What protections should a parent expect from an organization that has taken the responsibility for their child on a field trip? There is a situation reported in today's paper about a 7 year old girl who went on a field trip with the YMCA. A teenage boy is now charged with sex assaults against the girl, which occured in at least one incident on the bus to a field trip. The YMCA now says that the offender was not their employee nor volunteer, but rather a "paying" teenage in a youth leadership program. As a parent, I fully expect an organization that has taken custody of my child during a field trip to be limiting who has access to my child - limiting it to other children, screened employees, and screened volunteers. A molester "paying their way" into access to my child just does not cut it - what's up with the YMCA???
Does anyone else find this situation distressing?
Here are some excepts from the StarBulletin article for background:
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200...A_program.html
"An alleged series of sexual assaults against a 7-year-old girl has YMCA of Honolulu officials facing questions about its "junior leader" program."
"Larry Bush, president of the YMCA of Honolulu, issued a written statement yesterday that stressed that the teenager was not an employee or volunteer of the YMCA. He said those in the YMCA Junior Leader program pay to participate."
"YMCA officials did not respond to Star-Bulletin questions about training, screening and supervision of junior leaders."
"Police said Rouse was assigned as a junior leader to the group that included the girl during a trip on June 26, 2007, to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. While riding on a bus, the girl awoke to find him touching her genitalia over her clothing, police allege. Police charge there were at least three other incidents."
Does anyone else find this situation distressing?
Here are some excepts from the StarBulletin article for background:
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200...A_program.html
"An alleged series of sexual assaults against a 7-year-old girl has YMCA of Honolulu officials facing questions about its "junior leader" program."
"Larry Bush, president of the YMCA of Honolulu, issued a written statement yesterday that stressed that the teenager was not an employee or volunteer of the YMCA. He said those in the YMCA Junior Leader program pay to participate."
"YMCA officials did not respond to Star-Bulletin questions about training, screening and supervision of junior leaders."
"Police said Rouse was assigned as a junior leader to the group that included the girl during a trip on June 26, 2007, to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. While riding on a bus, the girl awoke to find him touching her genitalia over her clothing, police allege. Police charge there were at least three other incidents."
Comment