Student sues school for failing to protect him from paedophile teacher

When I saw this article I thought, "This is just the beginning." While this case is from New Zealand I suspect that there will be an increase of schools; preschool, elementary, secondary, colleges and universities all over the world and most especially in the US getting sued for not protecting children from teacher/school worker/pedophiles. One of the common themes I have noticed when it comes to pedophiles preying on children in school settings is that others were suspicious of the teacher/school workers/pedophiles behavior. One of the benefits of lawsuits IMHO is that money talks. If schools start getting sued it will increase their interest in putting programs together that protect students. The interest of course will stem from not having to pay out large sums of money in the event of a lawsuit, but nonetheless the outcome will be better investigative tools schools use to protect students. While I don't advocate litigation if litigation will help better protect children then I'm all for it.

One of the main things I think about in the US is that teachers are mandated reporters in all fifty states.  I would be interested in knowing what the statistics are on teachers who suspect other teachers/school workers of being sexually inappropriate with students. I would think that if another teacher/school official believes a teacher/school work is being sexually inappropriate with students they would have to report their concerns to the local department of children and families. It would be interesting to know how many of these mandated reporters didn't follow the law. Maybe if those who are mandated reporters were held responsible for not reporting their suspicions (I know that this can be done anonymously) it would lead to more mandated reporters reporting their concerns. I do know in many of the stories teachers/school workers did bring their suspicions to school officials and still nothing was done. I am not saying that local children and family agencies are perfect because they are not, but we have to start somewhere. The bottom line is that we need to do a better job of protecting children from adults who prey on them sexually. Rosie

• John Dagge
• From: Sunday Herald Sun
• May 20, 2012 12:00AM

A FORMER student at Dandenong's Lyndale Secondary College is suing the State Government, claiming it failed to protect him from a paedophile who taught at the school in the 1960s.

The man claims he was sexually abused weekly by his art teacher, convicted paedophile William Alexander Baine, between 1963 and 1966.
At the time the school was called Lyndale High School.
The former student is suing the Government, claiming it was negligent in its duty of care to protect him and failed to carry out adequate checks on Baine's background.
The man also alleges the school failed to investigate suspicious behaviour by Baine which included covering windows and door panels with paper.
 A writ lodged with the County Court in Melbourne this month states the former student has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, panic attacks and loss of intimacy in relationships and cannot work because of the abuse.
In 2003 Baine, then 75, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in New Zealand for indecently assaulting seven teenage boys while he was a teacher there.
The abuse began in 1951 when Baine was a university student boarding with a family in Christchurch and continued during his teaching career and retirement.
Baine, who NZ police believe molested more than 100 young boys after they found a "thesis" he penned about his exploits, taught at two Melbourne schools in the 1960s and 1980s.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/student-sues-school-for-failing-to-protect-him-from-paedophile-teacher/story-fn7x8me2-1226361034608