Strohfus died Sunday night at a Faribault assisted living center after being placed in hospice care after a fall a few weeks ago, said her son, Art Roberts of Northfield.
Strohfus was one of the last remaining members of Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. She ferried military planes in 1943 and 1944, and helped train air and infantry gunners at Las Vegas Army Airfield.
She was one of 1,074 female pilots to earn silver wings in the WASP. The female pilots flew military aircraft in noncombat roles during wartime to free up male pilots for combat. The women were considered civilians until Congress retroactively granted them veteran status in 1977.
After graduating from high school, Strohfus borrowed $100 from a bank using her bicycle as collateral to join the previously all-male Sky Club. She was a member of the Civil Air Patrol before joining WASP, the Faribault Daily News (http://bit.ly/1R1hdAb) reported.
As a young woman, Strohfus was so intrigued with flying that she spent many afternoons after work at the Faribault airport, thumbing rides from pilots.
Roberts said her mother would say she loved to climb trees as a young girl.
"She would be up there all day, if she could," Roberts said. "She just liked being up high and looking at the world."
After WASP was disbanded in December 1944, Strohfus worked as an aircraft controller in Wyoming before returning to her hometown of Faribault, about 50 miles south of Minneapolis, where she married and raised a family. A member of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Strohfus received two Congressional Gold Medals: one for her service as a WASP and the second for her service in the Civil Air Patrol.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she was saddened to learn of Strohfus' death. In a statement, Klobuchar said Strohfus "served out country admirably," not only during WWII as a WASP but also after the war advocating for her fellow WASPs.
Klobuchar has been calling for allowing WASPs to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, after the Army recently reversed its policy allowing the women to be interred at Arlington. Strohfus planned to be buried in Minnesota but supported allowing WASPs to be buried at Arlington, her son said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Information from: Faribault Daily News, http://www.faribault.com
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The owners of a former motorcycle clubhouse in Fort Wayne are working to transform the two-story building into a yoga studio.
Outlaws Motorcycle Club's former local clubhouse was purchased last month for $36,000. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (http://bit.ly/1paMpHk ) reports that the property was listed for $49,900 late last year after the federal government seized it in September following an FBI raid in May 2013.
Luke Messmann, who will manage the business, was preparing the building last week for an extensive remodel. He plans to spend about $25,000 on new windows, doors, floors and paint.
"That will be one of the first things we do as soon as it gets nice out," he said of the medium-blue paint chosen for the building's exterior. "We want it to really change so people aren't nervous to come in."
Messmann hopes to create a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor where visiting yoga instructors can stay overnight for a few weeks.
Lori Bannister, who owns a nearby salon, says she's happy to have a yoga studio move into the neighborhood.
"I was just really excited to see something healthy come down here on Main Street, not just bars," she said. "I've told quite a few of my clients about it, and they're really excited, too."
The still-unnamed yoga studio is set to open in June or July.
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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net
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DETROIT (AP) — A judge on the Michigan appeals court has been charged with a misdemeanor for having a handgun in a carry-on bag at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The gun was found in Judge Henry Saad's bag on Feb. 21.
Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy says other travelers caught with a gun have faced a similar charge. In a statement, she suggested it was an "unintentional" breach of airport security by Saad.
An email seeking comment from the judge was not immediately returned Monday.
The 68-year-old has been on the appeals court since 1994. Saad made news off the bench in 2013, when a watchdog group reported that he had donated about $81,000 to Republican candidates and causes in 2012.
He said he was exercising his First Amendment right.
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DETROIT (AP) — Wayne State University has lost an appeal and must pay more than $800,000 to a former student who said discrimination based on her pregnancy played a role in her removal from the social work program.
A federal appeals court on Monday affirmed a 2013 jury verdict in favor of Tina Varlesi.
She said she got a poor review during a 2008 internship at The Salvation Army because her pregnancy as an unmarried woman offended her female supervisor. Because of that low review, she was kicked out of Wayne State's School of Social Work, where she was pursuing a master's degree.
The court says evidence of discrimination deprived the 37-year-old Varlesi of job opportunities in her field. Wayne State is disappointed with the court ruling.
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NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — Gunfire at a central Ohio home in the middle of the night spurred a four-hour standoff until officers heard snoring, realized the 75-year-old suspect had fallen asleep in bed and moved in to arrest him, police said Monday. No one was hurt.
Gunshots were reported early Monday by a female resident who fled the home in Newark, about 30 miles northeast of Columbus.
It's not clear why the man fired shots at a bed and wall or why he didn't respond to attempts to contact him when he appeared to be awake and alone, Newark Sgt. Clint Eskins said.
The man is hard of hearing but should have known authorities were there because a police vehicle was outside with its lights on, negotiators tried calling him and using a bullhorn, and police broke a window to send in an electronic surveillance device that they believe he saw, Eskins said.
