Olathe parents moved ‘go-getter’ to new school. A teacher was charged with stalking her
Parents of an alleged stalking victim gathered with a group of elected officials, candidates for political office and law enforcement Tuesday to call for and plan change in state law.
They don’t want what happened to their daughter to happen to other children.
The meeting came 11 days after former Olathe School District teacher James Loganbill at Meadow Lane Elementary was charged with first-degree reckless stalking of a minor.
The stalking allegedly occurred sometime over the last school year, according to the complaint, and was “sexually motivated.”
Loganbill, 58, resigned in March after working in Olathe Public Schools since August 1989.
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority,” Cody Kennedy, communications and media manager for the district, previously told The Star in a statement. “Any instance of reported misconduct against a student or staff member is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.”
The Star generally does not name victims of crimes against children. Therefore, The Star is not naming the parents of the child in order to protect her identity.
But at Tuesday’s meeting in De Soto, they shared their story.
Last year, their house flooded. It was covered in black mold and was then condemned. The mother said they lost nearly everything they owned.
When they moved, they decided to move their daughter, a “go-getter” who is “super brave and super strong,” to a new school.
“Taking your kid to school, you feel like you’re taking them somewhere safe and where they’re supported and cared for,” the child’s mother said.
But their daughter wasn’t.
“This was the first time as a parent that made me feel helpless,” the father said. Now, he said, he’s determined to not let this happen to anyone else.
The mother said she’s grateful to the 9 and 10-year-olds in her daughter’s class who were brave enough to tell principals, the teachers and police.
One friend, she said, would switch desks with her daughter to try to get her away from the teacher.
But, she said, those children shouldn’t have to be watching out for their friends at school.
“What does this look like for our kids in the future, how do we protect them?” she said. She later added that, “it’s just not acceptable for any grown man to be stalking a 10-year-old kid.”
The mother said they feel humbled by the outreach they’ve received, not just from people in Olathe and in Kansas, but from across the country, of people sharing their stories.
And they’re only sharing their daughter’s story with her permission.
“This is something,” the mother said, “that she wanted to do.”
Their daughter only wasn’t at the meeting herself because she had tryouts for a sport.
At the meeting, participants focused on how to close loopholes in Kansas law regarding crimes against children, how to train students and teachers to speak out and partnering with community stakeholders. Participants also discussed how to work alongside school districts to bring positive change.
Sara Hart Weir, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, sat with Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe and the parents. They were joined by state legislators including Sen. Julia Lynn (R-Olathe), Rep. Brandon Woodard (D-Lenexa), Rep. Megan Lynn (R-Olathe) and Sen. Dinah Sykes (D-Lenexa). Candidates for office and police representatives were present at the meeting as well.
Hart Weir has been best friends with the victim’s mom for the last 26 years, she said.
“When it’s in your own backyard and it’s your best friend of 26 years, it can rock you and it can rock you to the core,” Hart Weir said after the meeting.
“I think this is very historic to have so many constituents and stakeholders represented at this table,” Hart Weir said. “I think our goal is to make this table bigger, as we move forward and prepare for the legislative session in 2021.”
She said they want to partner with the school districts on bringing change.
Howe said his office will conduct a nationwide search on other statutes that encompass this type of behavior and then determine the best language to use to write a new law.
“Whether you’re a layperson, a legislator, a prosecutor or a police officer, we all recognize there’s a hole in this statute for this type of conduct,” Howe said after the meeting. “And that we need to close that loophole and make sure that we protect kids.”
He said training for children on what is OK and not OK needs to be more consistent. What is happening now, he said, is some principals enforce the training, while others don’t.
“Empower the kids,” Howe said. He said that when children have the training, they speak up more often.
Hart Weir wants this bill to be the first item on Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk in January 2021.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
