Antiseptic,

You didn't even read that article.

You have been quite happy to tar the characters of those students and of the teacher who was sacked two weeks after raising her concerns - as she is required to do by law, as well as by the ethics of her profession.

In fact she raised her concerns the year before he was charged, and after he had drugged and raped another teenaged student.

The Assistant Principal not only broke certain laws, failed in his ethical duty and was negligent, but he was basically complicit in making it possible for the offender to continue preying on the students. Has that fellow lost his job or been called in to explain? What of the school board, which was also made aware of concerns?

Why, when the allegations were first made, wasn't there an investigation to either clear the Principal's name, or protect the students?

Why have these two students not been reinstated, or at least had their rdecords cleared - and why has the teacher who first raised concerns been reinstated.

Your sort of answer again points out how rape continues as a symptom of a systemic imbalance of power and control. People like you make it possible, and even easy, for people like him to continue.

I wonder how you'd feel if one of those children were yours.

pynchme, the process is continuing and no doubt the students will get "justice", whatever that may mean to them.

I stand by my comment that this is no example of structural problems, but is a combination of individual judgement calls. If you legislate to remove individual judgements, you have totalitarianism. Is that your preferred option? It's not mine.

pynchme:"I wonder how you'd feel if one of those children were yours."

I'd be shocked and angry. So what? I'm shocked and angry that it happened to someone else, but unlike you, I am able to control my emotional response and think rationally about the subject.

No, you don't think rationally. You leapt immediately to slandering the reputation of those girls and the female teacher who raised concerns; now you bury yourself in convenient denial.

Your rape mentality is far too comfortable for you; so much so that you're now incapable of reviewing the situation; the social connections and justice issues perpetuated within them. If it had been your daughter or son; would you just shrug off the neglect of the Vice Principal AND the Board - shrug and say, "Oh well at least I'm rational."

What's rational about standing mute while people who are in positions of trust to care for young people not only fail in that duty, but actively contribute to a predator's brazen exploitation of them.

Pynchme:"You leapt immediately to slandering the reputation of those girls"

Ah, I've worked it out! English isn't your first language, is it?

Let's go back, shall we? Here's what i said:"pupils are not averse to trying to "make trouble" for teachers they don't like, including making up stories. I doubt that atory you quoted is the whole of it, because in my experience students are not expelled for a first offence. I suspect that these girls had a history of discipline problems and the science teacher only spoke up after she was made redundant, which would lead easily to a conclusion that she was acting out of sour grapes."

You'll note that I provided a counter-explanation to your own hysterical one and that you have not provided any information to counter my explanation. Your own preferred explanation is that there is a systemic problem. You've not provided any evidence to support that, either. In fact, you never provide either evidence or a rational justification for your claims, merely bald assertions and naysaying. You will never respond to a question, while I respond to many of yours. Frankly, lovey, you're not much good at this, are you? No wonder you're after a free ride - pedalling your own bike is just too much for you, isn't it? Totalitarianism would suit you down to the ground, since there's no thinking required.

Now, off you toddle and see if you can't get someone to explain to you what I just wrote.

Antiseptic: <"Your own preferred explanation is that there is a systemic problem. You've not provided any evidence to support that, either. In fact, you never provide either evidence or a rational justification for your claims, merely bald assertions and naysaying.">

Evidence: The attached story.

The Assistant Principal failed to investigate a formal report by a profesional associate that students were in danger.

The Assistant Principal breached government policy and departmental procedure by informing the Principal (who was later convicted of about 5 occasions of sexual assault of minors) of the complaint.

The Assistant Principal AND the School Board, raised no objections when the Principal sacked the teacher who raised the alert.

The Ombudsmen and other departments who are mandated to investigate when youngsters are at risk, were notified but did not act on the information.

After concerns were raised, the Principal drugged and sexually assaulted another pupil.

Despite the notifications, expulsions and the sacking, the Principal was provided with a substantial reference that enabled him to take up employment at another school.

The girls have not had their cases investigated. Even IF they had been problematic students, it still stands that they were expelled directly after accusing the Principal of inappropriate behaviour and no information was given to their parents. It has eventuated that their accusations were well founded. Those accusations have nothing to do with their behaviour - but everything to do with HIS, since he is the offender.

The female teacher who was sacked two weeks after lodging her concerns with the Assistant Principal (as she is required to do), has not been reinstated or had her case investigated.

Do you have any evidence at all to refute any of the above points ?

Do you have any counter article ?

My remarks are based in something verifiable. Your remarks are based in your own prejudices which are cleary pro-rape and against women, in accordance with prevailing social institutions.

None of the systems worked to even investigate the claims; but all worked to benefit the offender. We therefore have a systemic problem.

Pynchme, the individuals failed. Every system like this relies on individual judgements and sometimes the people involved make mistakes.

Instead of ranting, what do you suggest should be done to fix that?

If you mandate responses to every possible situation you create totalitarianism and robots and if you give open slather, you risk some negative outcomes in other ways. It all comes down to whether you think that the game is worth the candle.

How rigid must our society become to satisfy your paranoid need for an absolute security guarantee? Let me remind you, without minimising the experience of the victims, that there were approximately 900,000 other students that year who didn't experience sexual predation by their Principal. In analysing risk there are two different aspects to consider - first, the hazard, which means the potential outcome. For example, a saw bench presents grave hazards, ranging from death through impalement through amputation to sinus trouble through breathing the dust; a pencil also presents several grave hazards, ranging from loss of sight in an eye to splinters. Should we then treat these as equally dangerous implements and their use as requisite of similar levels of preventative safety measures?

The answer, of course, is no, because the risk of those hazards occurring in normal use is quite different. If a pencil is used normally, there is almost no risk, whereas even with the best training and immaculate work practises, a saw bench still presents a high risk of injury.

Sociopaths arise from time to time and they are often very good at camouflaging their activities. They may present a hazard that is grave, but the risk of encountering such a person is low.

How much risk is too much? What is the social hazard presented by a totalitarian model?