Republican bill would throw Missouri teachers who transition students on sex offender registry



There are policies in place in various schools across the country that prevent educators and administrators from informing parents that their children are undergoing so-called transitions at school. In many cases, teachers and staff are actually encouraged to covertly aid confused students in masquerading as members of the opposite sex.

Missouri could soon do things a whole lot differently.

Rather than afford educators cover to transition kids behind parents' backs, Republican state Rep. Jamie Gragg and a few of his peers want to put them on a sex offender registry.

Gragg, of Christian County, introduced House Bill 2885 last month. The bill, which has since been co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Jeff Farnan, Hannah Kelly, and Brian Seitz, would amend state law concerning the registry of sex offenders and introduce a penalty for "the offense of contributing to social transition."

"Social transition" is defined in the legislation thusly: "the process by which an individual adopts the name, pronouns, and gender expression, such as clothing or haircuts, that match the individual's gender identity and not the gender assumed by the individual's sex at birth."

Under the proposed law, a teacher or school counselor acting in official capacity who "provides support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding social transition," can be charged with a Class E felony.

In Missouri, Class E felony convictions can land offenders a fine of up to $10,000 and four years in prison.

Offenders found guilty of socially transitioning students would have to register as a sex offenders. While grouped on the lowest tier, offenders would nevertheless be required to report to the chief law enforcement official annually.

Presently, Missouribars most sex offenders from loitering within 500 feet of a school when one or more minors are present; approaching or contacting children near a child care facility building; knowingly being present in or loitering with 500 feet of a public park or playground equipment; and knowingly coaching a sports team in which a minor is a member. Consequently, a conviction under this proposed law would likely amount to the end of an offender's career in education.

Gragg told KYTV-TV, "This bill was created and really submitted to help parents and families and to help teachers. I talk to parents every day who are frustrated with things that kids are being taught in school."

"I would say the large majority of teachers in our state, and also in our in our country, do a great job, they do a fantastic job," said Gragg. "This [bill] is to put the social learning development of our children back in the hands of the parents."

The Republican added in a statement to Newsweek, "Education begins at home, and it's time for the few liberal activists who've infiltrated the education system to stop interfering in the relationships between parents and their children. We need to make sure our teachers, those who spend their lives helping our children grow and prepare for the world, can focus on teaching. HB 2885 does just that."

LGBT activists have denounced the Republican proposal to protect kids from grooming efforts at school.

Aaron Schekorra, the executive director of the GLO Center, an LGBT activist establishment in Springfield, suggested to KYTV that HB 2885 "is just another in a long string of pieces of legislation that are meant to incite hatred and violence against the queer community. And it comes from a source that, frankly, has just been a bully to a lot of marginalized groups in our state."

Alejandra Caraballo, a radical transvestite and Harvard Law School clinical instructor, called the bill "insane."

LGBT activist Erin Reed noted it was unlikely that "something like this could pass, even in Missouri, but it's worth noting as it's rare we get 'new' anti-trans bills that haven't been written before." He added, "And in a much more fascist, right wing, anti-trans government, should they win, it wouldn't surprise me."

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VICE Doc On Sex Offender Acceptance Ends With Interviewee Sending A Picture of His Genitalia To Producer

VICE isn’t interested in reforming the sex offender registry to keep innocent people off it, VICE wants everyone off it.

New York nonprofit that serves victims of sexual assault and domestic violence apologizes because child sex offender employee may have interacted with minors while on the job



A nonprofit dedicated to serving victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the Syracuse, New York, area is facing severe public criticism after it knowingly hired a convicted sex offender, who may then have interacted with minors.

Vera House, a nonprofit organization that works "to end domestic and sexual violence and other forms of abuse" and has served the Syracuse area for 40 years, has recently admitted that it knowingly hired Marcus Jackson, who in 2000 was convicted of having a sexual relationship with two teen boys in Florida.

Jackson worked at Vera House as a victim advocate from October 2020 until August 1, when Jackson and Vera House agreed to part ways after more information regarding his past became publicly known. Not only was Jackson convicted in 2000, but he was also convicted again in 2016 for failing to register as a sex offender. Syracuse.com also reports that Johnson served time in a New York state prison for perjury, though when he committed the offense and when he served time are both unknown.

