The Citadel Child Sex Abuse Tragedy - Louis "Skip" ReVille Chgd with 22 counts

[MuffyBee]

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16925556/pinewood-prep-responds-to-lawsuit-involving-skip-reville
Pinewood Prep responds to lawsuit involving Skip Reville
February 13, 2012

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV)-- Over a month after the attorneys representing victims of Louis "Skip" Reville filed suit against Pinewood Prep, the private school has answered the allegations that they knew the abuse was going on.

The suit is also filed against the school's former headmaster, Glyn Cowlishaw and former guidance counselor, Brendan Diffley, in regards to ReVille abuse allegations. The victim alleges that Pinewood Prep, Cowlishaw and Diffley were notified that ReVille improperly touched him and other boy students while on school property but did not report it.

The chairman of the board of trustees for Pinewood Preparatory School, Dr. James Mann, issued the following statement regarding the legal response filed by Pinewood denying any knowledge or wrongdoing. (Read Statement in article at link)
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Investigators have continued to stack charges against ReVille as he has reportedly identified more and more victims each week. Charleston attorney Mullins McLeod, who represents other identified victims of ReVille, said that the list of victims has grown to as many as 30.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/15/school-denies-reville-cover-up/
Pinewood Prep denies ReVille cover-up
School says lawsuit by former student meritless
By Glenn Smith
February 15, 2012

Pinewood Preparatory School officials want the public to know they don't think a former student's December lawsuit against the elite private academy is worth the paper it's printed on.

Pinewood filed court papers Monday categorically denying the alumnus' allegations that the school and its former headmaster, Glyn Cowlishaw, covered up molestation by one-time teacher Louis "Skip" ReVille.

James Mann, chairman of the school's board of trustees, also took aim at the former student, known only as John Doe, in a written statement describing the complaint as "unfounded and without merit."
"Mr. ReVille was terminated solely for his failure to teach at the academic level that we expect from our teaching staff and is expected by the families who have sent their children to Pinewood for more than 60 years," Mann stated. "Those who claim that Mr. ReVille was terminated for any other reasons are misleading and wrong.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/18fac6bfe44844bf818d07fb698fd01f/SC--Citadel-Sex-Abuse/
Citadel asks that suit from failure to report sex abuse complaint be dismissed 
BRUCE SMITH  Associated Press
February 21, 2012

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Citadel wants a judge to toss out a lawsuit that alleges a young boy was sexually abused because the military college never told police about an abuse complaint concerning one of its former camp counselors.

The college received a 2007 complaint from a camper who alleged he had been molested by Louis "Skip" ReVille, a counselor at the school's summer camp almost a decade ago. While the college did an internal investigation, it never reported ReVille to police.

ReVille, a Citadel graduate, is now charged with molesting nine youngsters after he left The Citadel when he was a teacher and coach in Charleston area schools, recreation programs and churches.

In December, a mother who lives out of state sued, alleging that her son would not have been abused later by ReVille had the military college reported him to police.
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In a response, attorney Randell Stoney said the military school "specifically denies any and all allegations that imply or suggest it knew of ReVille's dangerousness in 2007."

The school's response said the suit doesn't prove parental emotional distress and the claims are barred under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, which says in part that a governmental entity is not liable for a loss resulting from "the criminal actions of third persons."
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/02/21/3759731/citadel-wants-lawsuit-in-sex-abuse.html
Citadel wants suit in sex reporting case dismissed
By BRUCE SMITH - Associated Press
February 21, 2012

[Sister]

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/02/21/3759731/citadel-wants-lawsuit-in-sex-abuse.html
Citadel wants suit in sex reporting case dismissed
By BRUCE SMITH - Associated Press
February 21, 2012

of course they do . . .

[MuffyBee]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/florida-house-committee-passes-bill-to-punish-schools-2194966.html
Florida House committee passes bill to punish schools that fail to report molestation
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
February 23, 2012

A House panel unanimously approved a measure that would punish universities, colleges and schools for failing to report child molestation with a $1 million fine per incident and heightened penalties for child molesters.

Child sexual abuse scandals at Penn State University, Syracuse University and the Citadel prompted Rep. Chris Dorworth to sponsor the measure at the request of influential lobbyist Ron Book, whose daughter Lauren is a child abuse survivor.

The scandals at the universities outside Florida exposed loopholes in state law, Book said, about required reporting of suspected sexual abuse on minors.

Current law only requires people to report suspected child sexual abuse if the perpetrator is believed to be a caretaker of the child. The bill (HB 1355) would change that, and also require that the Department of Children and Families child abuse hotline handle reports of any kind. Currently hotline operators accept all calls but refer some callers to law enforcement agencies.

