Recess. Lunch boxes. Belly laughs. Playgrounds. For many of us, these are the memories we have of being in elementary school. We remember freeze tag and always calling “not it” just before the game began. Smiles, laughter and playtime with our besties, these—and more—are what elementary school should feel like.

 In South Los Angeles, however, some elementary kids have different memories: cookies laced with semen, blindfolds, mouths taped shut and a morally depraved teacher who, in my opinion, should be fed to ravenous piranhas.

According to the article, f or two years this teacher allegedly photographed boys and girls ages 6-10 at his home and in their classroom as he spoon fed them his semen. He also, allegedly, taped their mouths shut and blindfolded. You know how it’s said that when you’re really angry you can actually see red? I was seeing red, folks and here’s how it flashed in my mind.

 Raw, unbridled anger.  As I angrily exclaimed “WTF(udge)?!!”  I realized my anger wasn’t confined to the obvious abuse and mistreatment of these children but it was also  directed at the school administration for their inability to adequately protect these children’s innocence. As a parent, and a human being, I found myself asking how does this happen for two years without anyone knowing anything about it?

 Sheer grief. As a survivor of child sex abuse, to say my heart broke would be an understatement. I grieved for the loss of innocence and the loss of self-worth and esteem that will undoubtedly taint these children. My heart panged as I thought of the parents and their loss of trust and hope in an institution that is supposed to be a place of safety and education.

 Never Again. When I became a parent, I vowed that my children would never know some of the hurts and anguishes that I experienced as a child. As such, I instituted some things to help me in this endeavor. While I cannot say my children didn’t experience any pain at school, my children did not have the kinds of hurtful, destructive experiences I had.  

 Parents, there are ways you can help protect your children while they are at school. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or you work full-time, you can put things in place to help ensure your children are safe from predators or abuse. These four steps can help get you started.