CHARLOTTE — North Carolina attorneys and child advocacy groups say now could be the time to improve the state’s child sex abuse statutes. There is currently no statute of limitations for criminal felony cases, but there is a statute of limitations for civil matters.
Click here to visit the News 14 website to view the entire story and video
Today’s Washington Post has an excellent article about how the Penn State and Syracuse sex abuse scandals follow a familiar pattern. Those who are so quick to defend alleged abusers or to attack the accusers can learn the most from this story.
Seth Langson
While Penn State serves as the paradigm for how not to handle reports of child sex abuse, we should offer kudos to Debbie Yow, the athletic director of N.C. State. She’s made it university policy to ask “athletes to anonymously complete a thorough survey that includes a question asking whether an athletic staff member ever engaged in inappropriate contact.” By taking the initiative, she has helped protect children and made the world a better place.
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_19375388
Seth Langson
An Answer was recently filed on behalf of Bradley Price and King’s Way Baptist Church. Robert Price’s Answer is not yet due. A copy of the Answer can be found here:
By firing Joe Paterno and the President of the University, they made a good start. That’s especially true when one compares their behavior to the how the Catholic Church responds in similar situations. Unfortunately, Penn State did not go far enough. It is incomprehensible that the assistant coach who witnessed the alleged abuse and reported it to Joe Paterno remains employed by Penn State . After he did that and no action was taken he knew that nothing was being done to protect children. He had a moral imperative to report the sexual abuse to the police. While he remained silent, other children were being abused. What everyone should have learned by now from the clergy abuse scandals, is that silence in the face of abuse always results in more victims.
Seth Langson
It was reported yesterday, that Jerry Sandusky a former Penn State assistant football coach was criminally charged with numerous counts involving child sexual abuse. Additionally, the Penn State athletic director and a vice president of the university were also charged with perjury for allegedly lying to the grand jury that was investigating the alleged abuse. Joe Paterno was apparently the first school official who was informed of the activities of Sandusky and he reported it to Timothy Curley, the athletic director.
While some might think that an acceptable first step by Paterno, it surely was not enough. He had an obligation to report the matter to law enforcement, especially once he saw that his superiors had not done the right thing. Universities are certainly not held to a lower standard than churches,clergy ,BoyScouts, school systems,nursing homes and other institutions. The principle is very simple: When you have reason to suspect child abuse, you report it.
The Grand Jury report paints quite a sordid picture:
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/uploadedFiles/Press/Sandusky-Grand-Jury-Presentment.pdf
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/05/justice/pennsylvania-coach-abuse-charges/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
Unfortunately, instead of being remembered as a fine coach and role model, as well as a generous benefactor, the first thing people will recall is that he apparently helped cover up the sexual abuse of children in order to protect the football program. Truly Shameful. We’ll know if has any moral compass if he resigns effective immediately. If he or the University merely state that he’ll be retiring at the end of this year, it will show that they still do not accept responsibility for the horrible wrongs they committed
Seth Langson
The Defendant Diocese has filed a Motion to Dismiss the Complaint (lawsuit) on the grounds that it is barred by the statute of limitations. No hearing date has been set for this Motion. This is the case involving allegations of sexual abuse by Richard Farwell, a former priest of the Diocese.
Seth Langson
On Friday, an indictment of Bishop Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph were indicted. Earlier this year the Chancellor in Philadelphia was indicted. These cases involve allegations of covering up for sexual abusers. It is good to see that institutions and their leadership are now being scrutinized. Here is a link to two of the many news articles on Friday’s indictments:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/14/3207527/bishop-finn-diocese-indicted.html#ixzz1amw09f4R
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/14/3207527/bishop-finn-diocese-indicted.html#ixzz1amw09f4R
This past week I, along with co-counsel Leto Copeley, filed a suit against the Rev. Bradley Price, his son Bobby Price, a former youth minister, and their church, King’s Way Baptist in Concord, NC. The case alleges sexual abuse of a minor boy by Bobby Price. We are seeking witnesses and information from anyone who has knowledge about Bradley Price, Randy Price, or Bobby Price and their conduct toward youth within their care. Bradley Price previously worked at Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte from 1990-1999, NC,Central Baptist Church in Panama City, Florida from 1984-1990,Temple Baptist Church (and Temple Christian Academy)in Kokomo, Indiana from 1976-1984, and Beth Haven Baptist Church in Valley Station, Kentucky.
Recent media coverage can be found here at WCNC and here at Independent Tribune.
WHAT: Plaintiff John Doe, age 23, has filed suit against King’s Way Baptist Church, its senior pastor Bradley Price, and its former youth minister Robert “Bobby” Price, making claims of infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring, supervision and retention, breach of fiduciary duty, and constructive fraud.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 20, 2011
WHERE: Mecklenburg County Superior Court
WHO: Plaintiff John Doe, and his attorneys:
Seth Langson (Karro, Sellers and Langson, Charlotte, NC)
Leto Copeley (Copeley, Johnson & Groninger PLLC, Chapel Hill & Charlotte, NC)
DETAILS: The lawsuit alleges that former youth minister Bobby Price sexually molested the plaintiff, John Doe, for a three year period beginning when the plaintiff, then aged 13, was a participant in the King’s Way Baptist Church youth program. The suit further alleges that King’s Way and Bradley Price knew, or should have known, for years that youth leader Bobby Price was a child abuser and was unfit for his job. According to the Complaint, Bobby Price engaged in open and obvious inappropriate conduct with children, such as encouraging them to consider him their peer or “friend”, encouraging idolatry of himself by participants in the youth program, spending inordinate amounts of time alone with individual children, especially young males, and behaving in an age-inappropriate youthful manner with children.
Bobby Price is currently out of the country, in Nicaragua.
The lawsuit bears Mecklenburg County Superior Court File No. 11-CVS-17779.
Langson and Copeley represent victims of sexual abuse throughout North Carolina. Their work includes cases alleging abuse by other clergy, including Father Richard Farwell and Father Joseph Kelleher, former priests of the Charlotte Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church
