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‘So Much Trauma’: Report Alleges Decades-Long Sexual Abuse at San Jose Catholic Girls’ School

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Updated with new information on July 20th (see end of article). 

Presentation High , a Roman Catholic girls’ school in San Jose, recently released a report by a Sacramento law firm reviewing allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct over 47 years, from 1970 through 2017. The report found credible allegations against three English teachers, a Spanish teacher, a religion teacher and an assistant water polo coach — none of whom work at Presentation High today. The Mercury News reported at least three of the faculty went on to work at other Bay Area educational institutions or with students.

The high school’s Board of Directors and its new school president hired the Van Dermyden Maddux Law Firm last fall, two years after allegations of past abuse surfaced in a 2017 Washington Post perspective by a former student, Kathryn Leehane.

She remembers her Spanish teacher at Presentation High teacher touching her inappropriately in 1990.

It had taken years for me to tell my story — of a gropey teacher who showed me pornography — to the police. And the well-meaning officer inadvertently confirmed what so many us who experience sexual assault have learned: We need to look elsewhere for resolution. We are on our own.

“You know, he put his arm around me. He brought my hand up to my breast. He kissed my hand,” she told KQED. Too scared to say anything at the time, she reported the teacher to school officials after she graduated in 1991; after she says, he assaulted her best friend. Leehane says she tried repeatedly to get the school to act — for a decade during her 20s. She sent letters. She met with the former head of the school, who she says “warned me to be careful with my words so as not to face a lawsuit.” Leehane says she wrote a letter to the Diocese of San Jose, but never received an answer. She eventually filed a police report, but was told the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution had run out. The teacher remained on staff for years.

Fast forward to 2017, after allegations about Harvey Weinstein emerged, launching the #MeToo movement. Leehane says her column in The Washington Post struck a nerve.

Survivors with allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct at Presentation High, called “Pres” in the community, began stepping forward. Leehane started a web site, MakePresSafe.com as a launching pad for survivors to document attempts at accountability with the school and a place to find resources.

School administrators could not have failed to notice, either, when in late 2019 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 218 , the California Child Victims Act. The law expanded the statute of limitations for civil suits arising out of childhood sexual assault, extending the time claims can be filed beyond three years of discovery or age 26, and allowing for recovery of up to treble damages — triple the damages — against certain defendants.

Advocates for survivors of childhood sexual abuse say it usually takes decades for people to come forward and tell their stories, if they ever do.

Leehane keeps a spreadsheet with the names of about 40 survivors on it that she knows about. She says not everyone on her list spoke with the investigators from Van Dermyden Maddux, but the firm’s investigators did find her Spanish teacher — now dead — abused at least 13 other girls. Leehane knows of one more the report missed.

“They could have prevented so much abuse. They could have prevented so much trauma, but they let him stay there for 20 years,” she said.

Investigators interviewed 75 people, including administrators, faculty, staff, former students and board members. No current students were interviewed, according to the report, “because none have raised concerns or were witnesses.”

Presentation High received the final report on June 30. The school’s spokeswoman, Cherie Britt, wrote in an email that the administration notified both the police and “current known employers of those who were named and believed to be working with children” the same week the report was released to the public, on July 9.

Allegations Ignored for Years

Teachers, doctors, therapists and clergy all have a longstanding legal obligation to alert authorities to suspected child sexual abuse. California’s mandatory reporting law makes it a crime not to.

It would be up to the District Attorney and the Attorney General — who is running an ongoing statewide investigation into reporting and allegations of abuse by clergy — to prosecute former Presentation High administrators who failed to report such allegations to law enforcement, let alone parents, according to attorney Mike Reck with Jeff Anderson & Associates . The firm has sued extensively — including the Vatican itself — on behalf of those sexually abused by clergy.

“(Presentation High) didn’t suddenly grow a conscience and decide it was wrong to hurt children. Those children grew up and those children became survivors and those children spoke to the media,” Reck said.

Reck draws attention to what’s not in the report: six staff members remain unnamed, for lack of evidence, say the report’s authors. He says the report was “carefully crafted such that it only trickles out the little bit of information that was required by survivors,” adding this is a “systemic problem with the Diocese of San Jose and with the Sisters of the Presentation .” They are the Order of nuns who established not just Presentation High, but multiple schools around California, including several in the Bay Area.

Reck says the allegations of abuse against the unnamed people in the report should be thoroughly investigated for public safety. “Where do they live? What communities are they being exposed to? Have those communities been warned?”

A Lawsuit is Coming

Jeff Anderson & Associates plans to file suit against Presentation High — and the Diocese of San Jose — on behalf of a client alleging abuse by a nun at the school back in the 1970s. Reck said the firm is interested in more than the one woman. Through the process of discovery, “the identities and the whereabouts and history of every alleged perpetrator will be sought,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leehane said she is satisfied with the way the new president of the school, Holly Elkins, handled the investigation. When Presentation High made the report public, Elkins and the Chair of the Board of Directors released a letter outlining its findings, along with the changes the school is making to ensure student safety moving forward. “To the survivors of abuse, we deeply and sincerely apologize. The stark truth is that our school did not live up to its commitment to protect you,” the letter said. Additionally, the entire board of the school resigned, writing “The time is right to step aside and make room for new oversight and governance.”

