Where Your Children Are ohio

Teacher gets 8 years in prison for sexually assaulting up to 88 first graders

We’re told that teachers undergo rigorous training and extensive background checks before being admitted to their sacred profession, and that those that somehow slip through the cracks are just talented actors and scam artists who managed to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and convince them they are normal and decent and actually committed to educating and helping your children.

We don’t know much about John Austin Hopkins’s background; only that he was hired by Springboro Community City Schools, not for his glowing credentials, but because he was friends with teachers and administrators at Clearcreek Elementary School in Springboro, Ohio. This was what is alleged by a class action federal lawsuit filed by the attorney representing twelve first grade girls at the school. The suit claims that during the 2018-2019 school year Hopkins, 26, a physical education teacher at the school, actually installed a doorbell on the door to the school gymnasium, which he locked, in order to sexually assault the girls in the class. The doorbell was to let him know if school personnel were attempting to enter, so he could quickly cover it all up, so to speak.

The above-named federal suit is still pending, but another case against Hopkins was recently heard, naming at least 27 victims (some parents allege there are as many as 88). After deliberating 11 hours, the jury delivered a conviction on 34 of 36 counts of gross sexual imposition. Hopkins was given just 8 years in prison, but it’s doubtful he’ll see even half of them before being released. For what it’s worth (all of nothing) he apologized to the victims’ families for his actions. “Clearly I have things to work on,” Hopkins said. “I will make the best out of any situation.” Very contrite. And he certainly made the best out of some situations, now didn’t he?

After prison, Hopkins will be required to report as a sex offender for 25 years.

Hopkins’s mother insists they’ll appeal his meager sentence, because heaven forbid her son have to pay for his actions.

Clearcreek Elementary School in Springboro, Ohio, serves approximately 900 students in grades PreK through 1. Ninety-three percent of students are white.

Ex-Springboro teacher gets 8 years for sex crimes on 1st-grade girls

Ex-Springboro gym teacher sentenced to 8 years in sex crimes case involving children

Federal class-action lawsuit filed against former gym teacher, Springboro schools

Clearcreek Elementary School – GreatSchools

Where Your Children Are alabama, florida, michigan, mississippi, ohio, tennessee

School Resource Officers, “pillars of the community”

Just a few news articles about school resource officers over the past couple weeks.

9/23/2019 – Florida school resource officer arrests, handcuffs 6-year-old girl
School resource officer fired after arresting 6-year-olds(“She was having a tantrum,” so apparently police were called in. Their hands were bound with zip ties, they were fingerprinted and charged with battery. But the officer was fired, so I guess all’s well that ends well, right?)

9/24/2019 – School resource officer faces charge after student said he choked him (A Mississippi SRO was placed on administrative leave. The student says he was pushed into the ladies’ restroom and choked. The SRO insists it’s all a lie. Witnesses, including two teachers, corroborate the student’s story.)

9/26/2019 – Alabama grandmother alleges SRO harassed middle school student (An SRO approached a group of children in the lunch room and asked “Which one of y’all’s daddies have I not arrested yet?” When a girl responded that her father hadn’t been arrested, the SRO responded with, “That’s because you don’t know who your daddy is.” This officer has an apparent history of harassing students, yet he remains on duty.)

10/1/2019 – Lawsuit alleges disabled Parma student was sprayed with drink by school resource officer prior to suspension (Ohio parents filing the lawsuit claim they have audio proving the SRO sprayed the child with a juice box as they waited for the principal. They are also claiming discrimination – the student is American, but of Arab descent. Many of these incidents involving SRO’s are allegedly racially motivated.)

10/4/2019 – Jasper Middle School resource officer resigns after probe into texts with students (The Tennessee SRO resigned even though there was found to be “nothing inappropriate” about texting middle school students at all hours of the day and night.)

10/4/2019 – School resource officer sentenced to 1 year in jail for sexually assaulting 3 high school students (A Michigan SRO pleaded no contest to charges such as criminal sexual assault of a minor, assault, and misconduct in office. One of his victims had aspirations of becoming a police officer. Now she is scarred for life. He gets a whopping year in prison.)

This woman gets it. Her article about the need to eliminate school resource officers is spot on, and advocates for the students SRO’s do not. Schools infringe on civil liberties as they are, but school resource officers only compound the issue.