Lupin Hill sex charges ignite community
Psychology of case is complex
By Stephanie Bertholdo  bertholdo@theacorn.com

An investigation continues into the case of two 8-year-old boys accused of sexually assaulting several children in the Lupin Hill Elementary School bathrooms two weeks ago, Las Virgenes Unified School District officials said.

Superintendent of Schools Donald Zimring said the district cannot release specific information about the incident, but confirmed the boys under investigation will be expelled from the district.

Parents who contacted The Acorn raised a multitude of questions regarding the case and how it's being handled. Some parents feared for their own children.

Dr. Douglas Sears, a child psychiatrist with offices in Agoura Hills and Encino, said the school district acted appropriately when the accused children were removed from the Calabasas campus.

"(Sodomy) is not within the range of normal behavior," Sears said. Children may be sexually curious, play "doctor," or experiment by touching another child, but Sears said such behaviors are not "complete" sexual acts.

Sears said that while young boys may be physically able to perform such an act, they cannot be aroused sexually.

If the allegations of sodomy are proven true and the boys are "left unchecked," Sears said, they will probably repeat their behavior. He also believes the boys have either been victims of sexual abuse themselves, or "personally witnessed" sexual acts.

Sgt. Dan Scott of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau agreed in an earlier report that the boys accused of the crime also should be considered victims.

Counseling young perpetrators and victims who've been sexually abused is tricky, Sears said, because sometimes the children become further "traumatized" by the treatment.

Successful counseling will depend upon whether the children felt pressured into the sexual act, or thought they were playing a "fun" game, he said.

"They may or may not feel victimized," Sears said of the boys involved in the incident.

Parents, teachers, counselors and other professionals working with the children must keep a cool head, he said, because hysteria over the situation could further affect the children.

"A team of mental health professionals are working with our staff to provide the best, most age-appropriate information and program to our children and our parents on safe touching," Lupin Hill Principal Sheila Grady said in a letter to parents.

"Parents will be fully informed and consent will be required for student participation," Grady said.

Grady said the school will provide a list of resources for any family that wants further assistance. She also said she will alert parents as to when the presentations with students are held and when the parent meetings are scheduled.

School safety questioned

Attorney Adam Sacks is representing one of the boys accused of the crime. He said the family will file a lawsuit against the school district on the grounds of "negligent supervision."

Sears, however, doesn't believe the school should be held liable for the incident. "It's not the school's fault," he said. "They can't have an adult sitting in the restrooms (all the time)."

Grady said yard-duty supervisors regularly patrol the restroom areas. She said teachers "review and reteach" the rules regularly, and yard-duty aides assist in supervision during playground time.

Grady's letter outlined eight "rules" for restroom use, including: "no playing, running in or through, or meeting friends in the bathrooms." Another rule states that children should "never go into a stall with another person."

Some restroom facilities are locked during recess and lunch periods, she said.

Grady said the incident was uncovered due to the "vigilance of the adults on campus." She outlined details of the incident as allowed under district policy, calling it a "kid to kid situation" that involved students from one grade level. She said she personally contacted the students and families who had been affected.

Some parents used the incident to discuss with their children the definition of appropriate behavior. One parent said in an e-mail that the incident allowed her to "constructively help (her) son be aware of his surroundings."

When the incident occurred, the parent reportedly was trying to prepare a volunteer schedule to help supervise children during lunch and recess. She had encouraged all parents to volunteer.

Grady said in her letter that school staff is "exercising double diligence" to ensure the safety of students.

"We have plans to revisit age-appropriate touching lessons with professional advisors," she said.

The topic of school safety will be on the Nov. 27 Parent Faculty Club agenda. The meeting is tentatively scheduled at 8 a.m. For confirmation of the time, date and location of the PFC meeting, call Lupin Hill Elementary School at (818) 880-4434.

Sacks still isn't convinced that the school was safe when the incident occurred. "Someone has to answer to this," he said.