Comments on: ESD Day Trial, Day 17 UPDATED X2

By: Claire St. Amant

Claire St. Amant — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:24:58 +0000

@Asking, your comment appears on your own screen instantly, but rest assured it does not go up publicly until we moderate it. There was a problem in the beginning that allowed any user who’d previously had a comment approved to get pre-approval of all future comments. We corrected that very early on, and now the only commenters with instant approval are staff.

By: Asking

Asking — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:59:09 +0000

@John, Claire and Dan:

I agreee with John wholeheartedly. I posted a few times and my comments appeared immediately,showing that there is no screening process.

There are no winners in this sad situation and I fear that this blog has caused great harm and heartache to the Does, ESD and the community.

Preston Hollow People needs to decide if they want to be a unifying force within the community or if they just want to provide a forum for tabloid fodder. I am asking for everyone’s sake that PHP please screen or stop the maddness.

By: disgusted alumn

disgusted alumn — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:55:33 +0000

As an ESD graduate about 10 years ago, this entire trial phenomenon is entirely absurd and nauseating. The concerns are certainly legitimate — what happened was both tragic and entirely unfortunate — but the reaction by largely uninformed readers of a mediocre blog has only exacerbated the circus.

Claire, your 4th comment is really just entirely unprofessional and seems to be indicative of your own attitude and approach — that the trial and situation itself has become a joke. Shame on you.

You have played no small part in making this entire situation the absurd circus that it has become. Any professional journalist would refrain from even approaching some of these comments that you make, and they certainly would look further into the facts that you seem to take at face value.

By: Katie West

Katie West — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:54:14 +0000

I am appalled at the negativity of some of the bloggers! Why do you want to make this some tawdry, even evil deviant event. It is afterall about a student and a teacher in high school. These are difficult years in any educational setting. Teenagers are struggling with all sorts of issues. ESD is particularly sensitive to the needs of their students beyond the classroom. It is a CHURCH centered school. I have had two children graduate from ESD and now grand children in attendance. It is a very fine school and an excellent college preparatory. Father Steve Swann is to be commended not ridiculed!

By: Retired Teacher

Retired Teacher — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:52:05 +0000

While I agree that some comments posted here seem to indicate a lack of emotional control and are not constructive, there is no reason to play the “big brother” card and shut done or edit the free exchange of thoughts. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.

I find it fascinating to read the posts because of the varied views that are essentially based upon the same information. For some, emotion over rules logic and just the opposite for some others.

And if anyone thinks Claire is bias, so be it. All writers will be biased at times, it’s human nature even if they make great efforts to conceal it or to appear totally objective. All major media outlets lean either right or left although they generally want to appear to be non-biased and in the middle. It’s the nature of the animal.

By: Sodas

Sodas — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:38:46 +0000

@sodas or probably @Nancy or @asking who posted as me. I have made several grammatical errors and being older and note that savy on an iPhone, I made grammar mistakes. I said “have two teenagers” and meant to say “had”. Excuse me for not always putting my ideas accoss correctly. Claire can vouch for this. I have asked her to correct it at times if I catch it. If you care do much to meet me and validate who I am. Come down to the court room with your blog name and I will introduce myself. I guess I should not judge @Nancy on being confused on wording because I appear to be doing myself. As far as berating, I will keep doing it when there are hateful people like you who steal someone’s blog name for a minute because you cant post as your own blog; because you know you have been hateful to the “child victim.” yes, she was a child.

You also don’t like that I know the inner workings of ESD due to my connections and I am revealing what even some ESD bloggers or former ESD bloggers are saying is true. Sorry if the truth hurts and if you don’t like my truth or way I write them, this is a free country and you don’t have to read them. Have a nice day @asking, @Nancy or @esd parent, whoever you are that blogged as me. If I made any errors as you can see in a previous post asking Claire to correct me, please feel free to point out my grammar mistakes. I am not as smart as you “judgmental ESD” people who feel it is okay to put the victim down in insulting ways to make your point of view.

