Parent of abuse victim disappointed as history repeats
URBANA – The father of a teen girl sexually molested by an Urbana school district employee at school two years ago feels district administrators may not have learned from previous mistakes. His comments came in the wake of recent charges that Thomas Paine teacher Jon White molested students in that building.
"The pattern is the same. They're doing an internal investigation and they're not experienced," said the man, who asked not to be identified. Not naming him is in keeping with The News-Gazette's long-standing policy of not identifying victims of sex crimes.
Brian Dyson, 31, formerly of Urbana, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in August 2005 to a single count of criminal sexual assault for engaging in a sex act with a 14-year-old girl at Urbana Middle School between Jan. 1 and Feb. 14, 2005. Dyson is eligible for parole in May 2009.
Dyson was a substitute teacher's assistant in the middle school's after-school program at the time.
The father of the girl who was Dyson's victim feels like their case, even though it occurred just two years ago, has been forgotten and that the school district did not use it as a learning opportunity.
"It is 98 percent of the exact same circumstances as (White's) case. The school did their own internal investigation before they reported it to police or DCFS," the father said of the case involving his daughter. "I've contained this for two years. This whole thing is like a nightmare that's starting all over again."
The father said the middle school notified him and his wife on Feb. 10, 2005, that "there was suspicion that your child could have been abused by a staff member."
"At that time, they were doing their own internal investigation and they asked us to do an investigation at home ourselves to see if we could find anything. The problem is that wasn't our job and that wasn't their job," he said. "Our responsibility is to see (our children) are there, learning, not being disruptive and that they're doing what they're supposed to be doing as students. Their (the district's) responsibility it to protect the kids."
"A child won't come forward when they're abused or violated," he said, adding that Dyson sent his daughter a number of "graphic" notes for some time before he had sexual contact with her at the school.
Although the man said he and his wife were notified on Feb. 10, Dyson was not arrested until Feb. 24. He was suspended by the district on Feb. 14.
"Mr. Dyson, after these accusations were alleged, wasn't in a classroom, but he was allowed to DJ a Valentine's party at the middle school. They subjected my daughter to being back in the presence of this guy at that dance, at which time she received a CD from him. She had personal contact with him again after these allegations were brought forth," the man said.
In Dyson's case – he was initially charged with inappropriate sexual conduct with two girls but pleaded guilty to a single count – the allegations were that he took the girls out of the after-school program to another room in the building where he was alone with them.
"He would solicit them to help him pass out snacks and things of that nature. They ended up in a room alone with him. I'm pretty sure he would tell the person in charge of the after-school program that he had them," the man said.
"They ask you (parents) to fill out these authorization forms, and people that are not authorized to (remove students from after-care) are removing them. With this happening less than two years ago, there should have been something in place where this couldn't happen again," he said.
Asked if the district took a closer look at all after-school program policies in the wake of Dyson's case, district spokeswoman Kathy Wallig said she could not respond.
The man, whose two daughters are now in private school, said both are still receiving counseling in the wake of the Dyson case, but it was no thanks to the school district.
"After them saying the allegations were made, there was no more communication between them (the school district) and us with reference to us. Not even after the criminal case was closed," he said.
He believes that staff at the middle school knew of the inappropriate communication between Dyson and his daughter but didn't report it right away.
Wallig said she was also not allowed to respond to any questions about the Dyson case.
"They said she was a willing participant," the father said. "My daughter is a minor so she doesn't know. Dyson is the adult."
"This is why people don't come forward. It's not an easy task. If the parent comes out and identifies himself or herself, the community automatically knows who your child is ... and the community automatically ostracizes your child. ... Someone who doesn't know any better thinks she asked for it."
"Mr. Amberg says he knows how one feels. He doesn't know. Things do change," the man said, adding that his daughter has "taken a grave interest" in the stories about White. Both he and his children were Thomas Paine students, he added.
While he said she's "doing better," he finds that she is sensitive about teachers who come too close to her or put a hand on her shoulder.
As for him, hearing the stories about White has made him angry all over again with District 116 administrators.
"This is an emotionally infectious wound that was caused by District 116 staff that has been ripped open again," said the father.
The man said he and his family have a lawyer but said money isn't motivating them.
"That is no consolation, financial gain because your child is abused. What needs to be done is they need to clean house of the people who have been there since these two incidents happened," he said.
The man also noted that another teacher's aide in a special-needs classroom at Urbana Middle School is also charged with criminal sexual abuse for having sex with a teenage girl between July and August 2006. The crime is alleged to have occurred outside of school with a girl who was an employee of his at a store he ran in Urbana.
Cameron Belk, 38, who listed an address in the 1100 block of North Third Street, Champaign, is to appear in court Tuesday for a status call on his case.
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