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The Cadets and GH history of sexual abuse (news article)


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3 minutes ago, MisterA said:

To be honest, if my kids were marching, I would have never had them join Cadets or Cadets 2(unless it was their ultimate dream corps, and then I would still try to talk them out of it)  even before all of this. While the Cadets had amazing talent, I had never been impressed with Hopkins at all. But if this article came out, and Hopkins was still there, and my child was marching there, I would definitely try to get them to leave the corps. I would probably pull my financing from them and if they decided to march anyway by raising their own money I would still do everything I could to convince them not to march there.

And again with the articles there is supposed to be another huge one tomorrow, so I am not looking forward to reading it, but am hoping it does clear up a couple of the questions I still have.

Thanks for a thoughtful response.

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Online Petition Calls For YEA Board To Resign Amid Allegations

Group tops 2,500 signatures

http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/online-petition-calls-for-yea-board-to-resign-amid-allegations/726504071

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Fallout continues from the scandal rocking Allentown's famed Cadets drum and bugle corps.

An online petition is circling calling for the Board of Directors of Youth Education in the Arts to resign following the group's longtime director's resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations.

A group called 'The Cadets and Friends' started the petition on change.org Friday night.

The group originally asked for 2,500 signatures, which they achieved and are now looking for 5,000.

Following a Philadelphia Inquirer story earlier this week which published nine allegations of sexual misconduct against former Allentown Cadets Director, George Hopkins. Hopkins resigned despite denying the accusations. 

The Board of Directors of Youth Education in the Arts also put out a statement calling this a "painful moment." 

The board also said it conducted an investigation into the matter and claimed "there was no cooperation at all from anyone making those accusations." 

They went on to say "no responsible board of directors can take action based solely on anonymous allegations." 

Upset about the response, the group 'The Cadets and Friends' started the a change.org petition asking for the resignation of the Board of Directors for YEA!.

'The Cadets and Friends' said in its petition, "it has become clear that this Board is incapable or unwilling to address the actual problem."

The group goes on to call the YEA! statement "the worst kind of victim blaming."

Some who signed the petition explained why they did.

Chris Perdikos commented "Drum corps members, staff and volunteers need to feel safe at all times !!"

Lenette Haliburton said "I'm still honestly shocked that an organization would keep something like this under the radar for so long."

Yet, we've learned this is not the first time the Allentown Cadets have dealt with scandal this year.

In January, the organization dismissed its Brass Caption Head and contract worker, Scott Atchison after working for the Cadets for just a few months.

According to media reports from 2003, Atchison was arrested in California on an allegation of videotaping a 17-year-old female student changing in a private room while serving as a high school band director.

Atchison resigned after his arrest.

On the site Drum Corps Planet... one person who identifies himself as SLA writes "it's time to set the record straight."

"2003 I was falsely accused of wrong doing during my tenure as a teacher in California."

I have consistently said nothing wrong took place."

Though the court records show Atchison was found guilty, the poster SLA says, 

"...that charge was later dismissed."  

And court records back that up.

The YEA board released a statement to 69 News in reference to Atchison saying quote:

"YEA! only employs people who pass the required background check."

Drum Corps International ... the body that sanctions the Cadets said it is conducting its own investigation.

It is unclear what 'The Cadets and Friends' next step will be should it get the 2500 signatures it's seeking.

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26 minutes ago, MisterA said:

 mattTo be honest, if my kids were marching, I would have never had them join Cadets or Cadets 2(unless it was their ultimate dream corps, and then I would still try to talk them out of it)  even before all of this. While the Cadets had amazing talent, I had never been impressed with Hopkins at all. But if this article came out, and Hopkins was still there, and my child was marching there, I would definitely try to get them to leave the corps. I would probably pull my financing from them and if they decided to march anyway by raising their own money I would still do everything I could to convince them not to march thereAnd again with the articles there is supposed to be another huge one tomorrow, so I am not looking forward to reading it, but am hoping it does clear up a couple of the questions I still have.

 
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You pose the question of a few if's in there. Years back even the upper corps had babies in there, today many of these upper corps are adult. Now, this doesn't mean of course they can't be subjected to terrible things, all adults no matter the age can, especially against someone of authority. This would I suppose be a personal choice 1st of the member then if it included the parents ( especially if they pay ) then that's a family discussion for themselves.

For me , and I'm not judging if someone feels differently, I'm not about to tell any family what is right for them or what isn't. As I said in another post about 5 or 6 years ago I was offered a job there and for me no matter how things may have looked good I couldn't bring myself to deal with the person of topic. Many do , did and I would not be surprised would have continued.

Edited by GUARDLING
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35 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

What are your specific concerns with the article? What questions do you think should be answered. You can write to the reporter. (I know some people here have done so.) Maybe she'll follow up. You can write to the board or the new staff leadership. (I'm sure some people here have done so.) Maybe they'll follow up.