Update 7:00 p.m. 7/17/20: KQED contacted the Diocese of San Jose before publication of this story. The first statement, provided on 7/14, commended the Sisters of the Presentation and their high school for its independent investigation.  A spokesperson for the Diocese also wrote by email, “ Please note that Presentation High School is an independent Catholic school and not part of our Diocesan schools. They have a Board of Trustees and Directors, as well as the religious order that make decisions and operate independently from the Diocese.” 

New Investigation Announced (bold added) : The Diocese of San Jose sent out a second statement at 4:26 p.m. on Friday, 7/17, saying it is “ disheartened to learn of the findings presented in the investigative report… In reviewing Presentation’s newly released report, the Diocese has confirmed that it previously employed two of the individuals identified therein. Marian Stuckey worked for the Diocese as its Superintendent of Catholic Schools between 1993 and 2009. In addition, Jeff House worked as a teacher at Archbishop Mitty High School, a diocesan Catholic school, between 1982 and 1999. 

“The Diocese of San Jose will, therefore, be initiating an independent investigation to ensure proper accountability of any complaints, allegations, or reported incidents that may have occurred during their respective periods of employment with the Diocese.” 

“The Diocese encourages any victim/survivor to come forward and report any improper conduct either historically or currently at Archbishop Mitty High School or any diocesan schools by taking the following steps: First, contact their local civil authorities. Then, once a report is filed with the local civil authorities, the individuals are encouraged to contact the Diocese’s  Office for the Protection of Children & Vulnerable Adults at 408-983-0113. Reports to the Diocese are also accepted by a secure third-party reporting service at opcva.ethicspoint.com or call 1-844-372-1619. “

Update 7/20/20: The Diocese of San Jose sent out a correction about Marian Stuckey’s title when she worked for the Diocese between 1993 and 2009. “She was hired as the Assistant Superintendent in 1993 and was promoted to Superintendent in 1999.” 

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Watch CBS News

Presentation High in San Jose Launches Sexual Abuse Probe

September 27, 2019 / 8:07 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- San Jose's Presentation High School is launching a long-sought independent investigation into decades of allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by its staff.

"These are women who are dedicated to working for justice for children and for other women. So, it was disheartening that it took so long for them to take this step," said Kathryn Leehane, the initial whistleblower whose allegations have rocked the prestigious Catholic, all-girls school.

Several alleged victims and their families have stepped forward, accusing Presentation High of covering up incidents of sexual assault and misconduct by its staff and failing to report the allegations to police as required by law.

The school's president Holly Elkins released a prepared statement that reads, "The external investigation is the right thing for Presentation to do right now to get an impartial picture of what happened in the past so we can support survivors, protect and keep our students safe and help our community heal."

The school has hired the Van Dermyden Maddux law firm to conduct the investigation. School officials estimate it will likely take six to nine months to complete.

Leehane says her Spanish teacher fondled her breast and showed her a pornographic photo of a semi-nude woman while she was student in 1990. She says it took her several years to find the courage to report the incident to school staff. She claims she eventually grew disheartened when the investigation stalled and the teacher was allowed to remain at the school.

"I was crushed. I was devastated. It absolutely changed my career path. It changed my relationship with the church," Leehane said.

Leehane says she hopes the findings of the investigation will be used to change the culture at the school and prevent the abuse of future students.

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Investigation into past reports of sexual abuse at Presentation HS in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - An all-girls Catholic school in San Jose has launched an external investigation into reports of sexual abuse by teachers over the past several decades. 

Last year Presentation High School was hit with dozens of allegations made by former students that school administrators did not act on their complaints of sexual abuse by teachers and staff. 

The victims say they're still hoping for real justice, but they believe the investigation is a good first step toward getting it. 

Survivor Kathryn Leehane said, "It's absolutely a critical step in the right direction.  It's something I and thousands of community members have been asking for, for about two years."

Leehane is one of nearly 40 accusers who have come forward alleging abuse by 15 teachers and coaches over a period of 40 years. 

Attorney Ken Turek is representing another accuser and questions the timing of the investigation since a new law impacting the statute of limitations is on the horizon. 

"There's a part of me that applauds this and thinks it's really good. But there's also a part of me that says there may be an ulterior motive that's not being explained," Turek said. 

New school president Holly Elkins issued the following statement, "This external investigation is the right thing for Presentation to do right now to get an impartial picture of what happened in the past so we can support survivors, protect and keep our students safe and help our community heal."   

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Presentation HS president resigns amid accusations she mishandled reports of sex abuse

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- On Wednesday, Presentation High School's president and former principal, Mary Miller, submitted her resignation to the school's board of directors.

Miller came under criticism in October 2017, after a letter from a former student was published to the Washington Post, accusing Miller of mishandling allegations of sexual abuse.

Since then, dozens of former Presentation students have come forward to report they were abused too.

RELATED: More sexual misconduct claims at Presentation High School in San Jose

"I have come to the realization my resignation is what is best for Pres," Miller said in her resignation letter. "The allegations of past sexual abuse continue to be a distraction for the school and bring negative attention towards Presentation."