"What you find is that universities, especially ones that have popular athletic programs, people try to protect those institutions. And when they do that, they make a decision that the institution is more important than the child," Dorworth, R-Lake Mary.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wistv.com/story/17091584/solicitors-office-announces-indictments-in-reville-case
Grand jury indicts ReVille on 22 counts
Posted March 6, 2012, Updated March 7, 2012

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) -

The Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office announced Tuesday the grand jury indictment of suspected child predator Louis "Skip" ReVille on 22 felony counts related to sex crimes involving 15 victims.
During a press conference at the Charleston County Solicitor's Office, officials said the charges are regarding oral sex incidents performed by ReVille on minors.

The former Charleston-area teacher and coach, who police say confessed to sexually abusing up to a dozen school-aged boys, worked as a teacher and coach at various schools in the Lowcountry.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said that the 22-count indictment involves 15 separate victims in Charleston County. According to Wilson, the victims in Charleston County were between the ages of 11 and 14.
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Authorities say ReVille has one victim in Berkeley County and six in Dorchester County. ReVille has not been indicted on charges involving those victims.

Trial dates have been set for the end of June. If convicted, Reville could face a 20-year sentence for each count.

ReVille's charges include second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, lewd act against a child under 16 and disseminating obscene material.

ReVille is being held in the Charleston County Detention Center on more than $1 million bond.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/mar/07/counts-against-reville-grow-to-22/
Counts against ReVille grow to 22
Accused molester facing more than a century in prison
By Glenn Smith
March 7, 2012

Louis "Skip" ReVille became one of the Lowcountry's most prolific molesters Tuesday as his tally of alleged victims rose to 22 amid a sweeping round of indictments that could land him in prison for more than 100 years.

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson announced that a grand jury had indicted the former coach and teacher on 22 counts of molesting and/or showing pornographic material to 15 young boys in Charleston County.
Additional indictments against ReVille are expected in the next month in connection with six more victims in Dorchester County and another molested boy in Berkeley County, Wilson said.

Some of the Dorchester victims are former students of Pinewood Preparatory School, where ReVille taught from 2002 to 2006, she said.

Wilson also announced that The Citadel won't face criminal charges for failing to notify police about a 2007 complaint regarding ReVille holding porn and masturbation sessions at the school's summer camp five years before.
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(ReVille Timeline in article at link)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/17091667/skip-reville-undergoes-more-psychological-evalutions
ReVille undergoes more psychological testing
By Natalie Caula
March 6, 2012

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) -- Louis "Skip" ReVille got another trip out of the Charleston County detention center recently -- a second psychological evaluation in Summerville.

According to court records, ReVille's attorney Craig Jones ordered ReVille to be transported from the jail to a forensic psychiatrist's office on March 2. On December 13, ReVille spent several hours undergoing an evaluation at the same doctor's office.
ReVille faces charges of criminal sexual conduct and lewd act on a minor by the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Police say he molested or assaulted nine boys.
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Attorneys in the case have said ReVille may have had up to 30 victims. More charges are expected to be filed.

ReVille has been in jail since his arrest on October 28. His bond is set at more than $1 million.

According to Charleston County Sheriff's Office officials, ReVille remains separated from the jail's general population, based on safety concerns.

At his last bond court hearing in November, Jones said ReVille had been cooperating with investigators. Jones also said in November there would probably not be a trial.

"He has indicated to me that he does not want to go to trial. He doesn't want the victims to relive anything," Jones said November 23rd after ReVille's second bond court hearing.

Whether that remains to be true and when he is expected to go before a judge, is still unclear.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/03/08/3802679/proposed-sc-child-abuse-law-called.html
Proposed S.C. child abuse law called too soft
By Gene Sapakoff - gsapakoff@postandcourier.com
March 7, 2012

CHARLESTON --

When Citadel officials heard in 2007 that former camp counselor Louis "Skip" ReVille lured boys into his dorm room with the promise of Chinese food, then showed them pornographic movies, they were not legally obligated to inform police.

It's just as easy for car-pool drivers or youth-league coaches to withhold signs of child abuse or neglect. Even if bruises and suspicious stories cry for action.

Pending South Carolina legislation has the momentum to change that, but can't help the boys the jailed ReVille is charged with molesting - and doesn't do nearly enough, said leading Lowcountry child abuse prevention advocates.

State Sen. Mike Rose wants to expand the state's mandatory reporter law to include everyone over 18. Senate Bill 1054 last week passed 36-0 on its second reading.

"We need to err on the side of protecting the children," Rose said Wednesday.

Gov. Nikki Haley agreed.

"Sexual abuse will not be tolerated in South Carolina and the governor supports efforts to stop it," Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said. "She appreciates Senator Rose's leadership on the issue."

