TEACHER ALLEGEDLY RAPED TEEN DURING SCHOOL HOURS AND FORCED HER TO GET AN ABORTION AFTER IMPREGNATING HER

PEOPLE

 

Teacher Allegedly Raped Teen During School Hours and Forced Her into Abortion After Impregnating Her

The alleged victim accuses Shawn Thomas, 56, of raping her when she was 15, according to a lawsuit

By Samira Asma-Sadeque  Published on April 22, 2024 01:55PM EDT

 

A California teacher and high school coach has been arrested on accusations that he raped a female student multiple times between 2002 and 2003, and that the alleged assaults led to a pregnancy that ended when he forced her to have an abortion, according to police and a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim.

 

Shawn Thomas, 56, was arrested on March 22 by the San José Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children in San Jose, Calif., following an investigation that began on March 8 when the alleged victim reported the alleged assaults to authorities, SJPD said in a statement.

 

Thomas was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail "for rape and sexual assault of a minor," according to the police statement. It's not clear if he has retained an attorney or entered pleas.

 

Nearly a month after Thomas' arrest, the alleged victim filed a lawsuit against  the Campbell Union High School District, according to a statement by her attorneys on Thursday.

 

The statement from the attorneys alleges the then-15-year-old was a freshman at Leigh High School in San Jose in the 2002-2003 school year. Thomas “allegedly began grooming her for his sexual advances, and sexually assaulting her numerous times including on school grounds,” according to the statement. The attorneys allege he carried out the alleged assaults in a "portable classroom" and in the storage room of the boys’ locker room, per the statement.

 

On one occasion, Thomas’ wife, who was the dean of Leigh High School at the time, allegedly almost caught Thomas abusing the teen, the lawsuit claims. The wife allegedly saw the two alone in his portable classroom after they “abruptly stopped having sex because they saw her approaching,” per the statement.

 

After allegedly getting the student pregnant, the statement from the accuser's attorneys claims Thomas made her get an abortion.

 

Thomas is a decorated coach and former athlete in the region and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, per the attorneys' statement. At the time of his arrest, he was working at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos.

 

In an emailed statement, the Campbell Union High School District said they are "prepared to continue to cooperate with law enforcement throughout their investigation, and provide access to all necessary information."

 

"Our foremost commitment remains the safety and well-being of our students, families, and staff," reads a part of the statement, which notes that the current leadership was not in charge in 2003 but is "deeply concerned."

 

The statement from the accuser's attorneys says they believe there may be more possible victims and have urged anyone else with information to contact them at 408-289-1417.

 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

 

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. 

INTERESTING AUDIO: FIDDLING IN THE OTTAWA VALLY IV

The fourth and final tape of people playing fiddle music in the Ottawa valley featured what seemed to be an afternoon jam at a public venue. The musicians talked about the music and how they should play it. There was also talk of roast beef and potatoes, the price of something, someone injuring herself, somebody's work schedule, someone driving to Sault Ste. Marie, how old one person's grown children were, whether a woman and her husband should have Chinese food for supper, and the musicians wrapping up, talking about the weather and saying their goodbyes. 

SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS STUDENTS HAD TO DEPICT MASS SHOOTING IN PUPPET SHOW

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

Students had to depict mass shooting in ‘disturbing’ puppet show, Texas district says

BY MIKE STUNSON

APRIL 22, 2024 8:42 AM

 

A high school substitute teacher was suspended following a “disturbing” puppet show assignment, a Texas school district says.

 

The Hays Consolidated Independent School District said the substitute theater arts teacher at Johnson High School was removed from the campus Friday, April 19, following concerns from students.

 

“Students report that the substitute assigned them to perform a puppet show in which at least one puppet had to be murdered,” the school district said in a news release. “Additionally, one group of students reports that their performance would have involved a mass shooting,”

 

The district said it has apologized to the students and parents “for any distress this has caused.”

 

The substitute teacher, who was not named, was hired by the district in January. District officials are investigating the incident and said the teacher may be permanently banned from its schools.

 

“Assigning or allowing this type of performance, if proved to have occurred, would be disturbing and unacceptable conduct for any educator in Hays CISD,” the district said.

 

Johnson High School is in Buda, about a 20-mile drive southwest of Austin. 

INTERESTING AUDIO: FIDDLING IN THE OTTAWA VALLEY III

Came across another tape of fiddle music in the Ottawa valley featuring many people talking in the background. I think it may have been recorded at a dance or something. At one point someone asked about the song that was just played. 