ABC7 News met with Kathryn Leehane, one of dozens of former Presentation HS students to come forward about her alleged abuse.

On Wednesday, Leehane explained her experience, "While I was a student at Presentation, Mary Miller was my idol. She was my mentor."

So, when Leehane told school administrators about being groped by one of her teachers, and being shown an explicit picture by the same man, she expected action.

"When she failed me after I graduated, by not reporting my abuse to the police, I was devastated," Leehane said.

She explained spending seven years in the 1990's, trying to bring her alleged abuser to justice.

Not until October 2017 was her writing published in the Washington Post . Leehane's article detailing how she achieved peace.

She says Miller's resignation, nearly a year later, is a critical first step for both victims of sexual abuse, and for current and future students to ensure their safety is top priority.

Miller touched on that topic in her letter to the board, Wednesday.

"It is my sincere hope that my absence will bring some peace and allow the staff and new administration to focus on the success and well being of our students - which is our common goal," Miller wrote.

"I think it's really important for leadership to change," Beth Johnson told ABC7 News. "As much as I've loved and learned from Mary Miller."

RELATED: Accusations fly over SJ high school's handling of sexual abuse allegations

Johnson is also a former student who was taught by a Presentation HS Spanish teacher who is just one of a number staff members accused of abuse.

Johnson says she's devastated to hear about the allegations against Miller, and even more distraught to learn about the abuse her fellow peers say they've endured.

Leehane says after her story was published in October, more than 30 people came forward to say they were abused too. Many of those women confirming school administration, including Miller, did nothing to prevent.

"She did a lot of good for Presentation, there is no doubt about that," Leehane said. "But she also, through her failure to report child abuse, she victimized dozens of girls."

Miller's resignation is effective September 14th.

In the release about her resignation, Presentation High School added the school has since implemented a series of actions to increase measures to educate and protect young women.

Those measures include the following:

Conducting additional mandatory reporting training for all staff in January 2018 and

preparing two additional trainings on student safety in the 2018-2019 school year.

Implementing new policy updates (available on our website) recommended by an ad hoc

committee and approved by the Board.

Creating the Office of Prevention of Student Bullying, Harassment & Abuse, led by a

Director who reports to the Board.

Attending a mediation to listen to ideas on how to make Presentation an even safer

school in the future.

Applying updates to our Student Wellness Program to include student safety.

Focusing on healthy relationships, dating, and how to spot abuse in our annual Student Development Days

Bishop Patrick J. McGrath with the Diocese of San Jose released the following statement:

I commend the courageous women who have come forward over the past year to cast light upon the abuse that they and others experienced while students at Presentation High School. Through these difficult times, they have stood with one another in solidarity.

Over the past few months, I have met with some of the victims and listened to their stories and concerns. I hope that the announcement today by the Board of Directors of the change in school leadership will allow the victims, survivors, their families, and the Presentation High School community to take the next step on the path of recovery and wholeness.

The Diocese of San Jose is committed to a safe environment for all and extends support to victims/survivors and their families through the Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults - 408-983-0113.

Related Topics

• HIGH SCHOOL
• SEXUALLY ASSAULT
• SEXUAL HARASSMENT
• STUDENT SAFETY
• SEXUAL ASSAULT

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How This Brave Woman Uncovered A Massive High School Sexual Abuse Scandal

When Kathryn Leehane arrived at her high school Spanish teacher’s office during her senior year at Presentation High School in the Bay Area of California, she was hoping for coaching with a poem she planned to recite at a local Spanish poetry contest.

What she got instead was sexual abuse.

According to Leehane, she had gone to her teacher, John Fernandez, in 1990 to practice reciting the poem for the contest. When Fernandez told Leehane she needed to read more dramatically, he emphasized his point by putting his arm around her, bringing her hand to her left breast. He then took her hand, and kissed it, saying she should flirt with an idea like she would a lover.

Leehane left his office, unsettled and disturbed.

“I didn’t tell anyone,” Leehane told Scary Mommy, “because who was going to believe me?” And because Fernandez was her teacher and in charge of her grades, she feared retribution by telling her story.

So she kept quiet.

Then, it happened again.

The next week, Leehane returned to his office for additional rehearsal on her poem and, when she arrived, Fernandez had an odd look on his face. He caught Leehane’s eye, put his finger to his lips, and slid a photograph across his desk for her to see. In the photo was a naked woman wearing an open fur coat.

“He said, ‘I took the picture myself’,” Leehane recalled. Again, Leehane left his office confused (and uncomfortable) with his actions and she continued to stay silent. “No one was going to believe this revered teacher had done this to me,” she said.

Three years after Leehane’s abuse, she was visiting with a friend and former alumna of Presentation High School, Jane Doe.* Doe told Leehane she had been sexually assaulted by a teacher on an overnight trip in high school. The teacher? John Fernandez. When Doe and Leehane pieced together the series of events, they determined that Doe’s assault happened a few months before Leehane’s.

And then, they realized there was a pattern.

“I was never so naïve to think I was his only victim, but I was floored,” Leehane said. “There’s a sense of relief that you’re not the only one, but also a sense of horror when you realize you weren’t the only one.”