By: hard to believe

hard to believe — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:33:33 +0000

Ditto

I agree with John @ August 30, 2011 at 10:37 am. Everyone, please exercise restraint and communicate in a civil manner on this public blog.

This is a serious issue for those affected directly, for the families associated with the school, and for the broader community. Please do not make it any more of a circus than it needs to be. The trial itself provides all of the circus atmosphere we need.

By: Interested DAD

Interested DAD — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:23:51 +0000

Tell you what, I will stop my barbs, if each and everyone one of you who have a child at ESD currently, or in the past, or know JDII, promise never to talk behind her back, snicker, call here a WH&^Re or a SL&T, or say she deserved it, or her parents or horrible creatures. I am the type of person that pulls for the underdog, or defends the weak and tries to live my life for standing up for people that can defend themselves, just the type of guy that I am. Big kick in our kids schooling these days about bullying, IMO, JDII was groomed into having a relationship with Campbell, mentally raped and tortured during the ordeal and than bullied out of ESD, not by kids but by people she should have been able to trust.
All of us wish and pray our children will come to us with problems as they grow up, I know I do with mine. But I am also keenly aware that my children won’t. Does that make me a bad parent? No, and the Doe’s are most likely not. JDII was the family’s youngest child. We all know parents that as life goes on they may get less strict as the older move out of the nest. But answer me this, all nay sayer’s to the Doe’s parenting skills, do you think they’re will come a day that they will be able forgive themselves? That they didn’t see something or kick themselves for not doing something. No amount of shame that the outside world put’s on the Doe’s will ever amount for what they have to live with by not protecting their daughter while this was happening. Give them a break, God has, you should, so they can get along with their lives and eventually forgive themselves. I don’t have daughters, and NO I do not know the Doe’s, but if I did I would give both of them a hug, especially the Dad because he maybe feels he didn’t protect his baby girl. I can’t imagine what guilt he must be going through.
As for the money, well personally I would have asked for more! Not because the school hired a scum, and had sex with a student. That is Campbell issue, Some money should be given for the way it was handled and I don’t believe MS. MAYO would do everything the same again, hindsight is 20/20 unless you have blinders on or have been prepped by a lawyer. No the money issue to me, is the money to see this young lady through a countless stream of therapy, and the parents therapy. I am not a ‘Shrink”, but this young lady is going to have issues with being with a man later in life, being interment with a man, Possible issue’s in being able to have children, both from a physical or emotional standpoint. She may not be able to support herself. And believe me, ambulance chasers disgust me, but what about this young lady? What about this young lady?
To this young lady’s detractors, I ask you this, Would you say to a victim of rape parent’s, “her own actions that caused the problems?”
Would you say to your own daughter or son after being raped, “Your own Actions caused this problem?” If you said yes, you are a medical miracle because you are a living heart donor! WAS JDII raped in the legal since, forced physically? No, but was she raped emotionally by Campbell? Yes, and was she raped emotionally by ESD, and administrators? That is for a jury to decide.
Jennifer Bass and other’s, you want to show some real class, let’s all start referring to JDII as a young lady. That would do allot for her self esteem and her parents because she is.

By: really

really — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:17:55 +0000

While I do not always agree with the comments written here and in previous blogs, I have a bigger problem with anyone advocating the use of censorship to make themselves feel better. Are some of the comments mean – yes, have some been derogatory towards others – yes…..but that is the price we pay to live in a free and open society.

Not only do I find them entertaining, but I think they reflect the divisions both at the school and in the general public as well.

I say keep allowing them, if someone finds them offensive, then do not scroll down to them.

By: CarolinaBorn

CarolinaBorn — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:03:58 +0000

Good point Amanda about the sad secrecy of molested children.

Nancy does that you help you get why Jane didn’t come forward at first? Not to mention her fear of being punished. Which actually turned out true.

Now can you explain all the many, many lies told by the ESD admins?