[Commuter]

Wow this is awful.

[Commuter]

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2013/03/02...xt#blogcomments

Possible deal in the works to dismiss criminal charges against Lebo and Gilliland.

I expect the whole thing to be swept under the carpet.

[MCRogers1974]

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2013/03/02...xt#blogcomments

Possible deal in the works to dismiss criminal charges against Lebo and Gilliland.

I expect the whole thing to be swept under the carpet.

I find it odd that the clown lawyer representing these two indicated earlier that they were 100% innocent and that a plea agreement would never come to be.

[Commuter]

Dismissal doesn't sound like a plea. It sounds like a win for the "clown lawyer."

What bothers me is the message it sends to at-risk students (any student approaching sexual maturity).

[Southsider2k12]

Dismissal doesn't sound like a plea. It sounds like a win for the "clown lawyer."

What bothers me is the message it sends to at-risk students (any student approaching sexual maturity).

Our jobs>Your kids safety. Welcome to Laporte.

[MCRogers1974]

Dismissal doesn't sound like a plea. It sounds like a win for the "clown lawyer."

What bothers me is the message it sends to at-risk students (any student approaching sexual maturity).

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...3cd5098182.html

Looks like Gilliland and Lebo will escape a trial.

LaPorte prosecutors won't put school officials on trial.
Two LaPorte High School officials accused of failing to report an inappropriate relationship between a junior varsity volleyball coach and an underage girl will not be prosecuted, an attorney for the girl's family complained Monday, saying the family was told such a prosecution would "cost too much money."

Athletic Director Edward Gilliland and head volleyball coach MaryBeth Lebo each were charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure of duty to report the sexual crimes.

They are accused of having reason to believe a relationship between the girl and Robert Ashcraft, a former girls assistant volleyball coach, was happening and not reporting it to law enforcement or child protective services between August 2007 and October 2008, court records state.

Ashcraft was found guilty in 2011 of three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of child seduction, court records show. He is serving a 21-year prison sentence.

Attorney Tim Stoesz, who represents the girl's family, said the LaPorte County prosecutor's office told the girl's family a month ago that Lebo and Gilliland were offered pre-trial diversion, which does not require them to admit blame or guilt.

Under pre-trial diversion, charges against defendants are dismissed if they stay out of trouble for a designated period of time.

Stoesz said the girl's family was told the primary reason for prosecutors offering pre-trial diversion was because prosecuting them "would cost too much money."

Stoesz represents the family in a civil lawsuit against Ashcraft, Gilliland, Lebo, the state and LaPorte Community School Corp., claiming officials ignored indications the relationship was happening. That suit is pending.

"I have personally reviewed the evidence contained in the Indiana State Police investigation report and, in my professional opinion, the evidence against MaryBeth Lebo and Ed Gilliland is very strong," Stoesz said in a written statement to The Times.

Deputy Prosecutor Chris Fronk said the cases against Gilliland and Lebo still are pending, but he challenged Stoesz's interpretation of their status.

"I would not agree that that is a correct assessment of the matter," Fronk said.

[Commuter]

"Truth is stranger than fiction." -- Mark Twain

[Southsider2k12]

Well it looks like if you want to be protected as a child molester LaPorte has become a solid option.

[Commuter]

I hope this story gets picked up by the local papers.

"Failure to report" doesn't seem limited to the defendants.

[Southsider2k12]

I hope this story gets picked up by the local papers.

"Failure to report" doesn't seem limited to the defendants.

It makes me feel a lot better about how MCAS handled the situation at MCHS this year.

[Commuter]

It makes me feel a lot better about how MCAS handled the situation at MCHS this year.

No complaints there. I was making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the local papers' failure to report. Not against the law -- but you always have to look away from here for news of prison escapees and other disquieting local news.

[Tim]

"which does not require them to admit blame or guilt."

How does one admit blame?

[Southsider2k12]

No complaints there. I was making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the local papers' failure to report. Not against the law -- but you always have to look away from here for news of prison escapees and other disquieting local news.

I can't argue with that. It is odd which stories end up in the paper, and which ones don't. Even sometimes with them ended up in the papers of the surrounding towns.

[Southsider2k12]

Someone is circulating a petition to try to make sure Gilliand and Lebo go on trial on change.org, but I can't find the thing. Has anyone got a link?

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...e97ffbd232.html

LAPORTE COUNTY | A judge Thursday scheduled hearings on a motion that two LaPorte school officials should be tried outside the county on allegations they failed to report their suspicions of a sexual relationship between a now former coach and player.

LaPorte Superior Court Judge Jennifer Koethe also decided to hear motions that a special prosecutor be appointed in the case and that both cases be tried together during the same hearings.

Koethe is scheduled to hear all of the arguments for the entire day on June 5 and for a half-day on June 6 on the motions submitted Wednesday by the defense and prosecution.

Defense attorney Elizabeth Flynn, in her written motion for a change of venue, said pre-trial publicity could make it difficult to find jurors who would not be tainted from what they've read about the case in the press.

LaPorte High School athletic director Ed Gilliland and former girls varsity volleyball coach Mary Beth Lebo are charged with two counts of Class B misdemeanor failure to report child abuse and neglect.

[Commuter]

I wonder what this is costing taxpayers?

This is getting ridiculous.

Add to that the record-setting $18.7 million sought by the victim and her family ($500+ for each working adult in LaPorte County, or roughly $187 for every man woman and child) and I've started to question the whole thing.

[MCRogers1974]

I wonder what this is costing taxpayers?

This is getting ridiculous.

Add to that the record-setting $18.7 million sought by the victim and her family ($500+ for each working adult in LaPorte County, or roughly $187 for every man woman and child) and I've started to question the whole thing.

The tax payers of La Porte County would not be responsible should any lawsuit be lost. The patrons of the La Porte Community School Corp. would be responsible. Plus, I assume the LP school system has insurance against such losses.

[Commuter]

Insurance companies have denied claims based on negligence on the part of their insured, or third-party negligence on the part of the policyholder (the corporation) which employed the offender. Never assume until the check is cashed.

[Commuter]

Why read fiction? Reality is so much more ironic.

Gilliland receives distinguished service award and award of merit from the Indiana Athletic Administrators Association and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Story:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...m=true#comments

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...a6fd794f73.html

LAPORTE | Separate trial dates have been set for LaPorte High School athletic director Ed Gilliland and former high school girls volleyball coach Mary Beth Lebo on allegations they failed to report suspicions of a sexual relationship between a now former coach and player.

LaPorte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer Koethe on Wednesday scheduled the trial for Lebo starting Aug. 12 and the trial for Gilliland to begin Aug. 26.

She also granted the motion by LaPorte County Prosecutor Bob Szilagyi to remove his office from the case and seek an outside prosecutor.

The defense alleged Szilagyi had a conflict of interest due to personal feelings against Lebo and Gilliland.

Szilagyi disputed the claim, but said he asked for his office to be removed to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

A request by the defense to have the trial outside LaPorte County due to pretrial publicity and a motion by prosecutors for the cases to be tried together were not decided.

No hearing date was set to hear those arguments. A hearing date will be set once an outside prosecutor is chosen, according to courtroom officials.