WGBA is at it Again

On Tuesday, 20 May, 2008, the reporters from Green Bay television station WGBA-TV were out on an undermining expedition. This stemmed from charges against Daniel Callan for sexual assault of a child. One ten year-year-old child claimed that Callan took him in a bathroom and touched him. Supposedly this started with a discussion about sex with the complainant. Charges were filed on 7 May, 2008.

It turns out that Callan has been involved with children through teaching and several schools as well as independent youth organizations. The Appleton Area School District, Menasha Joint School District, Green Bay Area School District, and the ACES Xavier Education System, all sent informational letters to parents.

The letters asked parents to talk to their children about sexual assault. Most of the letters left out a very important civics responsibility. The accused is presumed innocent. The letters could include statements that many child assault charges are false, but I suspect that school administrators lack the courage. Only the Appleton School District letter addressed the concept that Callan is not presumed guilty. The Appleton letter also stated its purpose was not to raise alarm. In contrast, the Menasha Area School District encouraged parents to search for incriminating statements from children.

Too often, there are false allegations of child sex crimes. And, too often it is a parent or a mob of parents behind the accusations. The excesses of the prosecutions in Fells Acres, Little Rascals, and other hysteria cases have been lost on the prosecution and public alike. In those mass hysteria cases, children were damaged, some irreparably, by the State.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, WGBA reporters were out stopping people to get their condemnation of the accused. WGBA was doing its part to condemn the accused before facts are tried.

I’ll give the respondentâ€™s credit for not blaming the schools, but I will fault them for being so quick to believe the charges. In their gullibility, they have no idea that they can be accused as easily as Callan.

But, the reporting strategy of WGBA is suspect. This is the news team that revels in news items that are shocking, emotional, disturbing, and so on. I wonder if they are capable of honest and impartial reporting.