WAVE Volume 5 Issue 9 on 12-14-18

December 10, 2018

Police: 2 nuns embezzled $500,000

from California Catholic School to gamble

TORRANCE, California --

Two longtime nuns at St. James Catholic School
in Torrance, California, allegedly embezzled as
much as $500,000 in tuition, fees and donations,
according to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

It is believed the nuns used that money to spend
on travel and gambling at casinos over the years.

The figure represents only what auditors have
been able to trace in six years of bank records and
might not include other cash transactions, officials
from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles told parents
and alumni.

The school said the nuns, Sister Mary Kreuper and
Sister Lana Chang, admitted to stealing the money.

"They're taking away the money from kids in
school, from kids that need the money," said Fran-
cis Grimes, of St. James Catholic Church. "To do
that, it's terrible."

Kreuper is the former principal, and Lana Chang, who are said to He added that no other school
who had been at the school for be best friends, took the money staff were implicated in the theft.
29 years. She retired earlier this from tuition, fees and donations
year. Chang was an 8th grade at St James's Catholic School in Meyers said the school did not
teacher for 20 years who also re- Torrance, south of Los Angeles. wish to pursue criminal proceed-
tired this year. ings against the pair.

The nuns allegedly got away with
their crime by depositing some
checks made out to the school
for tuition and other fees into a
bank account different than the
one used by the school.

High school student
takes own life on

campus; suicide up
dramatically statewide

The alleged theft was uncovered "Our community is concerned December 10, 2018
during a recent audit. and saddened by this situation CBS 13 KVAL 
and regret any injury to our long Eugene Oregon
"This matter came to our atten- relationship with the families of
tion during financial reviews in the school," the Sister of St JEFFERSON, Ore. — The Mar-
connection with the change in Joseph of Carondelet, the nuns' ion County Sheriff's Office said a
leadership at our school," the order, said in a statement. 17-year-old boy took his own life
parish's pastor said in a state- at Jefferson High School in Jef-
ment. "Other staff persons were The school's priest, Monsignor ferson Monday. The small town
not implicated or responsible." Michael Meyers, wrote to parents is located about 17 miles south of
last month to inform them. Salem.
The nuns' order, the Sisters of St.
Joseph of Carondelet, said the "Sister Mary Margaret and Sister "This is a tragic time for our com-
nuns are cooperating and intend Lana have expressed to me and munity," said Brad Capener, su-
to pay back the money in full. asked that I convey to you the perintendent of the Jefferson
deep remorse they each feel for School District. "Nothing can pre-
At first, the school said it didn't their actions and ask for your for- pare us for a loss like this."
want to pursue criminal proceed- giveness and prayers," Monsi-
ings, but now the archdiocese gnor Meyers wrote.
tells ABC News the investigation
has deepened and they are con- "They and their order pray that
sidering making it a criminal you have not lost trust or faith in
case. the educators and administrators
of the school."
Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper

Authorities say suicides are up during a news conference. another did last year. None of the
dramatically statewide. New sta- deaths happened on campus but
tistics from the Centers for Dis- Throughout the district all after- authorities said the Sprague
ease Control and Prevention say school activities were called off High principal's guidance at Jef-
the suicide rate in Oregon rose for Monday and Tuesday. ferson was more than welcome.
by more than 28 percent from Capener said grief counselors
1999 to 2016. That's above the are available to anyone who "It helps to have someone who's
national average increase of needs them. shared that message before,"
about 25 percent. Govus said. "And so we've been
"The crisis team consisting of able to support Jefferson School
Oregon Health Authority sent eight counselors (is) in the high District through this process.
KATU new provisional statistics school library," he explained And, you know, he went out and
on the number of suicide deaths Monday. "We'll be there until 9 bought pizzas. Pizzas are sup-
among young people. The p.m. tonight. And they will be port too."
agency says over the past four here tomorrow as well."
years, there was a nearly 10 per- Martin Rafferty, CEO of the group
cent increase in the number of Monday's suicide is the first of Youth Era, offered practical ad-
people age 10 to 24 who took the year at Jefferson High. vice for students on how to pre-
their own lives statewide. The vent another suicide.
statistics show 97 people in that But further north at Sprague High
age bracket killed themselves in School in Salem, district spokes- "The number one thing to know
2014, which shot up to 107 last woman Lillian Govus said it's a is asking the question to a friend,
year. topic they're all too familiar with. 'Are you suicidal; are you feeling