Mandatory reporter laws differ among states but typically require teachers, nurses and clergy, among others, to tell authorities about child abuse or neglect.

After announcing Tuesday that a grand jury had indicted ReVille on 22 counts, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said South Carolina's reporting statute should be expanded to

ReVille had various coaching jobs after he graduated from The Citadel in 2002 until his arrest in October, and few of the positions required ReVille or his supervisors to report signs of abuse.

Jolie Logan of Darkness to Light said reporting laws alone do not "fix the problem."

"I am excited that legislators are interested in helping," said Logan, chief executive officer of the Charleston-based child abuse prevention organization. "But we need to stop the abuse or we will be forever fighting the problem. Education will have to accompany law changes."

The Rose bill does not impose a penalty for failure to report.

"If it did, it wouldn't pass the Senate," Rose said. "But at least people will know there is a legal duty to report."
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Libby Ralston, director emeritus of the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center, said the bill "lacks teeth."

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/03/08/3802679/proposed-sc-child-abuse-law-called.html#storylink=cpy

[MuffyBee]

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/mar/11/from-burning-houses-to-pricey-cocktail/
From burning houses to pricey cocktail parties
March 11, 2012

The S.C. Freedom of Information Act has helped expose mismanagement, corruption and government inefficiency. Here are some examples of high-profile stories The Post and Courier uncovered within the past six months thanks to open public records.

 
Citadel molestation

What: Allegations surfaced that Louis ReVille had molested students at The Citadel's summer camp.

What the records exposed: At first, The Citadel refused to release public documents related to its investigation into ReVille, but eventually relented.

The documents revealed how the school tried to minimize its legal exposure and failed to report ReVille to authorities.

The school's president didn't learn about some of these details until the newspaper submitted its FOIA request, prompting a public apology.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/17140757/amended-lawsuit-against-admitted-molester-skip-reville-adds-defendent-and-details
Amended lawsuit against Pinewood Prep adds defendant and details
March 12, 2012

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV)-- Changes made to the complaint initially filed against Pinewood Preparatory last December includes the addition of the school's Director of Guidance, Brendan Diffley as a defendant.

The complaint also adds that in March of 2004, Pinewood Prep officials were notified by a parent that ReVille had "touched the groins of multiple male students" while on Pinewood Prep property.

The complaint states that Diffley and former Pinewood Prep headmaster, Glyn Cowlishaw, met with Reville on March 16, 2004 and told him, in writing, that he was not to spend "extra-curricular time with students without parental and school permission" nor were students to visit his home.

The complaint also says that Cowlishaw and Diffley "mandated that ReVille seek counseling as a condition of continued employment."

Listed in the amended complaint are graphic details of the abuse allegedly suffered by the plaintiff and other Pinewood students while at ReVille's home. The abuses are listed as spanning almost two years while the plaintiff was between 12 and 14-years-old.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.aikenstandard.com/story/m1024-BC-SC-CoachSexCharge-03-18-0443--3871503
Paper: Police warned Citadel of questionable act
March 19, 2012

CHARLESTON (AP) -- Police warned The Citadel more than a decade ago about questionable behavior involving counselors and campers at the school's Charleston campus.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Sunday that Sgt. Dale Middleton wrote to the school's commandant in August 2001 that counselors discussed sex around campers and that some young campers were in bed with counselors.

One year after Middleton's letter, counselor Louis "Skip" ReVille reportedly hosted young boys in his dorm room to watch pornographic videos and masturbate. ReVille has been indicted on 22 felony counts of molesting boys.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.wistv.com/story/17188671/more-lawsuits-to-be-filed-against-the-citadel-in-reville-case
More lawsuits to be filed against The Citadel in ReVille case
March 19, 2012

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) -

The Citadel and its president are facing several lawsuits involving accused child sex predator Louis "Skip" ReVille. A Charleston area attorney is expected to announce the filings of multiple lawsuits against the military school Monday afternoon.
Charleston Attorney Mullins McLeod says he represents three people who say they were molested by ReVille. McLeod will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Monday to announce more details of the lawsuits against the Citadel and its president.
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[MuffyBee]

http://charleston.thedigitel.com/crime/louis-skip-reville-indicted-22-counts-update-more--38266-0319
Louis 'Skip' ReVille indicted on 22 counts (Update: More lawsuits against The Citadel)
By Ken Hawkins (enhanced by others)
March 19, 2012

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Update March 19: There will be an announcement today on details of new lawsuits that have been filed against The Citadel for not reporting complaints complaints against ReVille to the police.

