Every once in a while, I delve into the local news...and usually regret it.
Today was no exception.
The Miami Grand Jury released their report of their investigation into Miami Northwestern High's failure to report allegations of unlawful sex between a 14 year old girl and Miami Northwestern High School's 18 year old starting quarterback.
The quarterback is in trouble (more on that later), but the school's former principal was charged with "failure to report" a third degree felony in Florida.
So, once again, the crime is about the cover up.
The Grand Jury report was scathing in their assessment of what happened:
The road to glory was paved for all . . . all except that little girl who was viewed as little more than a bump in the road to the school's state football championship.
The entire incident is detailed in about 45-50 pages from all the links in this diary, but I have summarized what happened in the 9 months from the original incident in this diary.
- The original incident occurred on September 16th, 2006 when Antwaon Easterling (18 years old)had consensual sex with a 14 year old (honors student, band member).
- The girl's mother didn't know about it immediately, but talked to her daughter's guidance counselor and 2 other teachers on October 19th, 2006.
- The guidance counselor told the then, Principal Dwight Bernard and the other Assistant Principals of the mother's complaint and that she believed the runningback could be charged with statutory rape.
- The Principal Bernard assured the guidance counselor that the police would be called, then didn't call the police. - the crime the Principal is eventually charged with.
- On November 14th, 2006, Mom comes to pick up her daughter from school only to find out her daughter was found that day (by security guards)in the girls' locker room with a group of male students. The girl was naked from the waist down. (Some of the students involved were suspended at this point.)
- Mom calls a the school a few days later and is told by a resource specialist that a special unit with schools police was handling the matter (a lie).
- By a quirk of fate Mom tells a school police officer (at a doughnut shop) about her daughter's experiences on December 5th, 2006. That's nearly 3 months after the first incident and 6 weeks from when the guidance counselor reported it to her supervisors, the Principal and Assistant Principals...and 3 weeks after the 2nd incident. At this point anywhere between 17-21 school employees knew of these incidents - depending upon the news accounts you read.
- Antwaon Easterling, the (now 19 year old) star running back of Miami's Northwestern High was arrested and released and allowed to play the Championship football game against Altemonte Springs on December 9th, 2006.
- Sometime in mid-December, Ronda A. Vangates, called the school police and called off their investigation. She later said she believed it to be an administrative investigation that was duplicating the one being performed by the School's Principal, Dwight Bernard and unaware that it was a criminal investigation. - like, sure.
- The following February at a Miami-Dade School Board meeting, Larry Costanzo (investigative consultant) criticized Ronda A. Vangates, then the district's director of investigations, for her handling of the case. After the meeting video surveillance cameras record Vangates angrily confronting Costanzo outside in the lobby and had to be dragged away from Costanzo. Costanzo later filed a complaint with police. Vangates temporarily gave up her duties with the investigations department while detectives investigate Costanzo's complaint. (I really wish I could find a video link to this altercation.)
- Somewhere in the time line the lead detective on the case, Nicky Echezabal, was demoted for giving a copy of her report to Miami police sexual battery detectives...then later promoted to sergeant. Another cover up? - retaliation for whistle blowing????
- April the Grand Jury starts their investigation.
- The final report is released June 6th, 2007 - nearly 9 months after the first incident on September 16th, 2006.
Two noteworthy clips from the Grand Jury Report:
[An] issue that surfaced in the course of our investigation is that some school police officers fear that if they investigate certain school or police department administrators, there will be consequences for doing so and that nothing will result from the investigation.
and
XI. CONCLUSION
The tragic and frightening consequences that have befallen the little girl are inexcusable. They could have been completely avoided. The priorities were skewed and the safety of the little girl was far from paramount. This must change. M-DCPS must take every measure possible to correct this and we feel our recommendations offer a pathway to this goal. Championships are glorious, but fleeting. Academics must trump sports if we wish to provide our children with a realistic future.
The girl? Remember the 14 year old freshman honors student who was a member of the band? Well she became a pariah of her classmates. She has tried to commit suicide twice and is currently institutionalized. I guess it was a combination of "blame the victim" and a lot of other stuff....
Antwaon Easterling has a football scholarship at University of Southern Mississippi starting this fall. Easterling entered a pretrial diversion program that will keep his record clean of the felony charge.
Principal Dwight Bernard? He was indicted on June 6th 2006 and charged with covering for a star football player accused of seducing an underage classmate failure to report a possible unlawful sexual encounter between an 18 year old and a 14 year old.
Dwight Bernard, grinning in a sport coat and sunglasses, walked into the Miami-Dade state attorney's office Wednesday morning with his attorney, who called him a "convenient scapegoat".
Ronda Vangates? Off the hook, so far...could get Florida Department of Education Reprimand. Same goes for Schools Police Chief Gerald Darling.
All for the love of football.
...but, I like football.
Moral to the story?
gee, I don't know...
18 year olds having sex with 14 year olds is no brainer, dumb?
maybe?...