E M P O R I A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S
The B ulletin T H U R S DAY, AUGUS T 31, 2017
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Families seek damages in alleged abuse case A llie C rome acrome@esubulle tin.com
teacher at the center, and Keely Persinger, the former director and Schneider’s supervisor, were investigated by The Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF), according to Goss. The investigation substantiated the allegations of physical and emotional abuse
and lack of supervision. Goss, in a press release, stated that two teaching assistants reported suspected abuse to the DCF. They did so after first notifying Persinger, who did not make a timely report of the allegations, according to Goss. In addition to the DCF
investigation, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) carried out two surveys of the CECE. The surveys found instances of noncompliance that were in
Four families have filed a civil lawsuit against Emporia State, the Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) and the former director and former teacher of CECE , alleging see CASE page 2 emotional and physical abuse of four children. The families are asking for an excess of $2.1 million in damages. “Our investigation has revealed the children suffered multiple and separate instances of physical and emotional abuse at the Center,” said Peter Goss, an attorney at The Goss Law Firm, P.C., which is a Kansas City, Missouri based firm. “The children’s parents trusted Emporia State University, the Center for Early Childhood Education and their employees to protect and care for these children as their own. The Defendants clearly failed these children, the children’s families and the Emporia community.” Goss, along with Eric Morrison, an attorney at the Overland Park based Morrison Law, LLC, represent the families. Gwen Larson, assistant director of marketing and media relations, said that the university The Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE), is located within the Butcher Education Center on Emporia does not comment on pending State’s campus. The CECE, along with Emporia State and two former university employees, is involved in a civil lawsuit alleging that four children experienced abuse while in the center’s care. Abigail Ponce | The Bulletin lawsuits. Kimberly Schneider, a former
HORNET LIFE
ESU student campaigns against sex trafficking S arah S poon
sspoon@esubulle tin.com
Maggie Unruh, during her sophomore year at Emporia State, founded a campaign against sex trafficking called “Southwest Kansas, Stop the Traffick.” Unruh, currently a junior communication and music performance major, held her first event with this new campaign Saturday in Garden City. The kickoff marathon for Stop the Traffick included a 2 mile walk, a 5K and a 10K. The event was funded by money Unruh and Janene Radke, executive director for Family Crisis Services, Inc., received from a $44,500 grant from the Attorney General’s Office’s Human Traf-
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ficking Assistance Fund. “I had never thought before that human trafficking was really a Kansas problem,” Unruh said. “I definitely thought it was a big city problem or another country problem.” Unruh began doing research when she found out it was a big issue in Southwest Kansas. “I am in awe,” Radke said. “She’s (Unruh) got a passion and a drive that just amazes me...She made the connections she needed to build an awareness within the community...She’s courageous, she’s smart, she’s just an all around amazing person.” Unruh was hired by Family Crisis Services, Inc., to work as their human trafficking engagement coordinator. Her duties in-
clude overseeing and reporting on projects, organizing events, and conducting trainings. “I think that this is something that will add value to other people’s lives and it has added value to my life and what I want to do in the future,” Unruh said. “I didn’t just want to come to ESU and leave with a diploma and so, being a communications student, this is a really amazing opportunity to directly apply a lot of the things that I am learning in my classes.” Unruh’s first Stop the Traffick event used the marathon to fundraise money for the Oasis of Peace organization in Garden City, which plans on opening a shelter for victims of human trafficking this year.
