Principal's Gross Negligence Let Abuse Continue

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A former California principal accused of failing to report the suspected sexual abuse of a young student at her school tearfully told jurors that she believed a teacher when he told her the reason he had blindfolded the girl and put something in her mouth was to teach her about Helen Keller.

Lyn Vijayendran, onetime principal of San Jose's O.B. Whaley Elementary School, testified Thursday that the second-grade teacher appeared forthright and "looked me right in the eye" when he explained that what had happened was part of a classroom lesson.

Santa Clara County prosecutors have charged Vijayendran, 36, with failure to report child abuse, a misdemeanor. The law requires principals, teachers and others who come into contact with children to report suspected child abuse.

The charge came after Vijayendran was told last fall of a possible molestation and she determined through her own investigation that no crime had been committed, authorities said. Police later found four more girls at the school that were believed to have been molested.

This is why you don't perform your own investigation.  This is why you report it and let third party professionals decide whether something inappropriate went on.  Kids don't automatically act weird when abused, nor do they always resist inappropriate behavior.  But asking a girl to spread her legs and discovering semen on chairs says this happened more than once.

If her only crime really was being too trusting, her ignorance still allowed several kids to endure something no child should have to face.