LITTLE ROCK (AR)
UALR Public Radio
By JACOB KAUFFMAN
A former volleyball coach and a former athletic director from Mount Saint Mary Academy are headed to trial next week over allegations of sexual abuse. Kelly O’Rourke previously admitted to molesting a student in 2012 and will face charges over violating parole by attempting to contact the girl she molested. Kathy Griffin, the athletic director and a counselor for 9th grade girls, will face charges for having knowledge of child abuse but failing to report it.
The national group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, sent a representative, Barbarra Dorris, to Little Rock Wednesday. She visited the Pulaski County Courthouse where the two trials are set.
“The school has done very little. They issued a statement that is extremely vague. You don’t know whether the teacher committed murder, stole school supplies, or molested a child. Parents needed that information to go home and talk to their kids to find out what happened,” said Dorris.
Dorris also offered critical words for Bishop Anthony Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock, calling on him to use his “bully-pulpit” to visit the school and create a supportive atmosphere so any other potential victims could come forward. She said school and church officials’ response mirrors what is seen elsewhere.
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