'We're grieving'

On a baseball field at Jefferson
High, Marion County deputies
made a horrific discovery at
around 9:50 a.m. on Monday.

"When deputies arrived, they
found a 17-year-old male who
had died," said Lt. Chris
Baldridge, a spokesman for the
Marion County Sheriff's Office.

He said it appeared the boy killed "That principal is actually in the down' is never harmful," said
himself. school right now assisting the Rafferty. "It's always positive. We
principal at Jefferson High have this idea that if we ask that
Capener said as a precaution the School," Govus told reporters question that we might be influ-
campus was locked down until 1 Monday afternoon. encing them to be depressed or
p.m. when students were let out to complete suicide. But that's a
early. She said two Sprague students myth."
took their own lives this year and
"Our hearts are broken and we're
grieving," Capener told reporters

Rafferty also encourages teens December 10, 2018 Court with murder and feticide
to simply reach out to the people Indianapolis Star after Rouhselang's body was
they know. found Sunday morning in a trash
'I took action': High container behind a Mishawaka
"Reach out to five people and re- school football player restaurant. Prosecutors are try-
ally ask them how they're doing," kills student over her ing him as an adult, and he is
he said. "When you randomly being publicly identified because
reach out to five friends, it might pregnancy, court of that action.
not take a lot of time. It might not documents say
even take a lot of effort. But the Breana Rouhselang had been
amount of good that you can do MISHAWAKA, Ind. – A high one of the managers for the foot-
might surprise you." school football player has con- ball team, a spokeswoman for
fessed to killing a student man- Mishawaka Schools said.
Delia Hernández, an OHA ager of the team because she
spokeswoman, said in 2016, "98 was pregnant with their child, ac- The discovery of Rouhselang's
suicides occurred among Ore- cording to court documents re- body came after her mother re-
gon youth aged 10 to 24 years. leased Monday. ported her missing early Sunday,
Most suicides occurred among Detective Gery Mullins of St.
males (73 percent), white (85 Joseph County Metro Police
percent) and those aged 20 to 24 wrote in the affidavit. The girl's
years (61 percent). Twenty- mother told police that her
seven of the deaths were among daughter, who was six months
middle school and high school pregnant, had gone to talk to the
students. father of her unborn child, Trejo,
around 11 p.m. EST Saturday.
In 2016, these were the most fre-
quently observed mechanisms of
injury in suicide deaths among
youth:

1. Firearms (43 percent) Aaron Trejo, 16, of Mishawaka
about 150 miles north of Indi-
2. Suffocation or hanging anapolis, told police that he knew
(41 percent) Breana Rouhselang, 17, was
pregnant and he was "supposed
3. Poisoning (9 percent)" to be the father of the baby," but
neither he nor Rouhselang
wanted to be parents, a probable
cause affidavit said.

"I took action. ... I took her life," Breana Rouhselang, 17, of
Trejo reportedly told police, ac- Mishawaka, Indiana, was found dead
cording to court documents.
Dec. 9, 2018.
On Monday, Trejo was charged
in St. Joseph County Superior (Photo: Mishawaka (Ind.) Schools)