WOMAN WHO ABANDONED BABY IN WOODS FORTY YEARS AGO SENTENCED TO JAIL

PEOPLE

 

She Abandoned 'Baby Mary' in Woods Around Christmas, Then Became a Suburban Mom. Now, She'll Face Justice

Mary Crumlich, 57, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Feb. 28

By Christine Pelisek  Published on April 22, 2024 03:13PM EDT

Baby Mary's headstone. PHOTO: CHRIS PEDOTA, NORTHJERSEY.COM / USA TODAY NETWORK

 

A woman who left her newborn daughter inside a plastic bag in a park in New Jersey 40 years ago was sentenced to 364 days in jail.

 

Mary Crumlich, 57, who lives in Columbia, S.C., pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Feb. 28. She was sentenced earlier this month.

 

She will serve her time at the Morris County Correctional Facility in New Jersey, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

 

Crumlich was 17 at the time of her baby’s death.

 

She was linked to the case after authorities obtained a DNA profile of the infant, per Fox News.

 

The baby was discovered by two boys on Christmas Eve in 1984 in a wooded area in Mendham Township.

 

The girl’s body was found inside a plastic bag, wrapped in a towel. Her umbilical cord was still attached.

 

Authorities said the girl was alive at the time of birth.

 

Because her identity was unknown when she was found, a reverend with St. Joseph’s Church baptized her and named her Mary.

 

“Over the last nearly four decades, investigators have vigorously pursued every lead to identify Baby Mary and learn more about the circumstances leading to her discovery in the woods,” the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “Using new technology, law enforcement networking in three states, and old-fashioned police work, investigators were recently able to identify Baby Mary’s biological father and mother.”

 

According to authorities, there was no evidence that the baby’s father, who is now deceased, was aware of the child’s birth and death.

 

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said the case was solved “through new forensic DNA technology, combined with traditional, boots-on-the-ground police work, carried out in multiple states,” per the release. 

HIGH DOSE OF PESTICIDE FOUND IN THESE FOODS

Fox Business

 

Published April 18, 2024 3:26pm EDT

'Unhealthy dose' of pesticides found in popular produce, new report reveals

Pesticides 'presented little to worry about in nearly two-thirds of the foods'

By Daniella Genovese

 

About 20% of all fruits and vegetables examined by Consumer Reports in a new report revealed an "unhealthy dose of dangerous pesticides."

 

Consumer Reports published the report — its "most comprehensive review" of pesticides in food to date — after analyzing 59 common fruits and vegetables, which included fresh, canned, dried and frozen products.

 

"Our new results continue to raise red flags. Pesticides posed significant risks in 20 percent of the foods we examined," Consumer Reports said.

 

Bell peppers, blueberries, potatoes and strawberries were included in the report, as well as green beans, which "had residues of a pesticide that hasn’t been allowed to be used on the vegetable in the U.S. for over a decade," according to the report. 

 

"Imported produce, especially some from Mexico, was particularly likely to carry risky levels of pesticide residues," the organization said.

 

Consumer Reports analyzed seven years of data from the Department of Agriculture, which every year tests a selection of conventional and organic produce grown in or imported to the U.S. for pesticide residues.

 

Certain chemicals are used by farmers to control bugs, fungi and weeds. However, some of these chemicals carry "unacceptable health risks." 

 

Consumer Reports said that certain "notorious pesticides, such as DDT, have been banned in the U.S." but claimed that government regulators have been slow to ban others. Additionally, the outlet argued that when a dangerous chemical is removed from the market, chemical companies and growers, in some cases, start relying on "other options that may be as dangerous."

 

Consumer Reports said that it has been tracking the use of pesticides on produce for decades and has "seen this pattern repeat itself over and over."

 

On the other hand, it said pesticides "presented little to worry about in nearly two-thirds of the foods," which included nearly everything that was organic. 

 

According to Consumer Reports' analysis, "the largest risks are caused by just a few pesticides, concentrated in a handful of foods, grown on a small fraction of U.S. farmland."  

 

The EPA told FOX Business that "pesticides provide benefits to society through ensuring an abundant and affordable food supply, particularly of fruits, vegetables, and other crops especially susceptible to pests." 

 

When registering a pesticide or re-evaluating the risks of one, the "EPA bases its decisions on the best available and sound science," the agency said. But "science is constantly evolving, and new scientific information can come to light at any time and change our understanding of potential effects from pesticides."

 

The EPA noted that of the 29,643 food samples tested by the USDA referenced in the Consumer Reports investigation, more than 99% of the foods showed levels of pesticides that were below EPA’s scientifically based and publicly announced tolerances.

 

In terms of the remaining 1%, the EPA said many of these detections were for pesticides that are not registered for that use or have been canceled in the U.S., which is an enforcement issue.

