Mennonite World Review

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• Hmmmmmmmm.

  - Menonita Simons (nov 21 at 1:36 p.m.)

• I was raised Mennonite, but did not attend Mennonite schools. I am now a practicing Mennonite, and believe that Richard Thomas has acted appropriately by assuring the students and their families, that all students are out of harm’s way. Kudos to Thomas for taking preemptive action!

  I am somewhat perplexed as to why child protective services has not to date, derived any conclusive findings as to the validity of the allegations against Geyer, yet the school’s internal findings has prompted his dismissal.

  As a Mennonite, who embraces his convictions, I am compelled to believe our faith teaches us to own up to our transgressions hence, the Mennonite thing to do would be for Geyer to turn himself into law enforcement and face the consequences of his actions if he indeed perpetrated these acts upon innocent children.

  Again I applaud the due diligence demonstrated by Richard Thomas, and hope that our church will take the moral high ground, and see to it that the victims receive appropriate care.

  - TPM (nov 21 at 5:30 p.m.)

• Posted by U.S. Constitutional Free Press on November 26, 2011

  Shoot First, Ask Questions Later? Update on a Previous Story. Steve Geyer served as the assistant principal of Lancaster Mennonite High School in Lancaster, Pa., until school officials recently terminated his employment following what they claim are “allegations of sexual abuse.” The Mennonite Weekly Review reported in its Nov. 28 issue that “Lancaster Mennonite High School assistant principal Steven Geyer’s employment ended Nov. 17, superintendent Richard Thomas announced in a Nov. 21 letter to LMS constituents.” The paper goes on to report that Geyer (who served as assistant principal since 2005) was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 4 after school officials “received allegations that he sexually abused international students hosted in his home.”

  According to a letter Thomas sent to LMS students and their families, “We will continue to cooperate with any ongoing investigation by authorities….As a result of our internal review, we have terminated Steve Geyer’s employment and affiliation with LMS effective Nov. 17, 2011. He has been barred from the campus and from having contact with LMS students.”

  The paper continued that after being told of the allegations, school officials immediately took action and removed students from Geyer’s home and contacted child welfare officials. Three [international] high school students and one middle school student lived at the home, the paper state. A couple other news articles on some other online news sites also noted that LMS is providing counseling for students. The Mennonite Weekly Review concluded, “Because the investigation is ongoing, details have not been released about how many students are involved in the allegations and what time period is covered.”

  OK, so it initially appears that school officials are being very proactive in dealing with what they would like us to believe is a horrible case of child sexual abuse. However, we’re actually left with more questions than answers. As mentioned above, Mennonite Weekly Review is not the only publication that published a story about Geyer. Several other news outlets published similar articles, but the one thing they all have in common is that they only published the school’s side of the story.

  There’s no comment from the accused (Geyer) or any “victim.” They literally took the superintendent’s statements as the gospel truth. The readers of these articles are left with no other impression than that Geyer is a child sex abuser, because the superintendent of schools said so, due to some unspecified “allegations” made by an unspecified accuser. But here are some important questions that need to be answered:

  • Do we really know if anyone actually made any allegations against Geyer? If so, that brings us to the next question.

  • Why don’t school officials identify Geyer’s accuser (or accusers, if that is the case)? Are the accusers minors or adults? Any additional details would be helpful.

  • Without police even being involved in the case, why did school officials immediately place Geyer on administrative leave and then fire him. This is a very valid concern especially since he was not and has not even been arrested or charged with any type of crime.

  • Why did school officials like Superintendent Thomas feel compelled to make public allegations of child sexual abuse before police had even conducted an investigation to determine whether the allegations were valid or false?

  • Why aren’t police speaking out about these “allegations”? Why don’t they let the public know whether Geyer is a person of interest or a suspect? Why leave the man and his friends and family in suspense, and wondering if he’s going to be taken into custody any minute?

  Remember the aforementioned letter by Thomas in which he wrote, “We will continue to cooperate with any ongoing investigation by authorities.” Examine his carefully chosen words when he uses the term “any ongoing investigation.” That is an indication that there may not actually be any formal or full-fledged investigation being conducted by authorities, i.e. police.

