The Coast News on the sentencing of long-time Pacific Rim Elementary teacher and serial child molester Raymond Firth (April 30 print edition, not available online):
Following Firth's hearing, Christy, the mother of the first student to come forward, told reporters she got the impression from the district that they were more worried about their reputation then [sic] her daughter's well-being. She said that she repeatedly received calls from Principal Devich asking her to tell her daughter not to discuss the case with other students.
[...]
Chris, the father of the last victim, told reporters that he was also frustrated with the district, because he had to find out about Firth's charges through a story in the Coast News.
Like the first mother, Chris said he didn't understand why it took more than a year after Firth was first charged by prosecutors for the district to finally inform parents at Pacific Rim of the ex-teacher's molestation case. He said he would have expected a letter from the district immediately after Firth's arrest.
I am the mother, Christy, mentioned in this article and I have been teaching child sexual abuse prevention ever since this happened to my daughter in 2007 (10 years ago). I came across this article today and wanted to comment that child sexual abuse is happening in every single school and if you don't believe that you are sadly mistaken. Most schools cover it up and "pass the trash" (a term used to describe how schools just let the perpetrator leave quietly with a neutral or good recommendation. Then the next school hires the teacher totally unaware of the previous allegations. And by the way, Mr. Firth attended Church in Encinitas and when he was released from prison he lived in Encinitas and worked for a limousine company out of La Costa. It doesn't matter where you live or where your kid goes to school. Kids are molested by those they know and trust 90% of the time, 30% of that is from their own family, 60% from those the family knows and trusts. All school staff should be trained on child sexual abuse because Mandated Reporter training barely even touches on prevention it only focuses on reporting, which schools rarely do even though it is the law.
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