Christine is a perfectionist.
This started with pressure from her father, and has festered since. It grew into an obsession tumor in her brain that rubbed her signals haywire. She fought to major success. But now the same anxieties that pushed her...
"There wasn't really any reason for us to meet with him." Kim Riley said in tears. "We were cheerleaders and he was the football coach."
A quote taken directly from a highly televised court case this past summer. The coach in question, Jerry Nolan, would never make it to the first ringing of the bell for the beginning of the new school year. The three time champion will never raise another trophy, his hands occupied by cuffs.
Judge Elizabeth Robinson ruled the sentencing at 45 years, disregarding all pressure from the town, local government and even the police themselves. Captain Kevin Walker ran to every news outlet microphone he could find, pleading for compassion. Walker's son, Kevin Walker Jr., is the star quarterback of the team.
The victims: Kim Riley, Lily Reynolds, Alexis Delacruz, and Tara Nguyen are all stellar students and star cheerleaders. They each walked to the stand, guarded on both sides, by the largest police officers they could find. All of them linked arms with the officers, squeezing with all their might, to be hidden. Judge Robinson allowed them as much time as they needed to get through the painful events. The therapists looking after each young girl filled in any details left out afterwards for the jury.
The scandal for Burnmill High does not end with this faculty member.
Before Coach Nolan was apprehend by the authorities, he was paid a visit. His boss, superintendent Christine Hader met him in the gymnasium, right where most of his assaults occurred. It was said that Coach Nolan was caught by surprise as he was putting away sporting equipment. It was also said that superintendent Hader used every single piece she could grab on him. The police arrived in time to save Nolan from Hader.
Coach Nolan is suing Hader and the school. The police have released Hader to her home, though Captain Walker has been on the television repeatedly campaigning for that to be retracted. Judge Robinson ruled in favor of the release until the school can heal, get back to working order this September, and Hader's case can be evaluated.
Hader will be taking an indefinite leave of absence in the interim.
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Dear students, staff, and faculty:
We are deeply saddened and concerned with the effect that this summer's trial has had on our school. As you all know, former faculty coach Jerry Nolan as been sentenced for his sexual misconduct over the years to students that have come forward with their stories.
We extend our heartfelt support to the survivors, the entire Burnmill High Community, and to survivors of these types of tragedies all over the world. We will work to support those who are suffering from the trauma here in our school, but also work support a larger culture of exposure, education, and justice through service and public platforms. We are in this together.
To help those cope we are opening a 24/7 hotline with the help of medical staff from nearby colleges and hospitals to offer free counseling for those in need. Students may contact our counseling center if they prefer to schedule an in person visit Monday-Friday 9-7PM (depending on assigned location). During school hours are excused no matter time or frequency. Weekends are available as well from 12-4 PM.
We have also developed a CARES team for future reports. A safety monitoring group of select staff and hired professionals to deal with these matters, while respecting your privacy, and making sure you have everything you need if anything is damaging your school or home life. We will be handling out pamphlets and materials at the start of the school year in your respective homeroom classes. Information can also be found online at www.burnmillCARES.com
As a final change to our upcoming year Principal Stein will be acting superintendent in addition to her role as principal.
At Burnmill High we have ZERO tolerance for any type of abuse. The well-being and and safety of our community is of the utmost importance. Our students are brave and courageous in the face of such troubling times. We must stick together and hope that the coming changes will help aide us through this. It is our commitment to protect you all.
Sincerely,
Burnmill High Leadership
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Dear Journal...
I can't help, but feel disgusted by all I see.
I have worked so hard and yet I still have to be in the same breathing space as these scum. I have to shower twice a day sometimes just to get their filth off of me. If I don't feel clean of them it makes me feel like a BAD person. And that leads to bad thoughts and some really bad ideas.
It's an intrusive assault. An invasion of my mind. I used to feel like I couldn't leave the school until I had done one more thing to help these children...
"Well how bout one more thing?"
"Maybe just on more..."
It never felt like enough. It never felt like the pressure I applied could ever stop the bleeding. With the likes of coach Nolan of course it's all hopeless. A common thief. More common than you'd think. There is so much more danger out there for these children, and yet I tell them everyday that I am there to protect them. (I am not). I am here to pick up the pieces. That is all.
I still knock on wood whenever I can. A school house is full of wood. But good luck is hard to come by in a school. For they are the future of our world, but so held back by those unwilling to give them their share TO LIVE.
How can we act like we protect our children when the world is less inhabitable, more corrupt, and ready to suck the life from every hole of their bodies that they can get a hold of? Sucking like leeches, insects, PARASITES that we are.
I wish someone would do something. Something for THEM. I thought studying my entire life, working up to a position of power, in education of all areas...I used to have hope, but helping 200 kids in every graduating class is not gonna put a dent in the damage we do8. I lost that hope a long time ago, and now here I sit, with a coffee, a pen, and too much time. And for what? To have ESPN cameras visit our football team to distract the world from what is really happening in our schools. Something that happened right under my nose without me knowing. AND I WATCHED. Everyday I fucking watched, and paid attention, and worried, and watched, and listened, and watched, and TRIED...I tried damnit. But its just too much to handle when theirs so many god damn stains of humanity out there.
Who's going to do anything about them? Do they not understand that they have to be better? Who's going to show them?