  And speaking of police, earlier this week we contacted the East Lampeter Township Police Department and tried to find out why that department (which according to a couple news articles is the law enforcement agency investigating the case), has not issued any press releases or statements. The police official we spoke with on the phone immediately got on the defensive and wanted to know how we knew anything. But all we wanted to know is why police aren’t publicly commenting on the case. Instead of providing answers, the police official verbally attacked us and the conversation turned into an unproductive shouting match. That was the end of a conversation with a very defensive police agency.

  That’s the problem with this story. There is NO story. The fact of the matter is that Steve Geyer has not been arrested or charged with a crime. And let us reiterate the fact that police have not even confirmed if they are even taking these so-called allegations seriously.

  What we do know is that Superintendent Thomas and his associates with the Lancaster Mennonite School system have taken upon themselves to be Geyer’s judge, jury and executioner. Despite the fact that none of the LMS officials- including Thomas- are criminal investigators or police officers- has not seemed to stop them on their witch-hunt against Geyer.

  As far as we know and understand, Geyer has not even been given the opportunity to plead his case before school officials. But it doesn’t look like he’ll ever get that chance. He’s not only been fired from his job, he’s also been barred from school premises and barred from any and all contact with LMS students. Plus, LMS is offering counseling to students, as if school officials know for a certainty that Geyer indeed actually committed sexual offenses against students. Since when did LMS school officials take upon themselves the roles of judge, jury and executioner? School officials have taken all this drastic action against Geyer, even though he’s not even been named a person of interest by police or prosecutors, let alone arrested and charged with even one offense.

  And members of the media reporting this story have done Geyer a disservice as well. They went with the information the LMS superintendent provided them and didn’t even bother to ask the hard questions. Why didn’t they ask Thomas why he decided to publicly announce that Geyer is accused of such horrible allegations before police even had the opportunity to properly investigate these supposed allegations? Why would Thomas and his fellow school officials make such an announcement, knowing full well that this would destroy Geyer’s name and reputation?

  What if police don’t find any evidence of wrongdoing on Geyer’s part and decide not to press charges against him? Or what if he is arrested and then is exonerated of any wrongdoing in a court of law? What will Lancaster Mennonite School do then? Geyer’s reputation will have been destroyed. Regardless if he’s innocent or guilty, Geyer now has to carry the burden of being an accused sex abuser, despite not even knowing who his supposed accuser is. Even if Geyer is cleared of any wrongdoing, his life will never be the same. So what will Lancaster Mennonite School do: simply apologize and carry on with business as usual while leaving a man’s life in shambles?

  Even if there is validity to the allegations, the way Lancaster Mennonite School has handled this situation has been wrong and grossly unfair. If there is ever someone who has been “thrown under the bus,” so to speak, that would be Steve Geyer. How will Geyer ever get a fair trial when school officials have already tried and convicted him in their minds, as well as in the media and in the court of public opinion?

  The superintendent of schools has a lot of explaining to do. Police also need to speak out and tell us what they know and whether they believe the allegations the superintendent made public have any credence at all. There is more to this story than meets the eye. If you are concerned about truth and justice, then you should be appalled by what is happening with this case.

  - CLK (nov 26 at 5:01 p.m.)

• What is the U.S. Constitutional Free Press doing in the Mennonite Weekly Review?

  - Laura (nov 26 at 6:40 p.m.)

• This forum is open, and both prospectives should be treated objectively by all readers.

  The U.S. Constitutional Free Press article does pose some preplexing questions concerning the ostenible slow pace of governmental invstigations.

  I stil believe, child welfare and safety should trump the potential rush to judgment. Do you not agree Laura?

  - TPM (nov 26 at 6:58 p.m.)