When they heard snoring, they entered the home. The man, who had a firearm in bed with him, was startled but compliant and cordial when police woke him up, Eskins said.
"As things can turn out, it was a very good ending," Eskins said.
The man was charged in municipal court with counts of inducing panic and using weapons while intoxicated. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
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ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri law that protects children from abuse by other children has spurred hundreds of hotline calls since it was enacted in August.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1X77YTJ ) reports that the law mandates the Children's Division to perform family assessments when it receives child abuse hotline calls alleging inappropriate sexual behavior perpetrated by children on other children.
Beforehand, the state was only mandated to investigate allegations of child abuse involving people caring for the child. This ruled out state intervention in most complaints against minors.
Statistics provided by the agency show the state has received about 325 calls per month, more than six times the number officials anticipated.
A spokesman with the Missouri Department of Social Services said a state caseworker has responded to every hotline call deemed a concern despite the high number of calls. Officials said experienced caseworkers were taken from other assignments to meet the demand.
Becky Wekenborg presented the issue to state lawmakers last year when she alleged her daughter, 4 at the time, was abused by a 7-year-old during overnight visits with her father in a court-mandated joint custody decision. The judge didn't change the custody agreement and dismissed the allegation as child's play, although the child's pediatrician repeatedly testified that she had been sexually abused.
"Unless you get a sympathetic family court judge that knows these things and understands there is a difference between sexual abuse, and that these kids are perpetrating and not playing doctor, you aren't really getting anywhere in the court system," Wekenborg said.
Child advocates such as Emily van Schenkhof, deputy director of the nonprofit Missouri Kids First, said the new law is a good way for early intervention with children who exhibit problem sexual behaviors while also protecting other children from abuse.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
- By MELISSA HELLMANN Associated Press
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Denise Mead panicked when she learned that her ninth-grade daughter, one of her seven children, was learning about safe sex in her Topeka High School health class, concerned that the curriculum would conflict with her Catholic values.
"We are teaching our children that sex is a beautiful thing created by God," Mead said.
Under a bill that the House Education Committee approved last month, Kansas public schools would be required to get parents' consent before students could enroll in sex education courses. The "opt-in" bill also would allow parents to review curriculum before enrolling their children in the classes. However, critics worry that the Kansas bill could undo historic declines in teen birth and pregnancy rates.
Committee Chairman Ron Highland, a Republican from Wamego, said the bill likely would pass if it reaches a floor vote. Rachel Whitten, spokeswoman for House Speaker Ray Merrick, said the bill will debated in the full House later this month.
Most of the 286 school districts in the state currently have an "opt-out" policy, in which children are automatically enrolled in sex education courses unless their parents exempt them. Each school district chooses its own curriculum for fifth through 12th grade that encourages students to abstain from having sex but also promotes using protection if students are sexually active.
Mead teaches her children that sex should be saved until marriage and that it cements a man and woman's relationship. She said she only received material about puberty and the dangers of drug use when she requested a copy of the curriculum from her daughter's health teacher.
Although her daughter assured her that the instructor only briefly discussed sex, Mead said she plans on removing her younger children from sex education classes in the future.
"When people don't give you the information that they're covering, it seems like they're hiding something," Mead said.
Shawnee Republican Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook sponsored the bill after a parent in her area saw a photo that his then 13-year-old daughter took of a sexual education poster in Hocker Grove Middle School. The photo, which listed acts including grinding and anal sex, sparked a national controversy over schools' role in teaching children about sexuality.
Bill Albert, the chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said teen births in Kansas are down 50 percent since peaking in the 1990s.
He worries that the 40 percent of Kansas high school students who are sexually active will be robbed of information that helps them prevent pregnancies if the measure passes.
"Kansas has seen nothing but declines in teen pregnancy year after year. Why would you want to tinker with success?" Albert said.
Another Kansas bill under consideration in the House that would prevent school boards from using national sexual education curriculum seeks to give more control to local educators.
But Rick Doll, superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools, said that a prohibition on multi-state standards would have the opposite effect. The Lawrence school district, which has an opt-out policy, adopted national sexual education standards in 2014 with the aim of better preparing students for puberty.
"They would be taking the control away from local decision makers," he said about the measure to prevent national standards. He also worries that an opt-in policy would exclude students who forgot to give their parents the form.
"If you believe that reading instruction is important for kids, then you wouldn't ask them to opt-in," Doll said. "I don't think opt-in should follow with human sexuality either."
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WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) — The number of babies born addicted to heroin and other opiates is growing at an alarming rate in intensive care units across Wisconsin.
