After reading the Brian Burnes piece in the Star about creature teacher Matthew J. Nelson and his sex abuse plea agreement, I could feel the bones of Joe Paterno rolling over.
Nelson, a former Teacher of the Year, taught elementary school for 10 years in Grain Valley, and pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexually abusing 11 boys.
The arrest was made in January, 2012, according to the article, but…and here’s the kicker….way back in 2008, Grain Valley School District officials said that a “concern” regarding Nelson had been brought to their attention.
District officials said they discussed the allegations with Nelson at that time, but added that, “the generic nature” of the report didn’t lead them in any particular direction. The saddest news of all is that the incidents of abuse Nelson admitted to occurred from August 2008 through January 2012.
Had the “concern” been investigated fully by district officials, could ALL of these abuse cases been prevented?
Now, the fact that Nelson had received his “Teacher of the Year” award one year earlier in 2007…..was that enough of a factor to shield him from anyone believing he could turn into this predatory monster? And just how is this different from the blind eye that was turned at Penn State?
I feel for the parents of the many students that were involved here. And I’m angry for the way this was mishandled by Grain Valley authorities. Someone needs to answer for the lack of investigation into a very serious “concern.”
I can’t even imagine how the victims feel.
Well, first of all it’s Grain Valley and if you’ve ever been to Whiskey Tango you know that inappropriate touching is a way of life there.
Second, not sure how the parenting or schooling is in Grain Valley but most of my friends with young children have had the good touch, bad touch talk with their kids or have had it taught to them. Kids can be empowered little f#ckers when they are taught properly.
Silence is Golden, particularly when you are a perv. Maybe Mr. Nelson will be sentenced to life with Jerry Sandusky. Or maybe his defense will be “I’m a Democrat”. In that case he’ll probably be the new Secretary of Education.
When we can’t protect the most innocent and vulnerable among us we all fail.
I agree smarty, I just don’t think at this point, there is a straight line reference with respect to what happened in Happy Valley.
So you dont have kids, you hang out at strip clubs in grain valley and you make the democrat comment, whats make you think you should comment here at all? the guy is the devil. end of story…and it seems to me you should keep your pie hole shut.
No.
I think the guy should be hung from a tree before noon.
I don’t think we should hang the folks at the school before we know the facts.
I am not sure at this point, at least from what I have read, that Grain Valley “mishandled” anything.
What are the facts to this point?
How many complaints in total were brought to the attention of Grain Valley? Just one?
What is the time line with respect to who knew what and when? It’s not public so far from what I have seen.
Before we grab the pitchforks, light the torches and head off to Frankenstein’s castle there should be some solid evidence of malfeasance.
And what exactly was the nature of the “concern” brought to the attention of which Grain Valley “authorities”?
It could have been nothing more than so-called “boundary violations” — a parent thought the guy was a bit too touchy-feely and hugged kids too much. Creepy, but not illegal.
Chuck, I think you know from past postings the top three things I despise are hot beer, wet toilet paper and child molesters. Then the list continues for seventeen single spaced, four column pages.
He plead GUILTY to abusing 11 boys. No denial. No mea culpa, no blaming society or abusive parents. Screw the facts other than how come this didn’t stop after boy numero uno.
My punishment for him is lock him up, strap him down Hanibal Lecter style, give him a Viagra IV and make him watch gay male porn in 3D for 16 hours a day.
“Screw the facts other than how come this didn’t stop after boy numero uno.”
Again, we don’t know if it was “boy numero uno” or his parents who reported actual, illegal sexual abuse back in 2008. We are only told that some “concern” was raised back then without knowing what that “concern”was.
Often times, it is boy numero 11 and/or his parents who finally report illegal abuse, and only after that, the dam breaks and boys numero uno through 10 only then become empowered to report when they realize they are not alone.
What bothers me is all the support and money he was given from the Grain Valley school system and teachers, to defend him of this horrendous tendency he has with young children. This is one of Missouri’s highest taxing school districts that may be using your money to defend child molesters. Everyone should be outraged and oust all the other teachers who reached out to him.This makes me wonder if the teachers are sticking together for a reason. could be more of this behavior that isnt discovered yet.