• I grow increasingly concerned as this case seems to be stuck in neutral. Though, perhaps the analogy is, stuck because the vehicle is not moving at all. I am now leery about the way in which Lancaster Mennonite has handled this and each day I grow increasingly concerned. I think I begin to smell a lynching, a panic-inspired premature event, or worse case scenario – a cover up. I say this because it is almost impossible to believe that the local law enforcement do not now have sufficient data to at least take to a grand jury, if not to indict Mr. Geyer. If there was insufficient evidence found, why will no one come forward to exonerate Mr. Geyer? Were his alleged actions so severe as to perhaps include others possibly engaged in a cover-up? Or, was this a case of management over-reacting and doing the knee-jerk reaction? Still, Lancaster Mennonite seems to have taken a little time to investigate before terminating Mr. Geyer’s employment, so I am going to believe they acted ethically in accordance to what they believe they saw. But my friends, we grow troubled here because the life of a man – possibly an innocent man – now hangs precariously in the balance. Let us pray for him and for his family that peace and justice may quickly be delivered. Rich

  - Rich (nov 28 at 8:46 a.m.)

• An Open Letter to Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite School Superintendent Richard Thomas

  Dear Mr. Thomas,

  Several weeks ago you publicly announced that Steve Geyer, who served as assistant principal of Lancaster Mennonite High School had been fired following supposed “allegations that he sexually abused international students hosted in his home.” You also announced that he has been barred from the campus and from having contact with LMS students. We also know that you announced that you removed four students from Mr. Geyer’s home and contacted child welfare officials. And you shared all of this information with numerous TV stations and newspapers, which disseminated it to the world.

  Since announcing that Mr. Geyer’s employment had been terminated, effective, Nov. 17, you have refused to say anything else about the case.

  We completely understand and appreciate your prime concerns are the safety and welfare of your students. However, the way you handled this particular situation is of deep concern to us because a man’s civil liberties and right to due process appear to have been violated. For example, it is our understanding that Mr. Geyer has not even been given the opportunity to plead his case before you or other school officials. And what we also know is that to date, Mr. Geyer has not been charged with any crime and police have not even identified him as a person of interest. We do not even know if police from any jurisdiction are truly investigating the allegations of sexual abuse that you claim have been leveled at Mr. Geyer.

  Despite the fact that Mr. Geyer has not been charged with a single crime, YOU, Mr. Thomas, have tried and convicted him in the court of public opinion. You have managed to destroy Mr. Geyer’s name, reputation and career without due process. You did this despite not having presented a shred of evidence to back up the allegations you claim were made against Mr. Geyer. As far as we know, you have no law enforcement credentials nor any criminal investigative experience, but apparently such lack of qualifications did not prevent you from taking decisive action against one of your (now-former) long-time faithful employees.

  As superintendent of the Lancaster Mennonite School system- and as we recently found out, moderator of the executive committee of the Mennonite Church USA- we would expect you to live up to a higher standard: the Christian standard. This standard requires followers of Christ (and everyone else) to love their neighbors as themselves and to be fair and just. Did you demonstrate this love toward Mr. Geyer? Do you truly believe that you were fair and just in your treatment of this man? Did you even given him a real oppportunity to defend himself before you cast him out of your midst? Do you realize that you publicly shamed and humiliated Mr. Geyer, even though no criminal charges had been (and have not been) filed against him?

  Mr. Thomas, do you believe the actions you took against Mr. Geyer were in accordance with the teachings of the Christian faith? Were your actions sanctioned and approved by the Mennonite Church USA, of which you are not only a member, an employee but also moderator? Did you consult and pray with the brethren of your church before taking it upon yourself to ruin Mr. Geyer’s life and to have him branded as a child sex offender in the court of public opinion?

  On Dec. 5 we called you in an effort to give you the opportunity to shed more light about this case and to explain why you felt compelled- before any criminal investigation had been conducted and before any arrests were made- to publicly announce that one of your employees had been accused of allegedly committing one of the most horrible crimes known to humanity: child sexual abuse. But instead of taking advantage of this opportunity to set the record straight, you immediately hung up the phone. Since you apparently do not have the courage to answer our very legitimate questions and concerns by phone, we decided to publish an open letter with the hopes that you will change your mind and go on the record to defend your actions.