Sickened by her friend’s trauma and fueled by the anger of her own, Leehane reached out to then Presentation High principal Marian Stuckey via letter in 1993, detailing the sexual abuse.

That letter went unanswered.

Over the course of the next five years, Leehane sent at least ten letters of correspondence and had one meeting with the Presentation High School administration as she fought to bring Fernandez’s abuse to light. While the new principal, Mary Miller, assured her they’d address the abuse, it became clear as the years went by that Fernandez would not be held accountable.

Though she eventually gave up on getting justice, she never found closure.

Her moment of reckoning came, though, in October 2016 when Fernandez died, ironically, on her birthday.

“It was a wonderful birthday present,” she said. “But then I immediately felt guilty for thinking that.” In processing the emotions that came with finding out that her abuser was dead, Leehane turned to writing to help her find closure. In October 2017, she wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post , in which she discussed the fact that sexual assault victims find closure in different ways. Without revealing identifying details, she discussed her abuse in the piece and told her story of finally finding a measure of closure.

Little did she know, her journey to justice and closure had just been cracked wide open.

Her piece was shared in a Presentation High School alumni group and, almost immediately, women recognized Leehane’s abuser as Fernandez. Comment after comment flowed as women who had graduated from Presentation High School compared notes. Leehane and Doe were not the only victims of sexual abuse at the school. Not by a long shot, in fact.

To date, four women have come forward to say “me too” with respect to Fernandez. And there’s no way of knowing how many of Fernandez’s victims are still in suffering in silence . At least 16 other victims of other Presentation High School employees have been identified.

And, what’s worse? As far as the women can tell, none of their complaints were ever forwarded to the police, as is required by law.

Over 20 women, high school-aged at the time of their abuse, came forth with their stories and trusted the administrators of Presentation High School to help them. And nothing was done. Not a single thing.

Despite four accusations against him, Fernandez was never investigated by the police, never put on leave, never questioned about his behaviors. Oh, but he was awarded Teacher of the Year in 1996, though.

If you’re not horrified, you’re not paying attention.

And, as if that’s not enough, at least ten other accused abusers were either allowed to stay at the school and/or quietly moved on to other school, putting thousands of children at risk.

As the outrage over the mishandled sexual abuse reports swept through the Presentation High School community, the women who were abused and their supporters took action. Advocates started a petition demanding that Presentation High School launch an independent investigation into the obvious culture of rape and sexual assault. Survivors and witnesses held press con ferences and started a website to gather information and assist other victims as they come forward.

Leehane and the other women are actively fighting for strict adherence to mandatory reporting laws and permanent changes in PHS policy and leadership to protect all the students entrusted to their care.

But the Presentation High School administrators who are accused of violating child abuse reporting laws for almost thirty years may very well get away with it.

One reason is that California’s statute of limitations for failing to report childhood sexual abuse is only twelve months and charges are rare. The statute of limitations for Leehane’s abuse has long since run out.

But she’s determined to change that.

Leehane is working with local representatives to increase the statute of limitations for, and increase the penalties for, failure to report child abuse. In April 2018, Leehane testified in front of the California Senate Education Committee in support of the The Safe Act, a bill designed to strengthen vetting processes for teachers.

She’s not just advocating for the victims at her high school, she’s working to protect children throughout the entire state of California. She’s also hoping this movement spreads throughout the nation.

“We have to ensure those who enable child abuse are held accountable too. My God, if these women had acted and simply done the right thing on any of these allegations, additional abuse and rape could have been prevented.”

Slow clap, Kathryn Leehane. We believe you. You are brave, and amazing, and you are going to make a difference.

This article was originally published on April 25, 2018

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WEATHER ALERT

60 advisories in effect for 23 regions in the area

30 teacher vacancies out of more than 10,600 teachers during houston isd first week of school.

Corley Peel , Reporter

School is back in session, but there are still some employee spots working to be filled.

HISD superintended Mike Miles said in a news conference on Tuesday that there are currently 30 vacancies throughout the district.

• ‘Making good headway’: Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles visits 3 campuses, addresses hiccups on 2nd day of school

HISD sent KPRC 2 the following statement regarding the vacancies:

“There are zero principal vacancies. The district started the year with 30 teaching vacancies remaining out of roughly 10,640 teaching positions in the district. We’ve been rigorous in evaluating new hires and despite the high bar we’ve set, we’ve had a very successful hiring season because many educators are excited to be a part of the remarkable work taking place at our school. To provide some meaningful context, two years ago, HISD had far more teaching vacancies at this point in the summer. Our team is hard at work hiring for those last few vacancies, which are mostly special education, bilingual, and pre-k, so we can start the school in full force. HISD has hired approximately 850 uncertified teachers for the upcoming school year. We’ve been rigorous in our evaluations, and our successful hiring season reflects the excitement many educators feel about joining the district’s remarkable work. It’s important to note that uncertified teachers can be just as effective as certified ones. Many studies show comparable academic results, and several of our uncertified teachers have prior experience in our schools as Teacher Apprentices and Learning Coaches.”

KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel spoke with a parent who said her daughter did not have her assigned teacher on the first day of school at Mark White Elementary. The parent asked to remain anonymous, but said her first grader had met the teacher last week.

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When she arrived for the first day, a substitute was in the class instead. The parent said the principal told her the teacher was still going through the Human Resources process.

“I was told that this was probably her first-year teaching,” the parent said. “She has great credentials. They vetted her pretty well. They were just getting her through the process of HR and getting her hired so that she can be in the classroom with the students. In my opinion, I think they still needed a couple of weeks to finish preparing everybody.”

The parent was told that her daughter’s classroom should be in the classroom by the end of this week.

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About the Author

Corley peel.

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.

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Why Republicans are calling Walz 'Tampon Tim' — and why Democrats embrace it

Rachel Treisman

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, pictured at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, is getting attention for a law he signed last year requiring public schools to provide free period products. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

For more on the 2024 election, head to the NPR Network's live updates page.

Republican critics of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz have given him a new nickname: “Tampon Tim.”

After Vice President Harris announced her pick , Stephen Miller, a former adviser to former President Donald Trump, tweeted , “She actually chose Tampon Tim.” Chaya Raichik, who runs the far-right social media account Libs of TikTok, photoshopped Walz’s face onto a Tampax box.

#TamponTim pic.twitter.com/eBPyEOSWPC — Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 6, 2024

“Tampon Tim is hands down the best political nickname ever,” tweeted conservative commentator Liz Wheeler. “It’s so… savagely effective. In one word tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about Tim Walz’s dangerous radicalism.”

The moniker refers to a law that Walz, the governor of Minnesota, signed last year, requiring public schools to provide menstrual products — including pads and tampons — to students in 4th through 12th grades.

The products are free for students, with the state paying about $2 per pupil to keep them stocked throughout the school year.

Takeaways from Tim Walz's introduction to the national stage

The law, which was the result of years of advocacy by students and their allies, took effect on Jan. 1, though students say the rollout has so far been smoother in some school districts than others .

It makes Minnesota one of 28 states (and Washington D.C.) that have passed laws aimed at giving students access to menstrual products in schools, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.

The issue enjoys broad popular support: 30 states have eliminated state sales tax on menstrual products, and Trump himself signed a 2018 package that requires federal prisons to provide them.

But Republicans appear to be taking issue with the wording of the legislation, which says the products must be available “to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students.”

Some Minnesota Republicans initially tried to limit the initiative to female-assigned and gender-neutral bathrooms, but were unsuccessful. Even the author of that amendment ultimately voted for the final version of the bill, saying his family members “felt like it was an important issue I should support.”

The bill’s inclusive language reflects that not all people who menstruate are women, and not all women get periods, which was important to those who lobbied for the legislation.

“It will make it more comfortable for everyone … then people can use whatever restroom they want without being worried,” Bramwell Lundquist, then 15, told MPR News last year.

But some in the Republican Party — which has increasingly promoted anti-transgender policies and rhetoric — see that aspect of the bill as a reason to attack Walz.

“Tim Walz is a weird radical liberal,” the MAGA War Room account posted on X, formerly Twitter. “What could be weirder than signing a bill requiring schools to stock tampons in boys' bathrooms?”

'Midwestern Nice' and 'Fun Dad' posts abound after Tim Walz is named VP pick

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt made a similar argument in a Tuesday appearance on Fox News .

“As a woman, I think there is no greater threat to our health than leaders who support gender-transition surgeries for young minors, who support putting tampons in men’s bathrooms in public schools,” she said. “Those are radical policies that Tim Walz supports. He actually signed a bill to do that.”

LGBTQ rights groups have cheered Walz’s selection and praised his track record, which includes a 2023 executive order making Minnesota one of the first states to safeguard access to gender-affirming health care, as dozens of states seek to ban it .

Walz, who once earned the title “ most inspiring teacher ” at the high school where he taught and coached football, hasn’t responded publicly to the “Tampon Tim” taunts. But he had strong words for his Republican opponents on Tuesday night.

“I'll just say it: Donald Trump and JD Vance are creepy and, yes, weird,” he tweeted , repeating the put-down he helped popularize in recent days. “We are not going back.”

Many on the left see “Tampon Tim” as a compliment

Democratic Minnesota Rep. Sandra Feist, the chief sponsor of the bill in the state House, sold it as a "wise investment" , explaining to her colleagues last year that “one out of every 10 menstruating youth miss school” due to a lack of access to menstrual products and resources.

She defended it again in a tweet on Wednesday morning, saying she was grateful to have partnered with Walz to address period poverty .

“This law exemplifies what we can accomplish when we listen to students to address their needs,” she wrote. “Excited to see MN representation at the top of the ticket!”

Feist ended the tweet with the hashtag #TamponTim.

Other Democratic figures have embraced both the hashtag and the policy behind it.

The case for free tampons and pads in schools

Many social media users responded that providing tampons in schools isn’t the bad thing that Republicans are making it out to be — and in fact, they see it as the opposite.

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said it was “nice of the Trump camp to help publicize Gov. Tim Walz’s compassionate and common-sense policy,” adding, “Let’s do this everywhere.”