Over 500 addicted infants are born a year, a number that has more than doubled since 2009, USA Today Network-Wisconsin (http://wrtnews.co/1TE6nXR ) reported. Those births have been occurring throughout Wisconsin, including in relatively small, rural counties.
Data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Department of Children and Families shows that the number of babies born with opiate addiction in Wisconsin increased by 125 percent between 2009 and 2014. The state's worst year was 2013, when 540 addicted babies were admitted to hospitals.
"We are definitely seeing a trending increase and I think this is a consequence of what we are seeing with the drug trends," said Anne La Chapelle, social work supervisor at Wood County Human Services.
Every county in Wisconsin has reported growing numbers of heroin-related arrests since 2008.
The increase in heroin use is the result of the crack down on methamphetamine production in 2005, as well as restrictions on the amount of opiate-based pain relievers prescribed by physicians and the rise in cheap supplies of heroin, according to Renee Krueger, director of Lincoln County Department of Social Services.
"It became easier to buy heroin with more people becoming addicted to heroin," she said.
Heroin is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome, with success often relying on a person's support and treatment, said Jamie Limjoco, a neonatologist and head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Madison's American Family Children's Hospital.
Staff in a hospital's the neonatal intensive care unit provide the necessary drugs and care for about five weeks to ensure the baby is safely weaned from opioids. The prognosis is good for a baby who's successfully withdrawn from heroin, but the child's home environment will make a greater impact in the long run, according to Limjoco.
"Some of these babies will do just fine, but if a baby goes home with the mother and the mom continues to abuse drugs and the baby is neglected or there are other environmental factors such as second-hand smoke or poor nutrition, it's not a great prognosis," she said.
A woman can be jailed for abusing drugs while pregnant in Wisconsin. But a pregnant woman who's addicted to drugs needs help and treatment, so she generally won't go to jail, Limjoco said.
"If a pregnant woman tests positive for illicit drugs, it needs to be reported, but we want the woman to get help during her pregnancy and following the birth of her child so that there is a good outcome for both the mom and baby," she said.
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Information from: Daily Tribune Media, http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha school district could get its own drug dog to sniff lockers and patrol hallways during random searches next school year.
Omaha Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Farmer says the district is working with the Omaha Police Department to buy and train a drug-sniffing canine that could appear in middle and high schools this fall.
"We know that the use of drug dogs in schools at districts around the country is a deterrent that can help keep drugs out of the school buildings," Farmer said.
The Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1X7cLV4 ) reports that the Police Department would buy and train the dog, which would cost $5,000 to $10,000.
The plan, which is still in its early stages, follows a school security survey that asked parents, students, teachers and principals last fall whether they would support additional school security measures, including metal detectors and drug- and gun-sniffing dogs.
The district received nearly 3,000 responses to the survey. Officials said drug dog use got strong backing, especially at the high school level.
"We hope to never find anything," Superintendent Mark Evans said. "What we hope is that this makes our students more aware that we are focused on keeping our school buildings safe."
School board president Lou Ann Goding said the board hasn't talked much yet about moving forward with a narcotics dog. Board members were generally supportive of the idea when the safety survey was sent out several months ago, but some worried about the message the extra security would send.
"There's a careful balance between creating safe schools and a welcoming environment," school board member Lacey Merica said at the time. "I don't want students to feel like they're going through the TSA."
There were 263 expulsions and suspensions related to drugs in the 2014 to 2015 school year, a steep drop from the previous school year. Weapons were involved in 178 of those incidents.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
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FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A developer is hoping to build the largest solar field in Iowa just northeast of Fort Dodge.
The Messenger (http://bit.ly/1QBy7JH ) reports that the Holliday Creek solar project would produce about 100 megawatts when completed. That's enough to power about 30,000 average homes.
EDF Renewable Energy is currently talking with local landowners about the project, according to Webster County Supervisor Keith Dencklau. The company hopes to sign a 37-year lease for 1,000- to 1,200-acres of land east of the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, south of Badger and west of Vincent.
Dencklau said the company has offered $800 per acre, which would increase 2.5 percent each year.
Leanne Russell Fate, a project developer for the company, said the area was targeted due to the availability of transmission capacity, community interest and suitability of the land.
"While the project does not yet have an offtake arrangement, our customers have expressed an interest in solar in the Midwest and we will continue those conversations as development continues," Fate said.
There's still a lot to consider, Dencklau said, including the impact the solar panels would have on the soil.
The company is also putting together a good neighbor agreement to ensure that the company gets along with those who live in proximity to the solar project.
The company previously built a large wind turbine farm in southern Webster County, Dencklau said. MidAmerican Energy now owns the large wind turbine farm.
EDF Renewable Energy hopes to have the project running sometime between 2018 and 2020.
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Information from: The Messenger, http://www.messengernews.net
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CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says student borrowers dealing with mounting loan debt are a new addition to her annual list of consumer complaints.