When Rouhselang didn't return said. He then put a black plastic December 11, 2018
after several hours, her mother bag that he also brought from
became concerned. She went to home over Rouhselang's body, Boy dumps Trump
Trejo's home at around 1 a.m. Mullins wrote. name over bullying at
and asked about Rouhselang.
Trejo then put Rouhselang in the Delaware school
Trejo told her that he went to the restaurant's trash container and
alley behind the girl's home to walked to the river to throw her WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- A
talk to her, but she never showed phone and his knife into the student at a Delaware school will
up, according to court docu- water, according to court docu- be going by a different name in
ments. ments. class after relentless bullying.
An autopsy found that Rouhse-
Officers went to the alley and lang died from multiple stab The situation had the parents
found glasses and a stocking wounds, and that a scarf she had reaching out to Action News for
cap, two items that Rouhselang's been wearing at the time was help, saying their son's bullying
mother described as her daugh- tied so tightly that she was being wasn't being addressed by the
ter's. The stocking cap appeared strangled before she died, the af- Brandywine School District.
to have blood on it. fidavit said.
The problem: They say 11-year-
They soon found Rouhselang's In a press release, the St. old Joshua Trump was being
body in a dumpster. A black plas- Joseph County prosecutor's of- picked on because of his last
tic garbage bag had been placed fice said Trejo had been ordered name.
over her head and torso, accord- held without bond at St. Joseph
ing to the affidavit. County Jail. He is due in court on "They curse at him, they call him
Tuesday. an idiot, they call him stupid,"
When detectives questioned said his mother, Megan Trump.
Trejo at the police station, he Court records don't list a lawyer
maintained that he was sup- for Trejo. "He was getting ridiculed and
posed to meet up with Rouhse- bullied for the fact that his last
lang but she never showed up, School officials learned of Rouh- name was Trump," said his fa-
Mullins wrote in the affidavit. selang's death as they were set- ther, Bobby Berto.
ting up for the school's football
But when Mullins asked about banquet Sunday, according to a
the pregnancy, Trejo acknowl- statement from Meg Sauer, chief
edged that they fought over it, communications officer for the
the detective said in court docu- school district.
ments. Trejo told him that Rouh-
selang waited too long to tell him "Families came to what was sup-
about the pregnancy to get an posed to be a celebration and in-
abortion, the affidavit stated. stead (we) learned of this tragic
event," Superintendent A. Dean
So he "took action," Trejo al- Speicher said.
legedly said.

Using a knife he brought from
home, Trejo stabbed Rouhse-
lang in the heart, the affidavit

His parents say the bullying did say that they were sorry," for advising the staff when a drill
started for Joshua - who is not Mayer said. will be coming. In the message
related to the 45th president - section for your school, on the
when Donald Trump began run- The principal and Joshua's family bottom left is the alert triangle,
ning for office. met again on Tuesday morning. panic button, report, and check-
in and invitation button.
"I pulled him out of school and The school has agreed to imme-
homeschooled him for a year," diately change Joshua's last Alert, you know all about. The
his father said. name to his father's name in their panic button is what a staff mem-
system. ber would push if they needed
This year, Joshua was moving help immediately. It activates on
into middle school, so his parents They are also working on provid- administrators phones and gives
thought things would change. ing him extra support so he feels a GPS location of where you are
comfortable reporting any future and also opened the microphone
They even said they met with incidents. so people receiving the panic
school officials and teachers to alarm can hear what is going on.
tell them about Joshua's past
problems.

It's a fact that the Principal of Tal-
ley Middle School, Mark Mayer,
acknowledges.

"I do know the teachers were CrisisGo is just one tool that we Report, is where staff members
aware of the last name, and I here in the Long Branch Public can complete a variety of reports
know in speaking with the stu- Schools have in our Emergency from bullying to weapons on
dent that the teachers do their Toolbox. It is a communication campus. Two of the best reports
very best to try not to say his last tool that empowers every em- are Incident Report and the Bully
name," Mayer said. ployee of the district with the abil- Report. They are easy to com-
ity, authority and knowledge to plete and are great CYA for the
Joshua's parents say the bullying save lives during a crisis. aftermath of an incident.
didn't stop.
One of the newest features of the Check-in is for administrators to
"He said he hates himself, and application is the “Fast Alert” but- keep track of staff during an
he hates his last name, and he ton that appears on every emergency.
feels sad all the time, and he screen. This allows you to acti-
doesn't want to live feeling like vate an alert quickly. Message DESKTOP
that anymore, and as a parent groups have also been estab-
that's scary," said Megan. lished, where administrators and Important information about your
staff can talk with each other. desktop verison of CrisisGo.
Mayer says after a recent meet-
ing with Joshua's parents, there Message Groups are also good YOU MUST BE SIGNED
was an investigation. He says IN FOR IT TO WORK!
five students were identified and
disciplined.

