Not again!!!

[maksoftball]

The Woodlands HS softball coach Jorgensen found dead after sexual assault charge - Your Houston News: The Woodlands Villager: News


More details...so sad and disgusting. In article, it says he has no allegations or complaints before this since 2004. The girl reported him but what I don't understand is WTH was she doing at his house? And again after he already accosted her once at his house?? Where were her parents? HUGE flags would be raised for me in this regard.

Prayers to the softball team AND to his wife and 3 children he left behind. I hope he rots in hell for what he did to them (all involved).

 

[Westwind]

First and foremost this man is innocent until proven guilty, but because they can't find him doesn't give me a good feeling. This is a high profile HS softball program that has been nationally recognized. This really hurts my heart.

How do we better arm and protect our kids??

Woodlands High softball coach wanted for sex assault of child | khou.com

I think the question of "How do we better arm and protect our kids" is worth discussing.

I will say this: it is up to responsible male coaches to never be alone with female players. This makes the bad guys stick out more.

Second, we have to teach DD's that if they have an uncomfortable feeling around a guy, trust it.

 

[ian]

Where were the parents? Probably didnt want to be labeled over protective helicopter parents by the anti-parent crowd.

Watch over your children like a hawk. There are disgusting predators everywhere.

 

[grcsftbll]

I'm definitely more on the free range end than the helicopter end myself but that doesn't mean neglecting them or failing to pay attention to those they spend time with. Plus I think whatever your parenting style (and there are merits to most; I don't think there's one "right" way to be a parent) the most important thing is the arming of our children, with information, with self-confidence (because predators DO profile victims and they mostly stay away from kids who are sure of themselves, as they are less likely to go along & keep the secret), and with a strong relationship with us so that they always know they can come to us with anything.

 

[CMMom1740]

I think the question of "How do we better arm and protect our kids" is worth discussing.

I will say this: it is up to responsible male coaches to never be alone with female players. This makes the bad guys stick out more.

Second, we have to teach DD's that if they have an uncomfortable feeling around a guy, trust it.

Yes, in this day and age, I think it is wise that a male coach never be alone with a player. There are all kinds of people in the world, and I do not think it is out of the realm of possibility for a disgruntled player or her parents to make accusations to harm a coach they are upset with.

One of the above stories, though, discussed a female coach. Let's face it: men are not the only ones who can be predators. Just because the coach is female doesn't mean you should trust her implicitly. They have access to locker rooms, hotel rooms, etc... with female players that a male coach would not have.

We all have to talk to our girls about situations like this. I think that sharing some of the basic details of some of these stories can be instructive. We trust our coaches, but we use common sense and we immediately tell someone if something happens that makes us feel uncomfortable. And I don't think any coaches have any business getting players' personal cell numbers. That's just dumb. With apps like TeamSnap, etc..., there's no need and you're just asking for trouble.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

This guy looks 65 yo, unless he lost his mind, there are a lot more victims.
I do think that there are as many female to female relationships, like this, as there are make to female. But, when I was in HS, it was swept under the rug. It my teammate and the PE teacher.

 

[NVfishing]

It's sad. We just went through something similar. Knowing a person that committed suicide for the same allegation. There are a lot of emotions and very hard to know how to feel. Sad for the person that we knew. Sad for what they did. Shocked because you would never expect it. Do you mourn the loss or is it disrespectful to the victim?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I know, I am over protective of my granddaughter, because of stories like this. I dislike programs, such as dance, that do not let the parents observe the class. It is easy for me, though, as a grandparent, to explain that I am not her mother and I am responsible for her, when she is in my care. "No, she is not attending a closed session."

 

[Sighari]

I was previously in law enforcement and for 7 years investigated all the child abuse cases in our area. Left that career because of the horrors of those investigations...
Flash forward 9 years and my DD is now 12.
Here's how we handle it:
My DW or I are present at every practice for every sport she does...Is it easy? no, but that's what we do.

It boils down to the fact that I don't trust anyone with my children. If you research into these cases much you will find an amazingly high percent of these situations are involving family or "trusted" adults (ie coaches, neighbors etc.). I don't give my kids the idea that I trust any adults they are with. We teach our children from a young age strangers are dangerous, but most of the time that's not who's committing these crimes.

That being said, as long as there is always atleast two coaches with players, I'm good with that. In my experience, I never worked a case where two non-related individuals conspired to assaulted children. These types of individuals have rationalized what they do or are conspiring to do, but they also know it is not accepted as "right" to everyone....Most of the time they will seem very outgoing and "normal" in public, so don't let the fact they aren't a weirdo loaner fool you.

 

[CoachChristine]

Yes, in this day and age, I think it is wise that a male coach never be alone with a player. There are all kinds of people in the world, and I do not think it is out of the realm of possibility for a disgruntled player or her parents to make accusations to harm a coach they are upset with.

One of the above stories, though, discussed a female coach. Let's face it: men are not the only ones who can be predators. Just because the coach is female doesn't mean you should trust her implicitly. They have access to locker rooms, hotel rooms, etc... with female players that a male coach would not have.

We all have to talk to our girls about situations like this. I think that sharing some of the basic details of some of these stories can be instructive. We trust our coaches, but we use common sense and we immediately tell someone if something happens that makes us feel uncomfortable. And I don't think any coaches have any business getting players' personal cell numbers. That's just dumb. With apps like TeamSnap, etc..., there's no need and you're just asking for trouble.

I teach 7th grade English. I make sure that I am never alone with a student (male or female) behind a closed door. I will even step out into the hall with particular students to avoid being alone in my classroom with them even with an open door. With teaching and coaching, it's about the appearance of impropriety almost as much as actual impropriety. I have too much invested in my career to even let a rumor get started. I'm not going to be an offender, but unfortunately, children do make false allegations. I witnessed two last year at my campus.

Someone mentioned teachers/coaches using the Remind app. Remind messages do come across phones just like regular text messages. I recommend that you sign up for the same ones that your children do, especially if you are their taxi. It keeps you from dreaming of sleeping in on a Saturday morning and instead finding out late Friday night that your son has to be at the high school at 6:00 am Saturday for a debate tournament, but I digress...