Madigan released the top-ten list on Monday. She says consumer debt and identity theft were ranked numbers one and two for the eighth year in a row. But she says this year her office received more than 1,500 complaints about student loan servicers and for-profit schools.
Education-related complaints came in seventh on this year's list. Madigan says the ranking reflects the growing student loan debt crisis. She says her office will "continue to combat the many scams targeting these students."
Other complaints included telemarketers, construction, used vehicle sales and internet or mail-order products. Madigan's office says it received more than 25,000 complaints last year.
Here's a look at the top categories and the number of complaints.
1. Consumer Debt (mortgages, collection agencies, banks) 3,350
2. Identity Theft (government document fraud, credit cards, utilities, data breaches) 2,636
3. Telecommunications (telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, cell phones) 2,188
4. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing) 2,167
5. Used Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (as-is used cars, financing, warranties) 1,835
6. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, investment schemes, lottery scams, phishing) 1,813
7. Education (for-profit schools, student loan debt, loan counseling) 1,523
8. Internet/Mail Order Products (Internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising) 1,019
9. Fraud Against Business (consulting services, equipment leasing, directories and publications)726
10. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups) 714
Source: Illinois attorney general's office
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NOVI, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a suburban Detroit police officer has been treated and released after being dragged by a motorist following a traffic stop.
The city of Novi's assistant police chief Erick Zinser tells The Detroit News that the officer pulled over a woman around 2 a.m. Monday for a minor traffic violation. Zinser says the officer determined that the woman had a suspended license and multiple warrants out for her arrest.
TV stations WDIV and WXYZ report the woman had two children with her and told the officer she needed to make arrangements for them.
Zinser says the woman then drove away and the officer, who tried to restrain her, was dragged about 60 feet. The woman was being sought.
Zinser says the officer had minor cuts and bruises.
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CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (AP) — Police say a man stole nearly $600 from Girl Scouts selling cookies in central Ohio.
The theft happened Sunday as members of Troop 2439 were wrapping up sales at a Wal-Mart in Canal Winchester in suburban Columbus.
The troop from nearby Reynoldsburg is raising money for a trip to Tennessee.
The Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council says the thief got away with $571.
The council says the safety of its scouts is paramount. It urged girls and volunteers selling cookies to take precautions, stay together, and be aware of their surroundings.
The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Nearly $700 had been donated to a GoFundMe account set up after the theft.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Arizona man who sent text messages to a Wichita police officer about a large amount of drugs he was bringing to Kansas has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says 31-year-old Mark McFarland of Phoenix thought text messages he received while planning his Kansas trip were coming from his former girlfriend. Instead, she had been arrested in a different case and a Wichita police officer had seized her cellphone.
Grissom says McFarland sent a text to the girlfriend's number saying "hi," and the officer texted back. The two arranged for McFarland to drive to Wichita to visit the woman and deliver five pounds of methamphetamine.
He was arrested when he arrived with the drugs.
He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
- By MICHELLE R. SMITH and SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — It's called "passing the trash": A school suspects a teacher of sexual misconduct and forces the teacher out to protect the students. But that teacher can still get a new job in a new school, sometimes with a glowing recommendation.
Only Pennsylvania, Missouri and Oregon ban the maneuver, but a federal mandate passed in December now requires states to address its potential risks. Connecticut is considering such legislation.
One woman abused by such a teacher says it's about time the problem is getting attention.
She was 16 when her English teacher at the exclusive Marlborough School in Los Angeles began grooming her. He showered her with praise, gave her gifts and pitted her against her friends. Then there was a sexual advance, and sex. Eventually, she became pregnant and miscarried.
She reported him only years later, after she learned he had targeted another girl more recently. A lawsuit she filed says he was accused of misconduct at two schools before Marlborough hired him. When he was finally pushed out of Marlborough, the school gave him a recommendation, the suit asserts.
The woman, now 31, says it is infuriating that the man who abused her, Joseph Koetters, was able to "hit the reset button" and start fresh at a new school. Koetters pleaded guilty to sexually molesting her and another girl and was sentenced in October to a year behind bars.
"It's clear that not just in Marlborough but in all these cases nationwide, the schools lack the will or the moral compass to take these measures on their own," the woman said.
A judge last month denied the school's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The school did not comment, citing the pending litigation.
The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual abuse without their consent.
The woman's lawyer, David Ring, says it's a problem at public schools and private schools alike. He won a $5.6 million jury verdict in 2013 in the case of a public school teacher in California who sexually abused a 14-year-old girl. Even though the school knew the teacher had sent her romantic emails midyear, he was allowed to finish the year and left the school with a letter of recommendation.