"They were apologetic and they

Whistles & Lanyards

Long Branch Public Schools also
invested in supplying every em-
ployee within the district a lan-
yard with a whistle. District
procedure is that every em-
ployee (except building/grounds
and technology staff) wear the
lanyard exposed with their photo
identification and whistle.

Unfortunately, not everyone is
wearing the lanyards and the
staff are unware of how or when
to use the whistle or air horns
that were provided.

Updating your CrisisGo on your again. You can restart your com- Whistles are another tool in your
cellular devise must be done in puter, shut-it-down for the emergency toolbox for communi-
your “App Store” the daily up- evening or weekend, it will auto- cation. If someone sees some-
dates on CrisisGo have to do matically sign you back in. Again, thing dangerous with potential
with student data. CrisisGo talks this only happens after you sign loss of life that would require a
with Genesis and sends the most in once. lockdown, and don’t have time or
current information out every the ability to activate CrisisGo,
morning. The district might also Training Center they blow the whistle.
be updating the staff information
or procedures in the checklist Also under the “More” section is It is important to know, that when
section. It is important, that you something called “Training Cen- the whistle is blown or heard it
conduct the daily updates. ter” which offers videos and full means only one thing….LOCK-
instruction on how to use the DOWN. If a staff member hears
Desktop, you only need to sign application. someone blowing a whistle, they
into the application once! should blow theirs.

Some LBPS staff members have When a CrisisGo alert is acti-
reported that they didn’t get the vated for an Active Shooter or
CrisisGo alerts over their desk- Lockdown, everyone should
top. Well, in order for it to work, blow their whistle and yell lock-
staff must sign into CrisisGo. down as they start their process
Here is an interesting fact; You of securing their students or
Only Have to Sign In Once On themselves in an office.
Your Desktop.
Air horns are to be used in large
After the first time you sign into crowd spaces or outdoors.
the desktop version of CrisisGo,
you will never be asked to sign in

Potentially deadly: The Brick Township School Dis-
Parents warned about the trict says that officials recently
learned of the trend and are
‘Momo Challenge’ reaching out to parents to warn
them of the potential dangers.
12-12-18
News 12 NJ Superintendent Gerard Dalton
said in a letter to parents, “The
BRICK TOWNSHIP - New Jer- ‘Momo Challenge’ is just one ex-
sey educators are warning par- ample of dangerous ‘games’
ents about a potentially deadly through social media that has a
“challenge” on social media that negative impact on students and
is putting young lives at risk. their social interactions. Here in
the schools and for you at home,
The “Momo Challenge” generally it continues to be challenging to
starts on social media sites like monitor and address the ever de-
Facebook or WhatsApp. Chil- veloping and changing topics re-
dren and teens are contacted by lated to social media."
an anonymous person and
asked to perform a task or dare. There have been several cases
The dares become more danger- of so-called “social media chal-
ous and violent over time and the lenges” becoming deadly or
anonymous contact may also harmful to teenagers and chil-
ask for photographic or video dren. The “Tide Pod Challenge”
proof of the tasks. encouraged teens to ingest laun-
dry detergent. The “Fire Chal-
lenge” encouraged participants
to film themselves while setting
various body parts on fire.

School officials in Brick Township
are offering up their school coun-
selors to help parents who might
have any questions regarding
these social trends and how to
deal with them.

In at least one reported case, a
12-year-old Argentinian girl’s sui-
cide was linked to the “Momo
Challenge.”