Kudos for tough justice

And, this time, the justice came from Edward Bearse, an Anoka County judge who is ruling in this case of teacher-student sex allegations.

The details are still being hashed out, but a veteran Stewartville third-grade teacher is accused of inappropriate sexual touching with several students. One of the allegations is that the teacher, a 63-year-old man, used a small stool to have girls sit in front of him so he could rub himself on their backs. A few of the girls passed him a note asking him to stop the behavior; later, those girls went to the principal.

But the tough justice came during the bail hearing. When the teacher's lawyer asked for leniency on the bail conditions so the teacher could continue to be near his grandchildren, the judge denied the request, citing the seriousness of the allegations.

There is no doubt that teachers have been mistakenly, and even falsely, accused of sexual abuse. And it's possible this teacher is among them. A judge's order to stay away from grandkids would be a devastating blow to an otherwise innocent man.

But what if the teacher is guilty? In that case, this teacher needs to be as far as possible from children - his own and others'.

Within the past year, there have been several teacher-student sex cases in this area that have been brought to trial. I've reported on many of them. I even received a call from one of the victims, and that 15-minute conversation remains among the toughest I've ever had - personally or professionally.

And if I've learned one thing from it all, it's that the victims are real. Students who are sexually abused by teachers and authority figures almost always have many years of emotional and psychological pain in front of them. Later, their wives and husbands will cry with them; their therapists will bill them; and the public, by and large, will forget about them.

But judges and other stewards of justice must always keep the victims in mind. And, sometimes, protecting children must come at the expense of the rights of the accused.

If the Stewartville teacher is found innocent and the charges false, he will be owed an apology. But not from the judge, who deserves kudos for erring on the side of caution and protecting children from his harm - even when his decision may be considered by some to be excessive.

A little provincial pride.

As long as we are celebrating (gloating?) in victories over our neighbors on the eastern border (Brett Favre anyone?), here's the latest list of top average ACT scores by state.

For the fifth consecutive year, Minnesota's students have posted the nation's best average ACT score. Iowa ranked second with Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota rounding out the top five. And while only 27 states have a majority of students taking the college entrance exam (many east- and west-coast states still use the SAT), Minnesota's results do show signs that implementing rigorous academic standards and increasing the availability of post-secondary and college-level courses can produce tangible results.

Parents: Begin panicking now.

Have a seat parents. This could be a bit unsettling.

According to this report from OnlineFamily.Norton - a web-management tool that, among other functions, helps parents block certain web content from their children - kids are not quite as naive as we'd like to believe. In the report issued Friday, OnlineFamily details kids' top 100 search terms collected anonymously through Symantec between February and July 2009.

Some on the list are not surprising in the least, and some are actually encouraging. Michael Jackson (11th), Miley Cyrus (15th), Club Penguin (22nd), Amazon (35th) and weather (44th) all ranked in the top 50.

But other search terms are downright terrifying. "Sex" ranked fourth while "porn" was sixth; "Boobs" ranked 28th and "naked girls" ranked a few spots ahead of "Playboy" at 86th. In between were a handful of non-flattering slang terms for genitalia.

Of course, none of the parents out there have searched any of those terms themselves. But if they had, they would have seen that simply typing "sex" into a search bar can yield a host of explicit images, video and audio - much of it without requiring sign-up or registration.

The web is no different than any other public space where children need to be supervised. But unfortunately, there are no security guards and there is no 911 in cyberspace. Dangers and strangers are allowed to roam the web unchecked - which makes parents the best (and only) police.

Supervise wisely.

From the mailbag ...

I'm not sure if this is a sign of the economic times or of an overworked email server, but lately I'm receiving an increasing number of product emails in my inbox. These emails usually arrive under a heading portending certain disaster if they aren't opened immediately - and they usually are sent straight to my delete folder without second thought. But a few have caught my attention:

- "My Sister, Alicia May:" This particular book is about a young girl growing up with a sister who has Down syndrome. Many contemporary childrens books address issues such as race, ethnicity and sex - but few venture into the territory of special needs. Full disclosure: I have not read this book and cannot vouch for its quality - but it's worth a mention for the simple fact that the book explores a relationship few others have.