More recently in Rhode Island, teachers now accused in a sex abuse scandal at the exclusive boarding school St. George's School were pushed out but went on to new jobs in schools around the country.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2010 studied 15 cases of K-12 schools that hired or retained people with histories of sexual misconduct. Eleven involved people who previously targeted children. In at least six cases, the GAO found offenders used their new positions to abuse more children.
One official told the GAO it could cost up to $100,000 to fire a teacher, even with a "slam-dunk case." Others said administrators fear lawsuits if they don't provide a positive reference.
The new federal mandate requires states to create policies that make it illegal for schools to help an employee get a new job if they suspect them of abusing children, according to the office of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who pushed for the federal legislation.
Many states are just now learning of the mandate, Toomey's office said.
Child safety advocate Terri Miller supports such bans. Her group SESAME — for Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation — says the practice is deliberate child endangerment.
"You're passing a known child sexual predator onto another unsuspecting classroom full of children," she said.
The Connecticut proposal says that before schools hire a teacher, they would have to contact past employers and ask if the applicant was ever investigated for abuse or sexual misconduct, or disciplined or asked to resign amid such allegations. Schools would be required to disclose such information, unless the allegations were found to be false.
Some oppose the measure. Jan Hochadel, president of the teachers union AFT Connecticut, said the union understands the bill's intent, but it overreaches.
"There also appears to be an assumption that school employees are guilty, rather than innocent before proven guilty," she said.
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said it worries the bill, if approved, would make it difficult for schools to make timely job offers.
The victim from the Marlborough School said she's hoping California will soon ban passing the trash.
"It's a moment where we can hopefully move the conversation forward and see some positive change," she said.
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Smith reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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Follow Michelle R. Smith on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MRSmithAP and Susan Haigh at http://twitter.com/SusanHaighAP
FAIRBAULT, Minn. (AP) — Pioneering Minnesota aviator Elizabeth Strohfus, who piloted military planes across the country during World War II and received two Congressional Gold Medals, has died at age 96, her son said Monday.
Strohfus died Sunday night at a Faribault assisted living center after being placed in hospice care after a fall a few weeks ago, said her son, Art Roberts of Northfield.
Strohfus was one of the last remaining members of Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. She ferried military planes in 1943 and 1944, and helped train air and infantry gunners at Las Vegas Army Airfield.
She was one of 1,074 female pilots to earn silver wings in the WASP. The female pilots flew military aircraft in noncombat roles during wartime to free up male pilots for combat. The women were considered civilians until Congress retroactively granted them veteran status in 1977.
After graduating from high school, Strohfus borrowed $100 from a bank using her bicycle as collateral to join the previously all-male Sky Club. She was a member of the Civil Air Patrol before joining WASP, the Faribault Daily News (http://bit.ly/1R1hdAb) reported.
As a young woman, Strohfus was so intrigued with flying that she spent many afternoons after work at the Faribault airport, thumbing rides from pilots.
Roberts said her mother would say she loved to climb trees as a young girl.
"She would be up there all day, if she could," Roberts said. "She just liked being up high and looking at the world."
After WASP was disbanded in December 1944, Strohfus worked as an aircraft controller in Wyoming before returning to her hometown of Faribault, about 50 miles south of Minneapolis, where she married and raised a family. A member of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Strohfus received two Congressional Gold Medals: one for her service as a WASP and the second for her service in the Civil Air Patrol.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said she was saddened to learn of Strohfus' death. In a statement, Klobuchar said Strohfus "served out country admirably," not only during WWII as a WASP but also after the war advocating for her fellow WASPs.
Klobuchar has been calling for allowing WASPs to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, after the Army recently reversed its policy allowing the women to be interred at Arlington. Strohfus planned to be buried in Minnesota but supported allowing WASPs to be buried at Arlington, her son said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Information from: Faribault Daily News, http://www.faribault.com
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The owners of a former motorcycle clubhouse in Fort Wayne are working to transform the two-story building into a yoga studio.
Outlaws Motorcycle Club's former local clubhouse was purchased last month for $36,000. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (http://bit.ly/1paMpHk ) reports that the property was listed for $49,900 late last year after the federal government seized it in September following an FBI raid in May 2013.
Luke Messmann, who will manage the business, was preparing the building last week for an extensive remodel. He plans to spend about $25,000 on new windows, doors, floors and paint.
"That will be one of the first things we do as soon as it gets nice out," he said of the medium-blue paint chosen for the building's exterior. "We want it to really change so people aren't nervous to come in."
Messmann hopes to create a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor where visiting yoga instructors can stay overnight for a few weeks.
Lori Bannister, who owns a nearby salon, says she's happy to have a yoga studio move into the neighborhood.
"I was just really excited to see something healthy come down here on Main Street, not just bars," she said. "I've told quite a few of my clients about it, and they're really excited, too."