Former Georgia State Rep. Bee Nguyen said Walz, as a former teacher, understands how the lack of access to menstrual products impacts educational outcomes.

“This makes me an even bigger fan of Tampon Tim,” she added.

Nearly 1 in 4 students have struggled to afford period products in the United States, according to a 2023 study commissioned by Thinx and PERIOD. Experts say period poverty is more than just a hassle : It’s an issue of public and personal health, dignity and more.

The Minnesota students who lobbied for the bill testified last year about having to miss class because they were unable to afford menstrual products, being distracted from schoolwork and tests and feeling that adults didn’t take their concern seriously.

“We cannot learn while we are leaking,” high school student Elif Ozturk, then 16, told a legislative hearing in 2023. “How do we expect our students to carry this burden with them during the school day and still perform well? The number one priority should be to learn, not to find a pad.”

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Crime and Public Safety | Presentation High: Alleged sex abuse victims…

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Crime and public safety | presentation high: alleged sex abuse victims say they haven’t heard from police, san jose police say they’re on the case.

The abuse scandal that first surfaced in an alumna’s 2017 Washington Post article at the height of the #MeToo revelations of abusive men in media, business and politics has since toppled top officials at Presentation, which this year announced a new outside investigation of its own.

But alleged victims have grown increasingly impatient with the criminal investigations of some of the more recent allegations as well as whether school officials violated their legal mandate to report suspected abuse. This week, those frustrations spilled out into social media and a special City Council meeting on sexual assault response.

“As you work to increase victim cooperation, I urge you to consider how your tactics affect it,” Kate Leehane, who wrote the 2017 article, said in a Wednesday letter to the City Council after Tuesday’s special meeting. “Like failing to return calls and emails from victims. Like sergeants threatening to hang up on people, as happened with me and a victim’s mother. Like failing to include key evidence in police reports.”

https://twitter.com/MakePresSafe/status/1194418530873069569

San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia said he could not comment specifically on the investigation because it is ongoing, but insisted that his officers are diligently working the case.

“We’ve been dealing with this particular issue for quite some time,” Garcia said in an interview Wednesday. “We take these cases very seriously, and collectively we and the DA are doing all we can, as expeditiously as we can.”

District Attorney Jeff Rosen was not immediately available Wednesday. His office said in a statement that “We review completed investigations to determine what, if any, charges should be filed.”

“We are not at liberty to talk about cases that are under investigation, but we have been in communication with victims who have contacted our office,” the statement continued, “as well as investigators and command staff at San Jose PD regarding these allegations.”

Leehane’s group, Make Pres Safe , raised a number of specific concerns that troubled those who came forward to report they were abused.

Several students said they reported inappropriate touching, comments, sexually-explicit texts and nude photos from their water polo coach during the 2013-2014 school year to the athletic director, the swim coach, multiple counselors, and the school’s principal at the time. Leehane said the coach, who now lives in San Diego, remained at the school and that administrators never reported the complaints to police.

Leehane said prosecutors declined to file charges against the coach, citing insufficient evidence. She said that the case file was missing phone and medical records, and police did not interview witnesses and did not interview the coach in person.

The group also questioned the thoroughness of investigations into complaints about a former theater director at the school, who was later convicted of a sex crime at another school. The complaints  are the subject of a lawsuit against Presentation last year.

According to the lawsuit , former theater director Jefferey Hicks molested a 15-year-old Presentation sophomore on campus in 2003 and in 2004 during a theater trip to New York City. Hicks later was convicted of keeping child pornography at work and exchanging inappropriate messages with a 14-year-old student while working at a private school in San Mateo. Parents have accused Presentation administrators of ignoring their complaints about Hicks.

But Leehane’s group said the victim and witnesses also haven’t been interviewed by police.

https://twitter.com/MakePresSafe/status/1161658208424869889

The group this week called out City Council members who represent districts where the alleged victims live, urging them to demand answers from the chief.

Leehane said she received similar treatment regarding her own complaints about a now-dead former Presentation Spanish teacher she said had subjected her to inappropriate touching, comments and a nude photo as a student in the 1990s.

https://twitter.com/MakePresSafe/status/1193631560966127616

“I need to follow up with the police chief and I will,” said Councilwoman Pam Foley, who represents a district where one of the water polo coach’s alleged victims lives. “What I can do is help advocate that the police department reach out as much as they can to the women who have filed complaints. You need to start from that place that the victims are telling us the truth, and respect where they are coming from and help bring closure on this.”

Councilwoman Dev Davis urged alleged victims who feel they are not being heard by police to report that to the city’s Independent Police Auditor.

“I sympathize with all victims of sexual assault and if anyone feels that the investigations are not proceeding as they should, we have a system of oversight for that occasion,” Davis said.

Councilman Johnny Khamis, who represents a district where Hicks’ alleged victim lives, said he also has asked questions of police and prosecutors and intends to follow up. But he also sympathizes with the limitations police face in investigating cases.

“I’m just looking for an explanation,” Khamis said. “I think we should be investigating these crimes much faster. Sometimes they can’t discuss these things. People are not always privy to what police are doing. It doesn’t mean they’re not doing anything. Sometimes these investigations take time.”

