“Failure to Protect”

[Bluzes]

37 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

Larson was reported in 2012, and was easily researched to be found on the sex offenders registry. 

 

so we KNOW

Not knowing Larson myself but being present in the stands I was told he was interviewed by the police at the show maybe more than 1 and was cleared to play. Thought back then him being there may have been a parole violation but he did play the show. How any of this is making the 2019 season unsafe for the MM's is beyond me??? But like you mentioned it was known then and still known today.

[Bluzes]

43 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

first off, nothing happened at Skyliners that has been reported. So it really did nothing for them. And living within a drive of Pittston, you have no idea whats actually going on up there. However I have friends there, and they know whats going on, and trust me, there's all kinds of things hapening you dont hear about. 

 

while yes you have bad actors in drum corps that were also bad actors in band, the problem in band is that states often just suspend a license and dont follow up with criminal action, and they also dont share that information nationwide. So while i do believe DCi needs to be held accountable, if the information from various states isnt available to the general public, I can't fault DCi for that. I fault DCi for the things they knew about, and the rules they ignored putting on place until they had to because of bad press.

 

DCI's issues are their own in the making since 1972.

And I thank god it's just bad press and not anything worse outside of GH. On the flip side even with the bad actors the tours have been relativity safe. That's a testament to all the good people on tour doing the right thing. Sky got some bad press or else I would not have found out. I was headquartered at Paganini Enterprises in Pittston lived in Kingston but can't say I know what is going on with the band. A Google search of tainted school teachers yields tons of them nationwide no surprise that dci / dca is involved in this mess. 

[Jeffe77]

5 hours ago, garfield said:

I can guarantee you that, even without this recent article, this subject will be top-of-agenda next month.

"...no choice but to make changes...".  Curious, what changes are you expecting to happen during the meeting?

 

My hope is a restructuring of authority with more oversight, I don't mean to overstate this point, but it has to be something akin to the Bill of Rights. Some monumental in order to correct the course.

[Jeffe77]

5 hours ago, Bluzes said:

To me Tricia's article speaks more to the sad state of sexual harassment that is perpetrated across our school systems. Which is going mostly ignored via weak detection, little engrossment and lack of severe treatment to those in charge. Whether dci exists or not is not going to fix the issues Tricia raises. She is certainly setting her expectations too low, just worrying about  the 3500 kids on tour where there are millions of kids at risk in our high schools. I would give up dci if it meant our schools were safe but it won't and it would be a crying shame if it comes to that. That's why I question her motives is dci just easy pickings and the school system to big to go after?

5

Makes sense, since she doesn't have the resources like the Spotlight team from the Boston Globe. Don't blame her for not going after big fish. Takes working for a big paper and resources to back up going after big fish like 60 minutes with the Tabacco industry or the Boston Globe with the Catholic Church. You got to start somewhere. If DCI rides this ship, and good comes out of it, perhaps she gets a gig with a bigger news organization, then she can go after the bigger fish

[BigW]

1 hour ago, Bluzes said:

How any of this is making the 2019 season unsafe for the MM's is beyond me???

Hmm. All of this should hopefully make 2019 safer, but it shouldn't have taken a hue and outcry of this magnitude to do that. Keep in mind Larson was with the Cavies SoundSport team as of last season. For whatever reason, people have let this guy slide over and over. I have my thoughts why, and they're disturbing. The risk of having people like that around is insane for many good reasons. Promises that it won't happen again/they will behave really don't cut it.

 

I have had my thoughts on this subject now for years since Sandusky blew up all over the place out this way. I'm coming to the conclusion that crimes of this nature are sentenced too lightly by the current laws in place. Sandusky got 30-60 years for 45 counts. Do the math as to how many years the average sentence time for each crime was.  A person can get 3-7 years for check forging in PA, a 3rd degree felony for example. Food for thought.

Edited December 16, 2018 by BigW

[garfield]

3 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

let's be honest here....Larson had a record you could look up online...and the people that reported it were ignored by some, threatened by others. While I won't dive into the other names mentioned, Larson had had that record for a decade plus when he was reported. I know you got all ###### at me last time when Larson came up, but that's not defensible in any way shape or form. one good google search would lead to you the fact he was on the sex offenders registry, and he was participating in DCI events with the Kilties.

I did not get all "pissy" with you last time you brought up Larson, I got all pissy with you because you insist that Dan A had some obligation to do something that he didn't do.

That's been my contention against your Larson discussion; the man sounds like a pig to me (and looks like one, too) and I wouldn't defend him or his actions in any way.

I'm focused on the morbidly mistaken and foolhardy notion that getting rid of Dan for optics reasons makes any sense at all.  You keep saying he ignored you and didn't act.  He did act.  He just didn't act in the way you think he should have.  I don't think many people take into count how small our activity is and how difficult it would be to replace Dan and his staff for the money they are now being paid, train them, then expect them to both step into tour management AND pull off the season just beginning.  

Hobbling DCI's ability to hold a tour and generate revenue is not the solution to holding Dan accountable for Larson's participation OR not doing what you think he should have done.

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by garfield

[JimF-LowBari]

4 hours ago, MikeD said:

Just wondering, what makes Dan a "mandated reporter" at all?

 

 

 

No idea if he is one. In PA state law defines who is mandated. My comment was just saying mandated reporters have to report all suspected abuse not just in their own area. I’m not trying to say DA is one.

Edited December 16, 2018 by JimF-LowBari

[BigW]

4 hours ago, MikeD said:

Just wondering, what makes Dan a "mandated reporter" at all?

 

 

 

A very sticky wicket, Mike. Depends on state laws.  The kind of laws that help schools... are the laws DCI has been able to kind of try and roll around and dodge through gray areas which is why they've ended up in this quagmire. It was crystal clear in PA and NY schools you report anything immediately way before Sandusky and in PA, even more in your face beat you over the head with a ball bat till you get it in case you're stupid clear now. I know that from my personal experience and from a friend who has to do the newer PA certification procedures for all of that as a College Prof.

 

For instance, Victim One with Sandusky's Mom went to the Guidance Counselor at the school Sandusky was volunteering at and told them there was something wrong- that counselor was incredulous, expressed disbelief that this could have happened... and told her and the victim to heaven forbid, keep silent. Uncertain of the fate of that individual, but at best my guess is the union saved their job in the district and ended up monitoring Study Halls and Lunch Duty for the rest of their career, personally, I hope they got canned and charged/convicted for failure to report . Is DA the legal equivalent of that in Indiana...? That may be for lawyers to hash out in the future.

[Tim K]

6 hours ago, MikeD said:

Just wondering, what makes Dan a "mandated reporter" at all?

 

 

 

 

If an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was reported to DA directly, he would be considered a mandated reporter. He might be considered a mandated reporter in some states if a person spoke to someone at DCI hq. if he learns of an allegation  through the grapevine, he should make sure it has been reported, but legally whether that makes him a mandated reporter is unclear, civilly is a different matter, and interstate adds a whole new dimension. 

Unless a huge coverup from the top down is involved, the chances of DA being charged for failure to report abuse would be slim to none. Whether a lawyer could maneuver things in a civil lawsuit against him is a different matter.  

[karuna]

8 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

And if sexual abuse was going on in the DCI office, Dan Acheson would be a mandated reporter.

If it is happening somewhere else, Acheson is no more of a mandated reporter than you are.

Okay.  Now, you are aware that "directly involved" means working directly with kids, right?

Actually since he works events that’s NOT how it works. So much misinformation apparent here.