- Plastic surgery for kids: Yes, you read that right. And no, the email is totally serious. In fact, this doctor says plastic surgeons can play an "important role" in children's lives. Not for facelifts and liposuction, but for reconstructing and treating large scars, lacerations and broken bones (especially in the face). Must be a tough economy indeed when an Orange County doctor is marketing surgery services to pre-teens.

- Advanced potty tactics: I'm going to quote straight from the release on this one and allow you to make your own humor (although, strangely, I can see how this product might be helpful):
"There's a revolutionary new product that makes potty training a breeze. ... Potty Pony Pals. This innovative training underwear is the only product to have graphics on the inside of the garment. It comes with a DVD that shows toddlers how to watch over their new potty underwear and keep the 'pal' on the inside dry!"
Whatever works, right? Incidentally, the company that markets the underwear also promotes a host of other innovative, but slightly wacky, baby products. Check them out: Bee-Tees (character-building t-shirts), Paci-Plushies (pacifier holders), G-Mom bags (designer diaper bags), Bibs N Burps (bamboo burp clothes and bibs), and Modest Middles (nursing tank-tops).

Facing the (referendum) music

The drumbeat begins anew.
In the last two years, about 150 Minnesota school districts have attempted operating referendums, and for many different reasons. Sometimes due to financial mismanagement, sometimes deflating enrollment, sometimes unexpected maintenance projects or technology upgrades.
But now, with state aid for schools frozen for at least the next two years (and likely the next four) and delayed aid payments a certainty, some school districts are already forecasting significant budget challenges.
In Mankato schools, where the sting is still evident from the latest $3 million reduction, officials have predicted that future cuts are all but certain.
In Waseca, school officials took to the county fair this week to gauge community support for a referendum desperately needed to maintain programs in the face of declining enrollment.
And the Blue Earth Area School District just hired a consultant to help plan fall referendum.
These schools will not be the last and, in many communities, taxpayers will have the painful decision of taking from their own thinning wallets to keep schools out of debt.

Lancers salute

All you need to know about the Mankato Area 77 Lancers took place in the summer of 2008, the year before this, when I was covering my first preseason training camp for the Lancers parade season.
It's called Spat Camp (can't remember why) and encompasses musical, physical and mental training. Practice, march, exercise, eat, repeat - that's the general theme of events at Spat Camp, which is held at Dakota Meadows Middle School the first week after school lets out and goes for more than 12 hours a day.
About 100 kids from all over the region participate in Spat Camp, but several parents are also on hand to sew and repair uniforms, make sure kids are hydrated, etc.
While chatting with parents during my first visit to camp in 2008, a lone student ambled into the room with his head tilted mysteriously backward.
When asked about this curious cranial position, the student lowered his chin to answer - but before the words could escape, gushing blood from his nose answered for him.
The student had tripped during a marching exercise and bashed his beak. No broken bones, but plenty of flow.
While a half-dozen parents scrambled for gauze and smelling salts and sewing kits, this unfortunate young Lancer calmly waited, fingers pinching at the nostrils. I asked him how he felt and he responded: "Late for practice."
No kidding.
Since then, that's my image of the Lancers. Dedication and commitment to success - even while your nose is bleeding.
And this year is no different. In addition to winning grand champion at the Jefferson City (Mo.) Parade on its recent performance swing through Missouri, the Lancers have been rated top marching band at several parades and are ranked in the state's top three.
The Lancers have a rich tradition, and this year is another for books.
NOTE: The Lancers hold their final performances of the season on Tuesday (8:15 p.m. at Sibley Park) and Sunday (7 p.m. at the Alltel Center).