by Donna Swagerty Shreve
During my son Aaron’s freshman year in high school, we
experienced the excitement of his enthusiasm for drama culminating
in a tour of the Soviet Union to preform at various Soviet high
schools, vigorous fund raising, hints of appearing on a national
television program, the arrest of their high school drama teacher and
the trial that sent the teacher to prison for molesting one of his
students.
The acting bug bit Aaron probably in sixth grade. He played
Nick Bottom the weaver, in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Most of his lines were delivered through a large donkey mask. He ended up stealing every scene he was in and was rewarded with laughter from the audience. Aaron went on to participate in the SCCT Stockton Civic Theatre Children’s summer theatre and was able to obtain some good roles.
When Aaron entered high school, he signed up for a drama
class. The drama teacher was known for his popular productions including an award winning vaudeville performance at State Fair. His classes were popular as he was very charismatic. In the year 1988 Mr.Linda adapted “Tom Sawyer” in a staged show and had the ambitious goal of taking his high school actors to Europe for a grand tour. All of the performanceswere in the Soviet bloc countries. The only non-Soviet bloc countries they entered were Stockholm on the way in and Copenhagen on the way out.
. So many hurdles had to be overcome for this tour to happen.
First event were the auditions. Aaron was given the role of Joe
Harper. His character was part of the trio of boys who run away to an
island and pretend to be pirates. Aaron was thrilled with his character
and made friends in that cast that he has to this day. Now the harder
part began so they could afford to travel and visit all of the sites on
the tour. I believe Mr. Linda was hoping for a few big donors but that
did not happen. Each student begged for funding from relatives and
neighbors but there was still much more needed.
Finally Mr. Linda had to reach out to the parents for more help
with fund raising. Until now Mr. Linda had tried to do most all of this
endeavor by himself. Groups of the parents stood outside Costco in
several locations on weekend begging for money. We had a
telephone telethon and were on a local T.V. station in hopes of raising
more money. Parent meetings started happening as we brain stormed
for more ways to raise the money. I ended up being the group
secretary and I kept track of what was discussed and our new goals
as they evolved.
While the parents held their meetings, the students went to a
homework room and supposedly did their homework. Not even the
parents believed that was happening. In our neighborhood was a
fellow cast member who wanted a ride to the meetings as it became
a social gathering for the students. One evening when I went to pick
up this student, I saw his mother outside the house hanging on to a
post on the porch. Her son was actively beating her and she was
yelling in pain. Aaron and I were both stunned. I knew little of the the
situation except that she was a single parent trying to raise her 14
year old son. When the son saw us pull up he ran into the house
leaving his mother clinging to the post. I immediately got out of the
car and went to her. I asked her what I could do to help her. She
replied, “Don’t give my son a ride and help me back into the house.” I
asked if I could call the police and she said just get her into the
house.
When we got to the front door, it was locked. I called to Rod
and asked him to unlock the door. I threatened to call the police and
he unlocked the door. This was before cell phones. Rod was
pretending to be on the phone as he opened the door. I again asked
his mother if she was alright. She assured me she was. I left her and
as I headed down the walkway, I again heard her yell in pain.
Aaron was shook and begged me to do nothing. I did not
promise him that but said someone had to be told. The parent
meeting started and I took minutes. During the meeting Mr. Linda
came up to me and wanted to know all about the incident with Rod. I
realized he was in and out of of the meeting and obviously Aaron had
told his fellow classmates and Mr. Linda had gotten word. I explained
to Mr. Linda I would talk to him after the meeting but right now I was
busy.
When the meeting was over, Mr. Linda came up to me and
wanted to hear every detail. I related what I knew. He assured me he
would take care of it and I did not have to do anything. Looking back
now, I am ashamed to say I was more than willing to let him handle
the problem. After several more fund raisers, the parents had finally raised the necessary money needed. To visit the Soviet Union certain
requirements were needed including proper clothing. All of the
students needed the same prescribed color pants, shirts and jackets.
A personal guide met them at the airport and was with them
constantly. They were followed and watched the entire tour. During
their trip the students took pictures. As a side note, Aaron
met his future wife at one of the schools in St. Petersburg, Russia.
When the students returned from a successful tour, the parents
were invited to view the film that one of the chaperones had taken. In
another month we could look back at that movie and realize all of the
signs were there. Our journey as parents of this cast had just begun.
One of the male students had a crush on another student and went to his youth group. He told his youth pastor about his involvement with the drama teacher. The youth pastor urged the student to report his abuse and he finally agreed. Meanwhile I am driving my son Aaron to Tokay High School because he was taking awkward shaped props to help in his drama skit he was performing that day. It was too much to carry on the bus so I gave him a ride. I let
Aaron choose the radio station and he chose a local one that
interrupted the music for local news. The previous afternoon police
had come to Tokay High school and went away with Mr. Linda in
hand cuffs. We heard this news in the car on our way to Aaron’s
school day.
