After Penn State scandal, The Citadel details abuse

[Night_stalker]

After Penn State scandal, The Citadel details abuse allegation
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 6:59 AM EST, Sun November 13, 2011
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The Citadel says it regrets not pursuing the allegation further
Louis Neal "Skip" ReVille is a former camp counselor
He is charged with criminal sexual conduct with a child
Report: His attorney says ReVille is sorry


(CNN) -- With many focused on the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, a South Carolina military college said Saturday it regrets not pursuing an allegation against a camp counselor further than it did.
The Citadel released details on one of its alumni, Louis Neal "Skip" ReVille, who faces charges including criminal sexual conduct with a child.
In 2007, the college received an allegation that five years earlier, ReVille invited two campers at The Citadel Summer Camp into his room to watch pornography. They did not touch each other, but engaged in sexual activity, the college said.

Louis Neal "Skip" ReVille faces charges including criminal sexual conduct with a child.
"Though the general counsel was unable to corroborate the accusation, the college continued its investigation with the camper's family, who made it clear they were very concerned about maintaining their privacy and not having their names publicized.
"Despite the concerns of the family, whose right to privacy was foremost on our minds, we regret that we did not pursue this matter further," Citadel President Lt. Gen John. W. Rosa and Doug Snyder, chairman of The Citadel Board of Visitors, wrote in a statement.
The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, said a review of ReVille's records at the time revealed no other complaints, and his file included a clean background check. He was a highly respected cadet and denied the accusation, the college said.
Four years later, Reville faces various charges, including criminal sexual conduct and committing or attempting lewd acts on a minor. He was arrested late last month.
His attorney, Craig Jones Jr., has said his client is sorry for what he did, according to CNN affiliate WCBD-TV. Jones declined to comment to CNN Saturday on the Citadel statement.
WCBD also reported that ReVille, 32, was the upper school principal at Coastal Christian Prep in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and had held a number of positions over the years working with area children.
"Hopefully the way he's cooperated, that's one way he can hopefully show ... do what he can to help the victims to whatever extent he can," Jones said, according to WCBD. "There's no way that, obviously, he can repair the damage that's been done."
Graphic child sexual abuse allegations have rocked Penn State for the last week, leading to the ouster of the university's president and iconic head football coach Joe Paterno.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/13/justice/s ... ?hpt=hp_t3

[Simon_Jester]

Hmmm. I may just be too tired to see clearly, but is there much evidence of a coverup?

Is the Citadel responsible for covering up a pattern of abuse here, or was it just a case where they failed to detect or corroborate something that didn't form a persistent pattern?

I'd be happy to know that every person who sexually abused a child was getting rounded up and punished as fast as conceivably possible. But I'm not going to blame an institution simply because they don't fire someone on the basis of a rumor or an accusation they can't find other supporting evidence for.

[Patroklos]

After Penn State I would imagine any large institution will immediately divulge anything they have on any ex employee they see get caught in another event. Its probably self guilt in this case, there may have been no reason for The Citadel to have come to any other conclusion other than it being an unsubstatiated rumor at the time, but in hindsight anyone would have wished they had gone further and avoided future abuse of children.

Its sort of like the murdere who police investigated previously but in the end could not make anything stick, only to arrest him for a murder later with more evidence. The simple fact is patterns of behavior only become patterns when you have enough data points.

[Night_stalker]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/14/us/south- ... ?hpt=hp_t1

The Citadel apologizes for not reporting allegation of child sex abuse
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 10:37 PM EST, Mon November 14, 2011

Citadel President Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa says the college is "profoundly sorry" for not reporting an allegation of child sex abuse.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
"We should have done more," says Citadel President Lt. Gen. John Rosa
A former camp counselor faces at least six criminal counts
Rosa asks anyone with relevant information to contact police
Victim's attorney: The Citadel should have reported what it knew
(CNN) -- The president of The Citadel military college apologized on Monday for not reporting to law enforcement an allegation against a camp counselor involving sexual activity and a child.
Asked by a reporter what he would tell victims and their families about the college's admitted lack of action, Lt. Gen. John Rosa responded: "I'd say we're profoundly sorry.
"We're sorry that we didn't pursue it more. We acted on what we thought was our best information ... We did not pursue it enough."
Over the weekend, the nationally known South Carolina college detailed an abuse allegation against one if its alumni, Louis Neal "Skip" ReVille, 32, who was arrested late last month.
He faces at least six charges, including three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of lewd act on a minor, according to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, police.
Although police did not provide specifics of the charges, CNN affiliate WCBD-TV reported that ReVille is accused of molesting at least five boys.
He has admitted guilt in at least three cases committed between November 2010 and October 2011, according to an affidavit filed in Charleston County court.
The story has attracted national attention in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, which led to the ouster of that university's president and legendary head football coach Joe Paterno.
Penn State suspect admits "horsing around," denies abuse
In 2007, The Citadel received an allegation from a former camper that five years earlier, ReVille had invited the boy into his room at The Citadel Summer Camp to watch pornography. Another camper was also present. They did not touch each other, but engaged in sexual activity, the college said.
"Though the general counsel was unable to corroborate the accusation, the college continued its investigation with the camper's family, who made it clear they were very concerned about maintaining their privacy and not having their names publicized," Rosa and Doug Snyder, chairman of The Citadel Board of Visitors, said in a Saturday statement, referring to the camper who made the initial accusation.
On Monday, Rosa went further.
"When the family did not pursue the matter, we did not either. We should have," he said.
"Regardless of whether the law said we were supposed to report or not, we should have reported this. We should have taken more action," said Rosa.
An attorney representing the camper who originally reported the alleged abuse to The Citadel told reporters on Monday that the victim's family had asked the college to make sure no other children would be harmed.
"Had The Citadel come forward in 2007 ... what we're seeing now as a community may never have happened," said attorney Mullins McLeod.
The victim's family had thought the college would report the incident and are "grief-stricken" with the knowledge that subsequent kids could have been abused, he said.
The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, has said a review of ReVille's records in 2007 revealed no other complaints, and his file included a clean background check. He was a highly respected cadet and denied the accusation, the college said.
"At the time, we took what we thought were the necessary steps. It's now clear we should have done more," said Rosa.
He encouraged anyone with information regarding inappropriate behavior involving ReVille to contact police.
ReVille's attorney, Craig Jones Jr., has said his client is sorry for what he did, according to WCBD.
WCBD also reported that ReVille was the upper school principal at Coastal Christian Prep in Mount Pleasant, and had held a number of positions over the years working with area children.
"Hopefully the way he's cooperated, that's one way he can hopefully show ... do what he can to help the victims to whatever extent he can," Jones said, according to WCBD. "There's no way that, obviously, he can repair the damage that's been done."

Call me crazy, but I think this is what we call a coverup, or at the very least, a soon to be fired College President.