 

Understanding the risk

 

According to its analysis, about 16 of the 25 fruits and about 21 of the 34 vegetables tested showed low levels of pesticide risk. This means that kids and those who are pregnant can safely consume more than three servings a day of those foods, Consumer Reports food safety experts said. Ten foods were of moderate risk. This means up to three servings a day were safe to consume.

 

A dozen foods "presented bigger concerns." This means kids and pregnant women should consume less than a serving a day of high-risk fruits and vegetables. They should also consume less than half a serving per day of very high-risk ones, Consumer Reports said. 

 

"Everyone else should limit consumption of those foods, too," it said.

 

Consumer Reports created a list of six conventionally grown fruits and vegetables where pesticides pose a serious problem and possible substitutions for them. 

 

1. Blueberries

Substitutions: organic blueberries did well and fresh domestic strawberries fared okay.

 

2. Bell Peppers 

Substitutions: organic bell peppers are the best choice or to consume this food "sparingly."

Hot peppers also posed a "high risk," Consumer Reports said.

 

3. Potatoes

Substitutions: sweet potatoes pose a low risk.

 

4. Green Beans 

Substitutions: snap peas pose a low risk. Organic green beans grown domestically are also a good substitute. 

 

5. Kale and Mustard Greens 

Substitutions: organic kale and mustard greens as well as broccoli all pose a very low risk.

Fresh spinach, which is also a better choice, poses a moderate risk.

 

6. Watermelon

Substitutions: organic watermelon. Cantaloupe also poses a very low risk. 

DENVER ILLEGAL ALIEN ADVOCATES SAY SIX MONTHS FREE FOOD AND RENT NOT ENOUGH

Fox News

 

Denver migrant advocates say six months of free rent, food not enough: 'A slap in the face' and 'offensive'

By Yael Halon Fox News

Published April 22, 2024 8:00am EDT

 

Migrants and an advocacy group in Denver decried the city's new Asylum Seekers Program that offers six months of free housing, calling it "insufficient" and "offensive" despite the mayor cutting the city's emergency budget to accommodate the migrant surge.

 

The sanctuary city has been struggling to stretch its limited resources to support the growing number of migrants making their way to Denver. More than 40,000 migrants have found their way to the city since December 2022, more per capita than any other U.S. city – at a total cost of around $68 million, the New York Post reported.

 

Last week, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced that his city's migrant program would now provide what he called "a long-term, sustainable response" to address the migrant "crisis" locally. The program will offer six months of free housing, food assistance, workforce training and more to the roughly 1,000 migrants currently in the city’s shelter system as they wait for authorization to work, according to the New York Post. Due to the federal asylum seeker law, it can take up to 180 days to obtain working authorization.

 

Johnston’s office said his plan will treat "our newcomers with dignity while avoiding the worst cuts to city services." But to make the program financially feasible and cover the cost of migrant services, Johnston made budget cuts in other areas, including his emergency departments.

 

Under the new program, the Denver Police Department budget will be slashed by roughly $8.4 million, or 1.9%, Newsweek reported. The city's fire department will also face a budget reduction.

 

The new plan mandates that migrants who arrive in the city must vacate shelters after 24-72 hours, after which they will be "provided a short-term stay at a congregate site along with assistance securing onward travel to another destination," the Post reported. Previously, migrants were allowed to stay in shelters between two and six weeks.

 

Housing advocacy group Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) slammed Johnston for the changes, accusing the Democrat of taking insufficient action to accommodate the migrants in his city.

 

"Every new migrant that comes is going to be left to fend for themselves after 24 to 72 hours," HAND spokesperson V. Reeves told local ABC affiliate KMGH-TV. Reeves called the program "a slap in the face and an offensive period of time."

 

Willy Bastidas, a migrant, told the station that the new rules would only further contribute to the homelessness problem in the city.

 

"I think that it’s insufficient," he told KMGH, adding, "the mayor doesn’t represent us … He needs to listen to us and work with us to a better solution."

 

Earlier this year, Johnston predicted that the migrant crisis would cost the city around $180 million. He previously told Fox News that the city was "very close" to a breaking point due to the crisis and announced the city was cutting $5 million from public services while pinning the blame on Republicans and former President Trump.

 

The city has supported more than 38,000 migrants from the southern border at a cost of nearly $58 million as of March 2024, Fox 31 reported. Venezuelans make up the vast majority of those that have arrived in the city since 2023, according to the Colorado Sun. Texas has transported thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities like Denver, to showcase the problems that border states face when migrants flood their cities.

 

The influx of migrants has also put the city’s health system at a breaking point with about 8,000 illegal immigrants recording about 20,000 visits to Denver Health last year, receiving services such as emergency room treatment, primary care, dental care and childbirth.

 

Last month, the city asked local property owners to house some of the "newcomers" who need a place to stay as an alternative way to house its illegal immigrants.

 

Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.