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Omsk: Western Siberia's hidden gem

A city view of Omsk. Source: Dmitry Feoktistov

Omsk was founded in 1716 when a wooden fort was constructed to house a Cossack unit in the area to protect the expanding Russian frontier from Central Asian nomadic incursions. It served various administrative functions throughout the 1800s and became infamous as a place of exile and incarceration. The city was rundown when selected as a hub for the Trans-Siberian railway in the 1890s. Many international trade companies and foreign consulates relocated here and the remnants of their offices can still be found in the city today.

The mystery of Kolchak’s gold

Omsk became the headquarters of the anti-Bolshevik white army led by Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak in 1918. In late 1918 there was a revolt in the city initiated by a leftist faction (Socialist Revolutionary Party or SPs) with 500 rebel deaths at the hands of Cossacks and Czechoslovak soldiers, a major factor in convincing the SPs to join the Bolsheviks. There is a large Soviet-era monument to the uprising at the corner of Lenina street and Broz Tito street.  

Kolchak was entrusted with a large portion of the Tsarist’s gold reserves, yet amazingly lost much of it. Supposedly 250 million rubles were lost (about $8 million at the time). Legend has it that they were buried near the village of Taiga, yet numerous excavations have turned up nothing. The area still attracts the occasional fortune seeker.

Kolchak’s headquarters are located at what is today the  Omsk Regional Archives  at Broz Tito St., 3. Nothing shows how much times have changed as the imposing Kolchak statue that was unveiled in 2012 around the corner. The statue guards  Kolchak restaurant , a four-story culinary complex featuring a steak house, an Irish pub, a Central Asian café and an Italian eatery.  For more details on where and how to dig Kolchak's gold, see  Top Ten Mysterious Lost Treasures of Russia

Dostoevsky and the Tsar

At 1.15 million people Omsk dwarfs the region’s second largest city, Tara (population 28,000). The city is split by the River Irtysh into two sections (all places of interest are on the right bank) with downtown emanating from the River Om.

Most foreigners have heard of Omsk via writer Fyodor Dostoevsky who spent four years here as a prisoner (1849-1853). He spent most of his time in Omsk in squalor and chains and with no books besides the Bible, however, it left an indelible mark on his memory and influenced his future literary output. There is a statue of the writer in chains grasping a Bible at the corner of Partizanskaya and Spartakovskaya streets, where Dostoevsky undoubtedly stepped many times. A  museum dedicated to the author's time in Omsk  is located nearby at Dostoevskogo St. 1. The local university is also named for him.

A view of the Assumption Cathedral, Omsk. Source: Lori/Legion-Media

Tarskaya Street is one of the city’s oldest thoroughfares. It features a monument to victims of Stalinist repressions and the Tara gates, originally built in 1792 as one of the four entrances to the Omsk fort. Nearby stands the Assumption Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Siberia. Future Tsar Nicholas II laid the first stone here in 1891 when making his way back to St. Petersburg after his Eastern journey.

In Omsk you are never more than a few steps from the village, made clear when one exits the center to the north, where most houses are wooden and roads unpaved. Stroll along Bulatova and Rabinovicha streets, a well-preserved ensemble of wooden architecture.

Omsk’s cultural heritage 

The Pushkin State Library is worth a look with busts of Russian literary figures adorning the front side of the building. At the corner under the big “M” is one of several stations of the never completed Omsk metro. Construction began in 1992, but as of 2014 the project is again dormant due to financing problems.

One of Omsk’s most famous sons is Symbolist painter Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910). Vrubel ignored contemporary trends and focused on themes from fairy tales, demons and religious subjects and also designed a majolica frieze for the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Omsk’s Fine Arts Museum is named for him and features a number of  his works .

Milhail Vrubel's painting 'Demon Seated in a Garden' (1890)

Over the years a number of tourists have tripped over the monument to Stepanych. This bust of a plumber rising from a sewer was the idea of Omsk’s former mayor after a trip to Slovakia in the 1990s. Stepanych has become one of the symbols of the city.

Omsk is a hockey town, with one of the major teams,  Avangard , in the KHL, Russia’s premiere professional league. Russian champions on several occasions, check out a match at Omsk Arena. But if you can’t catch a game there’s a large kiosk featuring the team’s merchandise at the airport.

Siberian   punk, jazz and the classics

While Omsk may not be on everyone’s radar musically, it does host a  musical theater  built just after the war. The building on 10 Let Oktyabrya Street is in the form of an enormous sloping grand piano.

A monument to Stepanych, Lenina Street, Omsk. Photo credit: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lisitsyn 

Perhaps Russia’s most famous punk band,  Grazhdanskaya oborona  (Civil Defence), was formed here in 1982. The band was active until 2008 when lead singer Yegor Letov died of heart failure at age 43. Letov is buried at the Staro-Vostochnoe cemetery. A sprawling graveyard with thousands of graves, fans should stop at the administration for help in locating his grave.