Jackson was also arrested on July 31 of this year for allegedly stealing copper wire and scrap metal from a business. He was scheduled to appear in court on August 25, but it is unclear whether he made the scheduled appearance.

Vera House did not require Jackson to disclose any of his criminal convictions to clients.

According to a statement from Vera House, executive director Randi Bregman "was aware of Jackson’s 2000 conviction in Florida and issues relating to his failing to update his address with the Sex Offender Registry," but was not aware of "of Jackson’s other convictions," which likely would have dissuaded her from hiring him.

The statement likewise says that Vera House implemented "safeguards" to protect clients and prevent Jackson from interacting with minors, as required by state and federal law, but that at some point during his employment, those safeguards may have been breached.

The statement says that "Mr. Jackson may have broken the terms of his employment and had in-person contact at a local hospital with a 17-year-old, their mother, and nurse in December of 2021."

However, the state of New York alleges that Jackson twice had contact with minors during his employment, and a tip from a whistleblower indicates that Jackson may have routinely been in contact with minors as part of his employment.

A letter from the whistleblower, who was supposedly once a resident supervisor for Vera House, states that Jackson "picked up shifts" at the Vera House shelter on multiple occasions, "especially during Covid," which, if true, would almost assuredly place Jackson in contact with minors. The shelter provides temporary housing for both "individuals and families in crisis" for up to three months, according to the organization website. The website also discusses groups and activities at the shelter designed especially for children.

The whistleblower likewise states that Jackson was listed among those "on the call-out schedule" for area hospitals treating victims of sexual assault. According to the whistleblower's letter, those "on the call-out schedule" are often placed "in the room with victims receiving a forensic rape exams (sic)."

After Jackson left Vera House at the beginning of the month, the organization vowed never to hire another sex offender again. However, after consulting with experts, organization leaders determined that that policy wasn't legal and instead promised "that individuals with sex offenses will not work in positions that have direct contact with the people we serve."

Syracuse.com reports that because Jackson was allegedly in contact with minors while discharging his duties, Vera House must repay the state of New York for the cost of his employment, $64,537, including salary and benefits. There is also a possibility that Vera House will have to return a portion of the $1.14 million it received in federal funding because of Jackson.

Teen who sexually assaulted girl at Loudoun HS bathroom won't have to register as a sex offender after judge reconsiders



The teenager who sexually assaulted a girl in a high school bathroom in Loudoun County, Virginia won't have to register as a sex offender after a judge reconsidered the sentence.

The unnamed 15-year-old had been sentenced earlier in January to supervised probation in a residential treatment facility until he turned 18 years old. He was also sentenced to register as a sex offender.

On Thursday, Judge Pamela Brooks said she made a mistake and lessened the sentence.

The 15-year-old was convicted of two acts of sodomy and was at the center of a national uproar after the father of one of the victims was cited in support of federal law enforcement focus on parents protesting against school boards nationwide.

Jason Bickmore, the probation officer for the teenager, argued that forcing him to register as a sex offender would be counterproductive to rehabilitating him of his criminal conduct. He said that studies showed teenage sex offenders who registered were more likely to re-offend.

Loudoun County Community Attorney Buta Biberaj argued that the case merited the unusual request because the teenager had committed a second act of forcible sodomy at a different school while he was on electronic monitoring for the first offense of sodomy. Biberaj requested that the teen be made to register as a sex offender until he reached the age of 30 years, but the judge refused.

Among the three attorneys representing the teenager was Caleb Kershner, a member of Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors.

Kershner argued that the teen had been “cheated” by the “failure of the system," but said that he was remorseful.

“We are setting him up for failure,” Kershner claimed. “We’ve never concentrated on [the boy] — we’re not even giving this young man a chance.”

Judge Brooks said that she had simply made a mistake in her prior ruling.

“This court made an error in my initial ruling," said Brooks. "The court is not vain enough to think it’s perfect, but I want to get it right.”

Here's more about the controversial Loudoun case:

Loudoun County teenager sentenced for 2 sex assaults, must register as sex offender | FOX 5 DCwww.youtube.com

Amid Criticisms A Sex Crimes Registry Is ‘Overly Harsh,’ Colorado Rebrands The Term ‘Sex Offender’

A state board in Colorado has voted to rebrand sex offenders as 'adults who commit sexual offenses,' a euphemism that has since come under criticism.