William J. Kelly thinks the Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) more than 500 cases of child rape and sex abuse over the last decade are more than enough cause for federal investigation.
“The Justice Department’s just-announced investigation into clergy sex abuse in the Pennsylvania Catholic Church is long overdue,” the radio host wrote in a Washington Examiner opinion piece. “However, if these cases, which date back to the 1940s, justify a federal probe, then the 520 cases of child rape and sex abuse in the Chicago Public Schools since 2008 should move President Trump and [former] Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take swift action as well.”
Kelly’s critical assessment was sparked by a recent Chicago Tribune “Betrayed” themed special series that uncovered at least 523 plausible cases of such illicit behavior, leading investigators to conclude that CPS officials “routinely ignored prior criminal histories and failed to warn out-of-state schools about teacher misconduct.”
In one instance, a convicted felon allegedly sexually assaulted the16-year-old track star he coached. In another, CPS neglected to warn Florida school officials about the history of an alleged serial groper accused of preying on the special needs students he taught.
Since the Tribune published its report earlier this year, news of the case involving former Johnson Elementary School social worker Marvin Lovett has come to light. Lovett is reported to have abused at least 19 children before being shot to death in 2000 by a boy he is accused of having abused beginning when the child was 12 years old.
“Mayor Emanuel should be held accountable for this scandal,” Kelly, also the founder of RevDigital, added in his op-ed. “He appointed the heads of the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Public Schools, who knew about these cases. CPS lawyers interrogated student sexual abuse survivors and reported back to CPS. All of this was hidden from the public.”
Kelly said it perplexes him why the problem hasn’t garnered more media attention.
“Is this the same media that dedicated round-the-clock coverage to the salacious and uncorroborated abuse allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh?” he added. “Where are national Democrats and Code Pink activists who stalked, harassed,and screamed at senators on Capitol Hill during the Kavanaugh nomination? Why aren’t they shrieking outside of Mayor Emanuel’s fifth-floor office at City Hall?"
Finally, Kelly said he is in full support of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ recent decision to withhold millions in federal grant money from CPS stemming from the mess.
“The Emanuel administration has buried this scandal, failed to warn school districts of sexual predators sent their way, and enabled dangerous sexual predators to have access to children,” he wrote.
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