The vast majority of accusations like this are true. The FBI says false reports happen only 3% of the time. To most of us, the fact that nine different people report similar experiences makes it more likely not less that they're telling the truth. You're almost certainly taking a healthy skepticism much too far.

I will wait until reading the article tomorrow and see if it clears up anything, and then I will get back to you. But first off the title of the article being Cadets history of Alleged Sexual Abuse makes it sound like there were multiple offenders, instead of listing George Hopkins, ED of the Cadets as being the offender. But after that, these question I have may be answered tomorrow. And what wouldn't get answered, I wouldn't want the reporter to do a follow up interview with the women, since they have been through enough already. Now that their story is out, it should be a good time for them to start healing.

As for a healthy skepticism, I wouldn't say it was a healthy skepticism. Probably more unhealthy. All I know is a few years ago I read about him receiving death threats during the summer tour(can't remember why or what was going on at that time-maybe a G7 thing?) so I wouldn't say it would be completely impossible for a group of people that hates him to do something to get him completely out of Cadets, YEA and DCI. We've had two other directors pushed out in the last 5 years, one which has been addressed here already a few times, and one I saw mentioned where the director was pushed out and a married couple was brought in to replace him. Again rumors, and I do not know all the facts there in either case. But maybe some of that should be investigated as well.

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1 minute ago, MisterA said:

All I know is a few years ago I read about him receiving death threats during the summer tour (can't remember why, or what was going on at that time--maybe a G7 thing?), so I wouldn't say it would be completely impossible for a group of people that hates him to do something to get him completely out of Cadets, YEA and DCI.

If true, that's horrible (but I don't think has anything to do with these nine women, whose stories I believe). Perhaps we should just be grateful Hopkins didn't hire a detail of 20+ round-the-clock security agents and buy a bullet-proof desk.

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28 minutes ago, Jaffo Nerr said:

Does anyone really believe the members of the drum corps would in any way be worse off if DCI was disbanded?

Yes 

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12 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

You pose the question of a few if's in there. Years back even the upper corps had babies in there, today many of these upper corps are adult. Now, this doesn't mean of course they can't be subjected to terrible things, all adults no matter the age can, especially against someone of authority. This would I suppose be a personal choice 1st of the member then if it included the parents ( especially if they pay ) then that's a family discussion for themselves.

I put the ifs in there on purpose. My children are older than corps age now, and didn't march when they were of age. My wife and I have always encouraged our children to follow their dreams, and even if it would have been my dream for my children to march SCV, it would be up to them who they would have marched with if they would have marched at all, which they didn't. And for this I was primarily talking if they were 17 or older, which is what most of the members of Cadets, and other top corps is. Again, I would prefer my children not to march Cadets, but that has been for the last 15 years I haven't been that impressed with the organization and their direction. I respect their right to do their style of shows their way, but really prefer the style and class of SCV. That also isn't to say I wouldn't be excited to see them march any of the other 23 WC corps, or 20 OC corps, whatever their choice and music level would be.

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21 minutes ago, MisterA said:

 evenI put the ifs in there on purpose. My children are older than corps age now, and didn't march when they were of age. My wife and I have always encouraged our children to follow their dreams, and even if it would have been my dream for my children to march SCV, it would be up to them who they would have marched with if they would have marched at all, which they didn't. And for this I was primarily talking if they were 17 or older, which is what most of the members of Cadets, and other top corps is. Again, I would prefer my children not to march Cadets, but that has been for the last 15 years I haven't been that impressed with the organization and their direction. I respect their right to do their style of shows their way, but really prefer the style and class of SCV. That also isn't to say I wouldn't be excited to see them march any of the other 23 WC corps, or 20 OC corps, whatever their choice and music level would be.

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well style and direction is a little different than the subject at hand. Either way, it's about personal choices I suppose

Yeah today in these upper corps most are over 17 or 18

 

 

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4 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

If true, that's horrible (but I don't think has anything to do with these nine women, whose stories I believe). Perhaps we should just be grateful Hopkins didn't hire a detail of 20+ round-the-clock security agents and buy a bullet-proof desk.

I suppose it could be possible the threats came from one of these 9 women, or a spouse or friend of one of them. I am almost sure Hopkins posted about that on DCP, but then everything about it disappeared pretty quickly, and I don't recall seeing anything else brought up the rest of the year. Could it be he figured out who the threats were coming from, and realized if he pressed charges this would all blow up in his face then?

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6 hours ago, George Dixon said:

There are HR resource organizations that can provide all of DCI an 800 number for this sort of reporting and support/counseling. Most larger companies and organizations employ one 

Yes. UPS uses one to report these kinds of issues and internal theft/corrupt activities.

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