Live 5 News reports that Charleston Attorney Mullins McLeod - who represents three people who say they were molested by ReVille - will be announcing the details of these new cases today at 1 p.m.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.gazette.com/articles/former-135461-lawsuits-afa.html
Former AFA boss in the middle of sex assault lawsuits
March 19, 2012

In a lawsuit filed against the school's president, attorneys for a former camper say that retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John Rosa was told in 2007 that a camper had been molested by a former Citadel cadet working as a camp counselor at the school five years earlier, but that Rosa didn't report the allegation to police.

Instead, according to the lawsuit, Rosa offered the camper money not to raise the issue in court and only began speaking out about the abuse allegations last year, after media reports surfaced concerning allegations against the counselor, Louis "Skip" ReVille.

Rosa is a former superintendent at the Air Force Academy. He was brought to the Colorado Springs campus at the height of the academy's 2003 sexual assault scandal and mandated sweeping changes at the school to curb sexual assault and gender discrimination in the ranks.

According to the lawsuits, ReVille had been working as a contract employee in The Citadel's writing and learning center in 2007 but abruptly stopped working for the school several months before his contract was set to expire. Paperwork included with the lawsuit shows that ReVille's contract was to run through the end of June 2007 but that he parted ways with the school in a "mutually satisfactory release" in March of that year.

Had he alerted authorities, Rosa could have potentially prevented ReVille from harming other boys, the lawsuit says. ReVille has been indicted on 22 felony counts of molesting young boys, and his attorney has said his client is sorry for any pain he has caused.
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Rosa has said that The Citadel should have done more after the camper's 2007 complaint. A Citadel graduate, Rosa was tapped in 2003 by the Pentagon to serve as superintendent of the Air Force Academy in the wake of a sexual assault scandal that found female cadets feared they would be disciplined if they reported rapes. He went to The Citadel in 2006.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson has said The Citadel faces no criminal liability for not reporting an abuse allegation involving ReVillle. But the lawsuits filed Monday are civil in nature and, while they don't seek specific dollar amounts, the attorney who filed them said that his clients want The Citadel to set up a program to prevent further abuse.

"They hope to play a small part in the prevention of future sexual abuse," plaintiffs' attorney Mullins McLeod said.

An attorney for the school did not return a message Monday.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/19/3110870/attorney-files-6-lawsuits-vs-citadel.html
Attorney files 6 lawsuits vs Citadel, president
By Meg Kinnard
March 19, 2012

[MuffyBee]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxel/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1913978/National/The.Citadel.accused.in.lawsuits.of.sex.abuse.cover-up
The Citadel accused in lawsuits of sex abuse cover-up
By Harriet McLeod
March 19, 2012

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"The abuse was terrible," McLeod said in a news conference on Monday. "After he left The Citadel, ReVille formed a fraternity of victims called 'The Killers,' and he had nicknames for them based on the size and shape of their penises."

Initiation into 'The Killers' required performing oral sex on ReVille, the lawsuit said. The college engaged in a conspiracy to protect itself, McLeod said. Had The Citadel stopped ReVille in 2007, two of the other alleged victims would not have been abused in the following years, the lawsuit said.

One of those young men said ReVille sexually abused him hundreds of times starting at age 12, and the other reported that ReVille began abusing him when the alleged victim was 10.

Citadel attorney Dawes Cooke Jr. said several of the allegations made in the lawsuits were false. He said Rosa did not conspire to cover-up accusations against ReVille and disputed that ReVille previously tried to turn himself in to police.

Cooke said ReVille was a temporary employee in 2007 and had submitted his resignation before the abuse claims were made that year.

"We intend to vigorously defend all three of these cases," Cooke said, adding the school denies any negligence in the case of the former camper.

The suits seek unspecified damages for "severe and irreparable emotional harm," McLeod said.

In 2006, the school paid a $3.8 million judgment in a civil suit filed by five former campers who said they were sexually assaulted by Marine officer and camp counselor Michael Arpaio. Arpaio was court-martialed for the crimes by the U.S. Marine Corps and served time in Charleston's Navy Brig.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.dailygamecock.com/viewpoints/item/3863-abuse-scandal-strikes-military-school
Abuse scandal strikes military school
By Michael Lambert, Third-year French student
March 19, 2012

Citadel fails students by hiding incident

[MuffyBee]

With the latest 11 indictments, the total charges now stand at 22.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2012/mar/22/louis-skip-reville-facing-11-new-charges/
Louis 'Skip' ReVille facing 11 new charges
Allyson Bird, Independent Mail coverage partner The (Charleston) Post and Courier
March 22, 2012

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson on Wednesday announced that a Berkeley County grand jury returned 11 indictments against the former coach and teacher. The new charges involve five alleged victims already connected with existing indictments in Charleston County and one from Berkeley County.

(See list of charges in article at link)