In Russia, Omsk is known among the younger, tech-savvy generation primarily because of the “Omsk bird,” also known as Winged Doom. The origin of what became one of Russia’s most ubiquitous memes comes from a painting by German artist Heiko  Müller. One day in 2009 an Internet user posted this painting with the line, “Welcome to Omsk,” at the top. Additional versions menace viewers stating, “Don't try to leave Omsk,” and “Omsk is closer than you think.” Like many popular memes on the Internet, this one went viral and has become something like an unofficial symbol of the city.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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Category : en:Cities in Omsk Oblast

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Presentation President Resigns Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal

By vicky nguyen & michael bott • published september 5, 2018 • updated on january 8, 2019 at 7:36 pm.

The embattled president and former principal of San Jose’s Presentation High School announced her resignation Wednesday amid a storm of allegations she covered up instances of sexual abuse over a period spanning nearly three decades.

Read the press release from Presentation High regarding Miller's resignation here .

Miller, with steadfast support from the school’s Board of Directors, weathered months of criticism and demands she step down from her role as principal. Her resignation, just weeks into a new role as the first school president, came as a shock to many Presentation parents. In a letter to the Board of Directors, Miller did not apologize or acknowledge accusations that she failed to protect students, instead referring to the allegations as a “distraction.”

“I have come to the realization my resignation is what is best for Pres,” Miller wrote. “This is an amazing school, and the work done here is changing lives for the better every day. But the allegations of past sexual abuse continue to be a distraction for the school and bring negative attention towards Presentation. It is my sincere hope that my absence will bring some peace and allow the staff and new administration to focus on the success and well being of our students -- which is our common goal. We cannot change the past, but we can and must dedicate ourselves to the future.”

Since last November, the Investigative Unit has reported on claims by more than a dozen former students who say administrators failed to report incidents of sexual assault, harassment, and other inappropriate behavior by teachers or staff to authorities. The San Jose Police Department also has an ongoing investigation into some of the claims.

Miller’s resignation brings relief to many of the former students who say Miller was complicit in covering up allegations of sexual abuse on campus in order to protect the school’s reputation.

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“I don’t take pleasure in someone resigning, but I do think this was a critical step forward so that victims can heal and find some closure,” said former student Kathryn Leehane, whose Washington Post op-ed about being groped and shown a pornographic photo by a Spanish teacher nearly three decades ago spurred a flood of additional allegations by former students .

“I was disappointed there wasn’t an apology to the victims,” Leehane said.

Cheryl Hodgin-Marshall, another former student and a friend of Leehane’s, called it a good day. Her best friend says she reported to Miller being sexually molested by the same Spanish teacher during a summer trip abroad. Hodgin-Marshall said Miller never called police and shamed her friend into silence.

“Mary Miller told her unless you’re going to stand up in court and say it in front of your parents and [the teacher], then you need to stop talking,” Hodgin-Marshall said. “She made decisions on what she thought was good for the school, instead of compassion and the law.”

Many of the allegations were much more recent. Former student Grace Leonis says a Presentation water polo coach sexually abused her when she was a 14-year-old freshman . Several of Leonis’ friends say they reported the abuse to school administrators, but the school never called authorities.

Another former student sued the school last month, saying she was sexually abused by a teacher at the school back in 2003 , when she was only 15-year-old. The lawsuit accuses Mary Miller of not reporting the suspected abuse to police, which allowed the accused teacher to later gain employment at a San Mateo School where he would be convicted of possessing child porn on his computer and exchanging sexual texts with a 14 year old. That teacher is now a registered sex offender in California.

Critics of Miller who spoke to NBC Bay Area suspect that lawsuit likely played a role in Miller’s resignation.

“Now Presentation is being sued, and having Mary Miller still there takes away from the bottom line,” said San Jose attorney Robert Allard, who has served as a pro bono legal advisor for many of the accusers.

“There is no way that this happens without the bravery of so many women, and it took great courage for them to come forward and tell their stories,” Allard said. “To them, I say, ‘this doesn’t happen with you.’”

After months of silence on the issue, the Diocese of San Jose released a statement from Bishop Patrick McGrath saying he hopes Miller’s resignation will give the school’s community an opportunity to heal.

“I commend the courageous women who have come forward over the past year to cast light upon the abuse that they and others experienced while students at Presentation High School,” McGrath wrote.

“Through these difficult times, they have stood with one another in solidarity. Over the past few months, I have met with some of the victims and listened to their stories and concerns. I hope that the announcement today by the Board of Directors of the change in school leadership will allow the victims, survivors, their families, and the Presentation High School community to take the next step on the path of recovery and wholeness.”

For the first time in nearly three decades, Presentation High School will be without Miller and former Board Chair Marian Stuckey at the helm. Stuckey, herself at the center of several claims she helped cover up allegations of abuse, retired from her Board position last spring.

The new Board Chair, Sister Pam Chiesa, said in a press release that it’s time to begin healing.

“We recognize that Mary has been the focus of criticism in her handling of reporting misconduct cases,” she said. “We also recognize that Mary has been an inspiration to many young women and helped guide them successfully in their lives and careers. Now is the time to refocus on our mission and begin healing our community.”

According to school officials, Presentation has implemented steps to better protect students since abuse allegations began surfacing last year. Those include staff-wide mandatory reporting training, the creation of the Office of Prevention of Student Bullying, Harassment and Abuse, and implementing new policy updates recommended by an ad hoc committee and approved by the Board.