"You can't work with the benefit of the doubt going to the supposed perpetrator. You need to go the other way when it comes to children. "
In December, 2011, a letter was written to the head of the School of Fine Arts containing "allegations against Robert Miller, 66, a former head of the music department who has worked at UConn since 1982." (Note: You may recall that the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke November 5, 2011 - which I think promoted MANY survivors - myself included - to finally speak up)
And it appears that UConn administrators might have known:
[State Attorney General George] Jepsen's office, in documents released Monday, revealed that at least some UConn officials may have known since at least late 2011 about alleged misconduct by Miller. Further, Jepsen's office states that "between 2006 and 2011, several allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with minor children by this same faculty member were allegedly brought to the attention of University employees."
While their PR department is fighting desperately not to draw parallels to the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State alleged cover-up, there are some stark similarities.
Unquestionable public personae
Access to children (donated time to charities)
Could have been stopped years earlier
Escalating behaviors
Access is key to successful pedophilia
In the Jerry Sandusky case, most of his victims were identified at camps or through programs run by the Second Mile. Miller's access was through a The Hole in the Wall Camp in Ashford, CT.
A spokesman for The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp in Ashford confirmed that Miller was a volunteer at the camp from 1989 to 1992 when the improper contact was alleged to have taken place.
The camp's lawyer told police that one of the boys had "confided in his parent" about "inappropriate incidents" in 1992.
Missed Opportunity
Similar to the Jerry Sandusky case where, in 1998, a heroic mother spoke up for her child only to be dismissed by multiple local, state and governmental organizations, Robert Miller could have been stopped over 20 years ago.
"These events date back more than 20 years. At that time, the camp immediately removed Mr. Miller from his position," Ryan Thompson, the organization's senior development officer, said in an emailed statement. "When the current investigation began several months ago, it was unclear whether the matter was reported to the appropriate authorities at that time. Therefore, the camp immediately made a report to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and has continued to cooperate fully with authorities."
...immediately removed Mr. Miller from his position...but it was unclear whether the matter was reported to the appropriate authorities at that time.
This man has allegedly been abusing children for years in both Virginia and Connecticut.
The statute of limitations has expired for any crimes that might have occurred in Connecticut, but one person claimed he had been assaulted in Virginia, where the statute of limitations has not expired, according to court documents. Miller began his music teaching career in Fairfax County, Va., public schools before coming to UConn three decades ago, according to his biography on UConn's website.
State police are asking anyone with information on the case to call major crime squad detectives at the Tolland state police barracks at 860-896-3200.
Oh, and because I have to - disclaimer:
"It is important to note that no one has been charged with a crime in relation to these allegations, and the university has not made any final determination regarding the status of an employee,"
Update 12:18 p.m.
I received a call back from Beth Starkin, Manager Communications for Hole in the Wall Gang, and she directed me to their statement - which I have republished here in full:
Back in February, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was notified of an investigation involving Robert Miller, who was a volunteer and seasonal staff member at the Camp more than 20 years ago. This prompted us to conduct our own investigation, which indicated that in 1992, Mr. Miller was immediately removed from his position and banned from the property for inappropriate behavior outside of Camp, involving children who had attended the Camp. Since it was unclear whether the matter was reported to the authorities back in 1992, the Camp immediately made a report to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and has continued to cooperate fully with authorities.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is committed to the safety of those children whom we are deeply privileged to serve. It is a sacred trust that our families give us, and we will continue to do everything in our power to honor that gift. All members of the Camp family who have questions, concerns or need support should contact CEO Jimmy Canton at (203) 772-0522.
The safety of our campers is our first core value and most important responsibility. In the years since our founding in 1988, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has continued to define and refine safety policies to meet our high standards and the realities of a changing world. Camp conducts criminal and sexual offender background checks for those working directly with children, including volunteers. In addition, Camp fully trains staff to be responsive to safety concerns, and conducts child abuse and neglect detection and reporting training annually with the Yale Child Sexual Abuse Clinic. During each summer session, 100 trained staff members work to ensure that up to 120 seriously ill children have the best Camp experience imaginable. This same standard of attentiveness also applies to our year-round programming.
For more information about the Camp’s commitment to the safety of our children, please review our Safety Overview at http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/...
If you have any questions, you may reach Beth Starkin at 203-776-4659
8:21 AM PT: I just called Hole in the Wall Gang and asked if they would be releasing a statement. I was referred to SeriousFunnetwork.org, the parent company of all of these camps, and to the CEO, Jimmy Canton. I left a message for his public relations group asking if they were going to release a statement. I left my name, phone number and email. Hopefully I will hear something shortly.