The still-unnamed yoga studio is set to open in June or July.
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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net
DETROIT (AP) — A judge on the Michigan appeals court has been charged with a misdemeanor for having a handgun in a carry-on bag at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The gun was found in Judge Henry Saad's bag on Feb. 21.
Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy says other travelers caught with a gun have faced a similar charge. In a statement, she suggested it was an "unintentional" breach of airport security by Saad.
An email seeking comment from the judge was not immediately returned Monday.
The 68-year-old has been on the appeals court since 1994. Saad made news off the bench in 2013, when a watchdog group reported that he had donated about $81,000 to Republican candidates and causes in 2012.
He said he was exercising his First Amendment right.
DETROIT (AP) — Wayne State University has lost an appeal and must pay more than $800,000 to a former student who said discrimination based on her pregnancy played a role in her removal from the social work program.
A federal appeals court on Monday affirmed a 2013 jury verdict in favor of Tina Varlesi.
She said she got a poor review during a 2008 internship at The Salvation Army because her pregnancy as an unmarried woman offended her female supervisor. Because of that low review, she was kicked out of Wayne State's School of Social Work, where she was pursuing a master's degree.
The court says evidence of discrimination deprived the 37-year-old Varlesi of job opportunities in her field. Wayne State is disappointed with the court ruling.
NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — Gunfire at a central Ohio home in the middle of the night spurred a four-hour standoff until officers heard snoring, realized the 75-year-old suspect had fallen asleep in bed and moved in to arrest him, police said Monday. No one was hurt.
Gunshots were reported early Monday by a female resident who fled the home in Newark, about 30 miles northeast of Columbus.
It's not clear why the man fired shots at a bed and wall or why he didn't respond to attempts to contact him when he appeared to be awake and alone, Newark Sgt. Clint Eskins said.
The man is hard of hearing but should have known authorities were there because a police vehicle was outside with its lights on, negotiators tried calling him and using a bullhorn, and police broke a window to send in an electronic surveillance device that they believe he saw, Eskins said.
When they heard snoring, they entered the home. The man, who had a firearm in bed with him, was startled but compliant and cordial when police woke him up, Eskins said.
"As things can turn out, it was a very good ending," Eskins said.
The man was charged in municipal court with counts of inducing panic and using weapons while intoxicated. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri law that protects children from abuse by other children has spurred hundreds of hotline calls since it was enacted in August.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1X77YTJ ) reports that the law mandates the Children's Division to perform family assessments when it receives child abuse hotline calls alleging inappropriate sexual behavior perpetrated by children on other children.
Beforehand, the state was only mandated to investigate allegations of child abuse involving people caring for the child. This ruled out state intervention in most complaints against minors.
Statistics provided by the agency show the state has received about 325 calls per month, more than six times the number officials anticipated.
A spokesman with the Missouri Department of Social Services said a state caseworker has responded to every hotline call deemed a concern despite the high number of calls. Officials said experienced caseworkers were taken from other assignments to meet the demand.
Becky Wekenborg presented the issue to state lawmakers last year when she alleged her daughter, 4 at the time, was abused by a 7-year-old during overnight visits with her father in a court-mandated joint custody decision. The judge didn't change the custody agreement and dismissed the allegation as child's play, although the child's pediatrician repeatedly testified that she had been sexually abused.
"Unless you get a sympathetic family court judge that knows these things and understands there is a difference between sexual abuse, and that these kids are perpetrating and not playing doctor, you aren't really getting anywhere in the court system," Wekenborg said.
Child advocates such as Emily van Schenkhof, deputy director of the nonprofit Missouri Kids First, said the new law is a good way for early intervention with children who exhibit problem sexual behaviors while also protecting other children from abuse.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
- By MELISSA HELLMANN Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Denise Mead panicked when she learned that her ninth-grade daughter, one of her seven children, was learning about safe sex in her Topeka High School health class, concerned that the curriculum would conflict with her Catholic values.
"We are teaching our children that sex is a beautiful thing created by God," Mead said.
Under a bill that the House Education Committee approved last month, Kansas public schools would be required to get parents' consent before students could enroll in sex education courses. The "opt-in" bill also would allow parents to review curriculum before enrolling their children in the classes. However, critics worry that the Kansas bill could undo historic declines in teen birth and pregnancy rates.
Committee Chairman Ron Highland, a Republican from Wamego, said the bill likely would pass if it reaches a floor vote. Rachel Whitten, spokeswoman for House Speaker Ray Merrick, said the bill will debated in the full House later this month.
Most of the 286 school districts in the state currently have an "opt-out" policy, in which children are automatically enrolled in sex education courses unless their parents exempt them. Each school district chooses its own curriculum for fifth through 12th grade that encourages students to abstain from having sex but also promotes using protection if students are sexually active.
