KC experts weigh-in on how to educate, protect children from predator teachers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In one week, FOX4 has reported on three teachers around the Kansas City area who are accused of sex crimes involving their students.

MOCSA, the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, reacts to the recent incidents and said it’s unfortunate there have been so many cases recently.

Julie Donelon, the organization’s CEO and president said its organization visits many districts in the Kansas City area to educate students about what is not appropriate behaviors in the classroom.

“It’s never the child’s responsibility to protect themselves from child sexual abuse. It’s the adults responsibility to do that,” Donelon said.

Donelon said unfortunately we have seen many cases were adults are not doing the right thing.

“One in 10 children will be victimized by sexual abuse in their lifetime. What I’m grateful for is that we’ve heard about this, that the students have come forward or that people have found out and are seeking help for the, for the children involved,” Donelon said.

Here are the recent incidents involving teachers and students reported this week:

On Tuesday, a Belton substitute teacher was charged with molestation and enticement. The school district fired Jason Carey after he allegedly sent inappropriate texts to at least three students.

On Wednesday, a former wrestling coach at Olathe Northwest was accused of multiple sex crimes. The Johnson County District Attorney’s office charged Steven Mesa with three counts of sexual relations with a person 16 and over.

A former North Kansas City District teacher, Greg Sims, pleaded guilty to one count of having sexual contact with a student.

Donelon said now more than ever parents need to have those uncomfortable conversations about what kind of relationships or behaviors cross the line.

“So I think it’s important that parents, caregivers, people in the educational setting, anybody who’s involved with the child, learns the signs and symptoms of grooming and of child sexual abuse, so they can have good conversations with their children, about what to look for,” Donelon said.

Plus, with social media connecting teachers to students, parents need to monitor those interactions.

“It’s important for them to be talking with their kids about safe and unsafe touch, safe and unsafe relationships. And then when they’re following up with their kids on the social media, making sure that they’re looking for any unusual, or excessive contacts from somebody with a significant age difference from their child,” Donelon said.

Joy Hitchcock, an infant mental health therapist at the Children’s Place said at their facility they do not shy away from identifying certain body parts when discussing good touch or bad touch.

“Whether verbally or non-verbally, consent is consent. I think that starts at a really young age, we can be practicing those conversations. I think it’s really important for any adults in a kid’s life to validate and name the feeling connected with it,” Hitchcock said.

FOX4 asked MOCSA if there is something schools or even the state can do better to prevent teachers with complaints from moving to district-to-district she said, “I think the issue, because not a lot of individuals are actually caught sexually abusing children. So, I think it’s important to have those things in place where we’re looking at the background checks, we’re doing reference checks, all of those things. But I also think it’s really important, just as individuals, other teachers, other administrators, to be watching the relationships that that person is having with other individuals.”

24-hour Crisis Line in Kansas: (913) 642-0233
24-hour Crisis Line in Missouri: (816) 531-0233