Aaron had an early class that freshman usually do not have.
Students had to really commit to taking drama classes. A substitute
was waiting for them in drama class. For the rest of the school day
students would question Aaron about the big news. He knew no more
than they did. Unfortunately some students asked Aaron if he was
gay as he was in drama. The male victim was well liked by most of
the cast. However, his confession blew up their fame. Supposedly the
then Phil Donahue Show was reaching out to have the cast on his
show. That was all gone now. Mr. Linda was well liked and for some
students, it was easier to not believe the victim and blame him. They
went from feeling so much pride and fame to shock, shame and
conflict.
Fortunately there was a big group of students who believed the
victim and supported him throughout the ordeal, Charges were
lodged and a trial was set up. Parents were now communicating and
comparing notes. We also showed up at court to support the victim.
The victim had been offered a scholarship to a college that he had to
turn down because of needing to appear in court. The trial could have
been sooner but we believed the delay was to get the victim make a
choice between getting justice or an education through a scholarship.
After comparing what information we could garner, we found out
there had been a long history of abuse for this teacher. He was
convicted and he served six years at Deuel Vocation Institute prison
in California. I am guessing his prison term was not pleasant as child
molesters are not treated well.
The chaperones included former victims and an administrator
who was aware of the past history. Aaron was not a victim as he did
not fit the profile. Mr. Linda specialized in young sons being raised by
single mothers. He would swoop in and volunteer to help give
guidance to the young man. The mother who was being beaten called
me after the ugly incidents came to light. She wanted to know if I
thought her son could have been a victim. It seems Mr. Linda had
called her after he was aware of her situation and wanted to help.
Fortunately for this young man there was not enough time for his
grooming to happen. She had a progressing illness that made her
weak and easy prey for her troubled son.
A group of 30 students who had been like family became quite
divided and many did not even sign each other year books at the end
of the year. Fortunately some of the students who supported each
have kept in touch. Thirty students got quite an education in life as
part of their public schooling.
It has been almost 40 years and many of the details have faded
but I was horrified at how easily this teacher was moved from district
to district without any prosecution. It took a victim brave enough to
tell the truth when he realized he was being abused and not loved.
1454 words
D. Shreve
11/23/2024
Addendum: from my son after reading my version
To raise the $1700 and change (in 1988 dollars) needed for each student, the students of the Tokay Theater Arts Soviet Tour group were forced to cajole their parents into phone banks for a televised telethon with a give away of a donated car from a local dealer. They also had to traipse the neighborhood, door to door, beseeching sponsorships for a 10 mile walk-a-thon. Then there were the exhaustive rehearsals, and construction of rehearsal cubes we’d be using as set pieces. The whole school buzzed with anticipation of the monumental tour, and those participating enjoyed the kind of clout usually reserved for star athletes. At least for a while.
Just a week or so before the scheduled departure, Larry Linda received a phone call in his office. Those who witnessed recalled that Mr. Linda seemed very upset by the call and left for home shortly thereafter. Rumors and gossips couldn’t tease out the truth, but was the only recourse for concerned students. The next I remember, we were having another Tour meeting, and Mr. Linda announced, perhaps poutingly, that principal Dutch Williams would now be coming along as well as an additional chaperone, (bringing the number of adults from 4 to 5.)
As it turns out, and what we didn’t know, was that the Lodi police department had received a credible report of ongoing sexual abuse of a student by Mr. Linda. The police must have made a visit to Mr. Williams’ office letting them know that they intended to place Mr. Linda under arrest. Dutch must have persuaded them that the collateral damage, indeed the undoing of the whole imminent Soviet Tour, was something to consider as a mitigating factor. I can only imagine the conversation or conversations and imagine all the other parties who may have been involved: the superintendent of course, the mayor? The compromise reached, was that the tour would be allowed to proceed, and Dutch Williams himself would be coming along to assure that everything would be on the up and up. We did end up going, and made history, and enjoyed the experience of a lifetime, (including Phil, who got left alone in the Kremlin when the tour bus left without him!) Very shortly after our triumphant return, Mr. Linda was taken into custody, and the tight knit group that considered themselves something of a family, was split by loyalty to the disgraced teacher, and the victim. The school’s good will was gone too, as suddenly being in the theater department automatically put us in suspicion for participating in pedophilia.
But the trip had gone off, despite the fact that Lodi police had their arrest warrant at the ready. Even in hindsight I fully support the decision made, to salvage the trip from the grip of tragic scandal. What’s even more interesting, is that I have a son, nearing his sixteenth birthday, who indeed owe’s his entire existence to the compromise that Dutch Williams made that day in relative secret. I’d heard that he met with his own scandal years later, being caught in infidelity by his wife, and resigning in disgrace. But as I’ve tried to teach my son since forever: there are no good guys, no bad guys– there are people who do good and bad things.
2233 words
11/24/2024
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