Mead teaches her children that sex should be saved until marriage and that it cements a man and woman's relationship. She said she only received material about puberty and the dangers of drug use when she requested a copy of the curriculum from her daughter's health teacher.
Although her daughter assured her that the instructor only briefly discussed sex, Mead said she plans on removing her younger children from sex education classes in the future.
"When people don't give you the information that they're covering, it seems like they're hiding something," Mead said.
Shawnee Republican Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook sponsored the bill after a parent in her area saw a photo that his then 13-year-old daughter took of a sexual education poster in Hocker Grove Middle School. The photo, which listed acts including grinding and anal sex, sparked a national controversy over schools' role in teaching children about sexuality.
Bill Albert, the chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said teen births in Kansas are down 50 percent since peaking in the 1990s.
He worries that the 40 percent of Kansas high school students who are sexually active will be robbed of information that helps them prevent pregnancies if the measure passes.
"Kansas has seen nothing but declines in teen pregnancy year after year. Why would you want to tinker with success?" Albert said.
Another Kansas bill under consideration in the House that would prevent school boards from using national sexual education curriculum seeks to give more control to local educators.
But Rick Doll, superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools, said that a prohibition on multi-state standards would have the opposite effect. The Lawrence school district, which has an opt-out policy, adopted national sexual education standards in 2014 with the aim of better preparing students for puberty.
"They would be taking the control away from local decision makers," he said about the measure to prevent national standards. He also worries that an opt-in policy would exclude students who forgot to give their parents the form.
"If you believe that reading instruction is important for kids, then you wouldn't ask them to opt-in," Doll said. "I don't think opt-in should follow with human sexuality either."
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) — The number of babies born addicted to heroin and other opiates is growing at an alarming rate in intensive care units across Wisconsin.
Over 500 addicted infants are born a year, a number that has more than doubled since 2009, USA Today Network-Wisconsin (http://wrtnews.co/1TE6nXR ) reported. Those births have been occurring throughout Wisconsin, including in relatively small, rural counties.
Data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Department of Children and Families shows that the number of babies born with opiate addiction in Wisconsin increased by 125 percent between 2009 and 2014. The state's worst year was 2013, when 540 addicted babies were admitted to hospitals.
"We are definitely seeing a trending increase and I think this is a consequence of what we are seeing with the drug trends," said Anne La Chapelle, social work supervisor at Wood County Human Services.
Every county in Wisconsin has reported growing numbers of heroin-related arrests since 2008.
The increase in heroin use is the result of the crack down on methamphetamine production in 2005, as well as restrictions on the amount of opiate-based pain relievers prescribed by physicians and the rise in cheap supplies of heroin, according to Renee Krueger, director of Lincoln County Department of Social Services.
"It became easier to buy heroin with more people becoming addicted to heroin," she said.
Heroin is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome, with success often relying on a person's support and treatment, said Jamie Limjoco, a neonatologist and head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Madison's American Family Children's Hospital.
Staff in a hospital's the neonatal intensive care unit provide the necessary drugs and care for about five weeks to ensure the baby is safely weaned from opioids. The prognosis is good for a baby who's successfully withdrawn from heroin, but the child's home environment will make a greater impact in the long run, according to Limjoco.
"Some of these babies will do just fine, but if a baby goes home with the mother and the mom continues to abuse drugs and the baby is neglected or there are other environmental factors such as second-hand smoke or poor nutrition, it's not a great prognosis," she said.
A woman can be jailed for abusing drugs while pregnant in Wisconsin. But a pregnant woman who's addicted to drugs needs help and treatment, so she generally won't go to jail, Limjoco said.
"If a pregnant woman tests positive for illicit drugs, it needs to be reported, but we want the woman to get help during her pregnancy and following the birth of her child so that there is a good outcome for both the mom and baby," she said.
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Information from: Daily Tribune Media, http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha school district could get its own drug dog to sniff lockers and patrol hallways during random searches next school year.
Omaha Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Farmer says the district is working with the Omaha Police Department to buy and train a drug-sniffing canine that could appear in middle and high schools this fall.
"We know that the use of drug dogs in schools at districts around the country is a deterrent that can help keep drugs out of the school buildings," Farmer said.
The Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1X7cLV4 ) reports that the Police Department would buy and train the dog, which would cost $5,000 to $10,000.
The plan, which is still in its early stages, follows a school security survey that asked parents, students, teachers and principals last fall whether they would support additional school security measures, including metal detectors and drug- and gun-sniffing dogs.
The district received nearly 3,000 responses to the survey. Officials said drug dog use got strong backing, especially at the high school level.
"We hope to never find anything," Superintendent Mark Evans said. "What we hope is that this makes our students more aware that we are focused on keeping our school buildings safe."