  So Mr. Thomas, this is your chance to answer the questions we have posed to you in this letter. Our questions are fair and legitimate. The public deserves an answer. And Mr. Geyer also deserves an answer as he now stands publicly condemned before the world without even knowing the specifics of the accusations you claim have been made against him.

  So Mr. Thomas, we eagerly invite you to reply to this open letter by emailing us at usconstitutionalfreepress@yahoo.com. We will be happy to post your reply on this site.

  Sincerely,

  The U.S. Constitutional Free Press

  - CL (dec 7 at 11:16 p.m.)

• Wondering if CL a/k/a US Constitutional Free Press (an oxymoron if ever I heard one) has any experience in child abuse cases and/or any aspect of school law. There are numerous agencies involved in a situation such as this, all of whom operate under "no comment" rules due to the fact that there are minors involved. This matter could take months to resolve and I can guarantee no one will be talking. So, cool out, catch your breath and wait for it. By the way, I believe the grand jury met several YEARS ago in the Sandusky matter. LMS is no where near that point yet.

  - Debra Bender (dec 8 at 1:29 a.m.)

• Debra,

  You better pray and hope that you're never accused of similar allegations and then have yourself publicly labeled a sex abuser without even having been charged or arrested. Do you really believe it was correct for Richard Thomas to take it upon himself to announce that Steve Geyer had been accused of sexual abuse before police even conducted an investigation? So you support the idea that all someone has to do- regardless of he or she is a minor- is simply claim that someone sexually abused them- and that allegation immediately becomes public before police involvement? Yes, sexual abuse is a major problem in our society, but we also have to guard against modern-day witch hunts that sometimes destroy innocent people in the process. If you read the open letter to Richard Thomas more carefully, you would understand the points I'm making. But you'd rather play lawyer and defend a system that pronounces people guilty until proven innocent.

  - CL (dec 8 at 8:38 a.m.)

• I'm very saddened that CL from the U.S. Constitutional Free Press has decided to conduct his own trial of Mr. Thomas in a Church-Related news forum. It probably never occurred to him that in extremely sensitive situations like this when "accusers" tend to be the victims - underage victims at that - it takes time for any law enforcement agency to build their case against someone before charges are forthcoming publicly. There is no doubt in my mind that the police used due diligence in making sure every i is dotted and every t crossed so that no one gets let off with a technicality.
  

  Additionally, CL took it upon himself to do his own investigation of Mr. Thomas and speaks as if Mr. Thomas acted all alone in his decision to terminate Mr. Geyer. If CL had time to think through what every administrator must do as a competent leader, especially in an Anabaptist institution, there is no way that He acted alone to terminate Mr. Geyer. LMHS has a school board, and there are other administrators who worked together to decide the best course of action with the information they had at the time. Apparently, they made the decision they did with plenty of information coming from law enforcement, and perhaps even Mr. Geyer's accusers.

  Apparently CL thinks that the justice system works immediately and that victims should stand before their accusers, especially if they are minors. As a counselor and pastor of an Anabaptist-Affiliated Church, I am well too aware of the way that many people try to blame the victim. Granted, people in the press and media often judge the accused too soon, but Mr. Thomas was very wise not giving CL the time of day so as to protect the integrity of Mr. Geyer until all the information came out from the DA's office.

  Well, the information from the DA's office just came out today. I wonder if CL will post an apology to Mr. Thomas at LMHS here for readers to see. I also wonder if CL will contact Mr. Thomas and apologize for the way s/he handled him/herself in this post. Mr. Thomas, from the looks of it, terminated Mr. Geyer in a way that showed good judgment, prudence, and wisdom, being careful not to yield to the temptation to an inexperienced reporter looking for an angle that will make him the next Bob Woodward. Mr. Thomas did his best to protect the children of LMHS and to show courageous leadership in the face of a painful situation. He, more than any other person at LMHS, probably lost a LOT of sleep over the "alleged" actions of someone else. Let's wait and see what happens from people who are accusing Mr. Thomas now.

  - JK (dec 22 at 3:42 p.m.)

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