I was anxious and nervous to publish my article Blaming the Victim back in November. It is a story I don't like to remember, but a story I felt needed to be shared. I had so many positive responses and encouraging comments that I felt like my story was heard and listened to my many who needed to be aware. However, I am now writing part 2 because that same uneasy anxious feeling came back just yesterday as my little brother came home from school. (names have been changed to protect privacy).

My little brother is not a perfect angel, he is hard of hearing and has a few behavior problems as well. We struggle daily trying to keep his routine, punish for the bad and reward for the good. At the beginning of this school year we came to our attention that the "clip up & down" behavior system in First grade just wasn't doing the trick for Jack. It was hard for him to grasp the concept, and hard for him to tell us of what the behavior status of the day was.

His wonderful teacher implemented a new plan for him, a behavior individual sheet. This sheet lists all of the subjects they do throughout the day (encore, lunch, reading) and there are three different smiley faces. There is a frown, a smile, and a straight face. Jack colors in after each subject what smile he receives from the person in charge of that subject. Jack prides himself in getting seven smiles (that is the max), and he can easily tell us why and what happened to result in each one.

Yesterday however he came home upset. Every day we ask him how many smiles he got, and he looked to the ground and told us he only got six. This upsets Jack. He is six years old, and we reward him at the end of the week for having all smiles (or mostly) for the entire week. As I read his behavior sheet, the lunchtime one had a frown, knowing my brother I assumed he was goofing off or not listening to his teacher or in line. However the note read "Bad report from Mr. Z!" Uh, excuse me? Mr. Z being the same custodian who sexually harassed me, is now giving behavior reports for a six year old. I'm sorry where did you go to school to get your teachers license? Is it even legal for you to watch my brother alone? What certifications do you have that a stranger that walks in off the street doesn't? This is not acceptable, and something needs to be done.

What this is all telling me is that this elementary school allows a custodian who has no authority, degree, or any licensure what so ever who has sexually harassed young girls watch the students ALONE. Am I the only one who sees something horribly wrong with this picture? There are precious students who don't have a care in the world, and is just there to learn who are 5-10 years old being watched ALONE by a sexual predator. I have a pit in my stomach just writing this, but obviously this school sees no harm in this at all.

I however, do. I see great harm in this. It is one thing for me to get an uneasy feeling going to eat lunch or participate in activities with my little brother. It is one thing for me to not be granted access to intern or student teach there because I was sexually harassed. But it is a WHOLE different story and situation when you are leaving innocent helpless children ALONE with the very person who gives me that uneasy and anxious feeling. It's not right.

Please help me in sharing the continuation of my story, and getting the word out there to the public.

If you or someone you know is being harassed have them call the Virginia Sexual Assault Resource Agency at (434) 977-7273 or go to www.feminist.org/911/harass to learn more.