School board president Lou Ann Goding said the board hasn't talked much yet about moving forward with a narcotics dog. Board members were generally supportive of the idea when the safety survey was sent out several months ago, but some worried about the message the extra security would send.
"There's a careful balance between creating safe schools and a welcoming environment," school board member Lacey Merica said at the time. "I don't want students to feel like they're going through the TSA."
There were 263 expulsions and suspensions related to drugs in the 2014 to 2015 school year, a steep drop from the previous school year. Weapons were involved in 178 of those incidents.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A developer is hoping to build the largest solar field in Iowa just northeast of Fort Dodge.
The Messenger (http://bit.ly/1QBy7JH ) reports that the Holliday Creek solar project would produce about 100 megawatts when completed. That's enough to power about 30,000 average homes.
EDF Renewable Energy is currently talking with local landowners about the project, according to Webster County Supervisor Keith Dencklau. The company hopes to sign a 37-year lease for 1,000- to 1,200-acres of land east of the Fort Dodge Regional Airport, south of Badger and west of Vincent.
Dencklau said the company has offered $800 per acre, which would increase 2.5 percent each year.
Leanne Russell Fate, a project developer for the company, said the area was targeted due to the availability of transmission capacity, community interest and suitability of the land.
"While the project does not yet have an offtake arrangement, our customers have expressed an interest in solar in the Midwest and we will continue those conversations as development continues," Fate said.
There's still a lot to consider, Dencklau said, including the impact the solar panels would have on the soil.
The company is also putting together a good neighbor agreement to ensure that the company gets along with those who live in proximity to the solar project.
The company previously built a large wind turbine farm in southern Webster County, Dencklau said. MidAmerican Energy now owns the large wind turbine farm.
EDF Renewable Energy hopes to have the project running sometime between 2018 and 2020.
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Information from: The Messenger, http://www.messengernews.net
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says student borrowers dealing with mounting loan debt are a new addition to her annual list of consumer complaints.
Madigan released the top-ten list on Monday. She says consumer debt and identity theft were ranked numbers one and two for the eighth year in a row. But she says this year her office received more than 1,500 complaints about student loan servicers and for-profit schools.
Education-related complaints came in seventh on this year's list. Madigan says the ranking reflects the growing student loan debt crisis. She says her office will "continue to combat the many scams targeting these students."
Other complaints included telemarketers, construction, used vehicle sales and internet or mail-order products. Madigan's office says it received more than 25,000 complaints last year.
Here's a look at the top categories and the number of complaints.
1. Consumer Debt (mortgages, collection agencies, banks) 3,350
2. Identity Theft (government document fraud, credit cards, utilities, data breaches) 2,636
3. Telecommunications (telemarketing, cable and satellite TV, phone service and repairs, cell phones) 2,188
4. Construction/Home Improvement (remodeling, roofs and gutters, heating and cooling, plumbing) 2,167
5. Used Auto Sales/Motor Vehicles (as-is used cars, financing, warranties) 1,835
6. Promotions/Schemes (phone scams, investment schemes, lottery scams, phishing) 1,813
7. Education (for-profit schools, student loan debt, loan counseling) 1,523
8. Internet/Mail Order Products (Internet and catalog purchases, TV and radio advertising) 1,019
9. Fraud Against Business (consulting services, equipment leasing, directories and publications)726
10. Motor Vehicle/Non-Warranty Repair (collision, engines, oil changes and tune-ups) 714
Source: Illinois attorney general's office
NOVI, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a suburban Detroit police officer has been treated and released after being dragged by a motorist following a traffic stop.
The city of Novi's assistant police chief Erick Zinser tells The Detroit News that the officer pulled over a woman around 2 a.m. Monday for a minor traffic violation. Zinser says the officer determined that the woman had a suspended license and multiple warrants out for her arrest.
TV stations WDIV and WXYZ report the woman had two children with her and told the officer she needed to make arrangements for them.
Zinser says the woman then drove away and the officer, who tried to restrain her, was dragged about 60 feet. The woman was being sought.
Zinser says the officer had minor cuts and bruises.
CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (AP) — Police say a man stole nearly $600 from Girl Scouts selling cookies in central Ohio.
The theft happened Sunday as members of Troop 2439 were wrapping up sales at a Wal-Mart in Canal Winchester in suburban Columbus.
The troop from nearby Reynoldsburg is raising money for a trip to Tennessee.
The Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council says the thief got away with $571.
The council says the safety of its scouts is paramount. It urged girls and volunteers selling cookies to take precautions, stay together, and be aware of their surroundings.
The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Nearly $700 had been donated to a GoFundMe account set up after the theft.
Faculty concerned about changes to U of A admissions policy
