Trust and Responsibility Rewarded

We're still having problems getting our heads around the trifling fact that the Church - all denominations unfortunately, but the Roman Catholic Church in particular - took generous strides in protecting their ordained members from the accusations of children whom they molested.

Quietly hushing up embarrassing rumours, and taking swift action to move a malefactor, an abuser of trusting children, from one parish to another. It's a wonder they've been able to regain the trust of parishioners. Christians, I'm told, are a forgiving lot.

People do want to trust, however, and who more likely to be trusted than a man of God? The vast majority of whom no doubt excel in their duties ministering to their flocks, but that's quite another story. This is, after all, what they have decided to dedicate their lives to.

For the purpose of giving instruction and comfort and hope to the afflicted. Not, as far too many have done, afflict the helpless.

So it's rather unpleasant to say the least to read of yet another event where fully functioning adults once again failed miserably in their duty to protect and shield the innocent from abuse.

This time in a Christian school in White Rock, British Columbia. Where a principal of the school, rather than take serious note and remedial action and give comfort to a 13-year-old girl who reported being sexually assaulted by an adult male, disciplined her, instead.

The British Columbia College of Teachers had taken their own action once it became public that Steven Gerald Paras pleaded guilty to professional misconduct while principal at White Rock Christian Academy. He was given a four-month suspension. Oh dear, but then those in the teaching profession are accustomed to long a series of hiatuses between teaching.

He had, at the time of the event in question, chosen not to report the sexual assault of a student, and instead "detained and isolated the student in a confined space for an inappropriate period of time during the initial investigation", according to a CBC News report.

But he was not yet finished with his investigation, which evidently constituted harassment of the girl for complaining about her abuse. He went on to suspend her from school. For this unprofessional and truly despicable conduct the man was suspended for an entire four months.

That would most certainly teach him a lesson. And the young girl would learn another lesson; that male adults simply cannot be trusted.

Meanwhile, the much-put-upon Mr. Paras has another job. As vice-principal of Regent Christian Academy in Surrey, British Columbia. No problem, he's obviously held in rather high esteem as an outstanding educator.

The school's chairman, Marvin Hunt, who also happens to be a Surrey city councillor informed CBC News that since the suspension period is up, there seemed no reason not to welcome the vice-principal back to the school.

Do the parents of the children attending the school have full knowledge of this? Is this kind of disgusting acceptance of maltreatment of young children as common in Christian schools as it is in Christian churches?