“I found out that there isn’t a shelter for victims of human trafficking west of Manhattan, Kansas,” Unruh said. Verna Weber, who is on the board for Oasis of Peace, said their goal was to serve four women in the first year. “We hope to provide a place for them to heal, to build self confidence and to build some skills so that they can go into the workforce,” Weber said. “I’ve known Maggie since she was a little girl and she is a tremendous person. She’s a selfless person who wants to do good in the world...She has really taken this project and run
see UNRUH page 7
Dance team surfaces thanks to dance lovers D ustin B ittel
d b i tt e l @ e s u b u l l e t i n . c o m
Studio owner and dance instructor from Council Grove, Anneliese Troxell, has created a dance team in order to bring dance back to ESU. “Every year this network of dancers that love what they do grows stronger, and more refined, and it happens organically,” Troxell said. “The more our network grows, the more I realize that dance is so much more than choreography and costumes. It teaches discipline, planning, organization, confidence, power, determination, responsibility, grit, poise, grace, leadership and helps create quite outstanding human beings.” Troxell has been dancing for 27 years and has studied in Kansas, Germany and London. She is also the founder of the Tiptoz Dance Company which has a mission to offer rural communities the highest level of dance possible. “I encouraged Sophie (Adams) to start the groundwork for forming a dance team, and told her I would be there for support however she needed it,” Troxell said. “ I originally wanted to solely offer support, and wasn’t interested in coaching, but through getting to know the dancers, and ESU, I have found great joy in sharing my passion and coaching them.” The dance team started out as a club with the goal to get dance re-established on campus and start the team a year later, but the push for a dance team before the club got through Associated Student Government, according to Abigail Brown, president of dance club and sophomore music education major. “It (dance club) has been in the works since spring semester,” Brown said. “Anyone and everyone is invited to join if they have a passion for dance, despite if they have experience or not.” The team first met in April of last year, according to Sophie Adams, co-captain of the team and sophomore nursing major.
see DANCE page 3
Concealed carry policy now in affect on campus R oyell B owleg rbowleg@esubulle tin.com
Penny Mains, officer, demonstrates how to take apart an unloaded firearm and puts it back together, yesterday in Police and Safety. There are restrictions on campus concerning concealed carry. Gabriel Molina Maruda | The Bulletin
This fall semester, students can expect a change in the weapons policy on campus. As of July 1, 2017, the weapons policy permits the carrying of handguns on campus, as long as the carrier follows the restrictions found within the policy. Although the policy is legally being enforced throughout the state of Kansas, these restrictions help to ensure the safety and comfort of all on campus. However, now that guns are permitted on campus, not everyone is happy with the newly implemented policy.
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Many students were opposed to the policy, believing that it would promote safety issues on campus. “I personally do not think that guns should be on the campus,” said Shelby Marten, a senior physical and health education major. “I just feel safer without them on campus.” Madeline Volkman, sophomore elementary education major, agreed. “If there were guns on campus, there could be an accident where it can accidentally missfire or something,” said Madeline Volkman, sophomore elementary education major. Other students felt differently, seeing the policy as a way to protect themselves or others
Hoover said. “However, it is not a violation of KS law.” There is no gun training offered on campus, but a person who meets the criteria can be a carrier of a concealed weapon. Although guns are now permitted on campus, Hoover stressed the importance of always being aware of your environment, which means knowing building exits and appropriate courses of action to take if there were a live shooting. “They need to understand what the law says, and what it means,” Hoover said. “Also, what our policy is, and what our policy will allow and what our policy prohibits…I think those are very important.”
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Tuition increases lowest, second lowest in five years S arah S poon sspoon@esubulle tin.com
Emporia State tuition and fees this year will have the lowest percentage increase for the past five years for non-resident Poll of 100 students taken in the Memorial Union, and Cremer Hall students and the second lowest Infographic By Liam Kampsen | The Bulletin percentage increase for resident
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if the time ever presented itself. “There are differences in handguns and long guns which require them to be treated differently on campus,” said Chris Hoover, Chief of Police at Police and Safety. Within the weapons policy, some of the requirements for carrying a handgun is that the person be at least 21 years of age, not intoxicated or under the influence and not convicted of a felony. Other restrictions involve the weapon being concealed at all times. Faculty and staff, except for the police, are not supposed to question whether a student is carrying a gun or not. “Open carry on campus is prohibited by ESU policy,”
students, according to the Kansas Board of Regents comprehensive tuition and fees reports. “It is a good thing for all of our students,” said Allison Garrett, president of ESU. “It’s something that we, obviously, have worked hard on for the past few years. We knew that,
for our students, accessibility and affordability are really important, so we tried really hard to keep our raises as low as possible.” Tuition increased between
see TUITON page 7