Family files claim for morning-after pill

Billings Gazette ^ | 12/17/2004 | Associated Press

[Lib Buster]

WORLAND (AP) -- The family of a teenage girl who was allegedly given emergency contraception pills under the supervision of a school counselor has filed a claim against Washakie County School District No. 1.

The claim included a dollar amount, but the family's attorney, Larry Berryman, declined to reveal it, the Northern Wyoming Daily News reports.

Berryman said in a prepared statement that the Worland High School student, 15, confided in the ninth-grade counselor that she had sex with a 23-year-old and was afraid of being pregnant.

The counselor made an appointment with the public health office in Worland and took the girl to the office during class time in her own vehicle.

The public health nurse dispensed the prescription-only, "morning-after" pills. "She was returned to the school with the statement by the counselor that what had happened was their secret and they did not have to tell her parents," Berryman said.

"This was done without the knowledge or permission of the parents."

Berryman said he mailed the claim to the state Dec. 10 and the claim was delivered to both the school district and county offices on Monday.

Superintendent Mike Hejtmanek directed questions Thursday to the district's attorney, Bill Shelledy, who declined to comment besides acknowledging that the district had received the claim.

[Lib Buster]

They're not our children anymore. They belong to Hilary's village idiots!

[exnavychick]

Maybe I am wrong, but I think if this 15 year old confided in this nurse that she had slept with a 23 year old, the nurse would be required to report that to the authorities, since it is statutory rape.

If that's the case, the nurse belongs in lockup, along with this 23 year old.

[marmar]

I guess, since I don't have any children, all I can say is parents, take back control of your families. This should never have happened.

[exnavychick]

Not just for failing to report the rape to authorities, but because her actions directly contributed to the girl's death.

[Indy Pendance]

It's not vioxx or celebrex. Move along....

[kingu]

I love how this works... If a child has a headache, they're told to suck it up, since dispensing any form of aspirin would be a horror. Yet claim to have sex, and it's off in a vehicle for emergency contraceptives.

What ever happened to mandatory reporters? That councilor heard about sex abuse and all they did was deal with the possible results of it. Where's the DA's statement that the man was arrested?

[kingu]

Not just for failing to report the rape to authorities, but because her actions directly contributed to the girl's death.

Somehow, I'd expect the death of the girl to be somewhere in the article - you sure you aren't mixing up stories here?

[Tom Bombadil]

They're not our children anymore.

A lot of other villagers seem to think so.

once at a convenience store, I heard a 5th grade public school teacher bragg to the clerk how she was indoctrinating her students with feminism. She had no problem arrogating to herself the position of parent.

[dandelion]

Amazing. The 23-year-old man in question should go to work for the school so he can screw all the underage girls he wants, since they are so willing to cover up his crimes for him. Why shouldn't he work for the district? After all, it's supposed to be confidential, no matter what laws are broken. And who's to say the perp doesn't already work for them? No one would tell, it's confidential.

If the schools keep this up, the pedophiles and perverts will be banging down the doors to work for schools so they can harvest any kid they want for sex. Then they take them down and get them "fixed" in the name of abortion; It's all confidential, you know...

[Mercat]

She died?

[momf]

I didn't see where the girl had died.

It will be interesting to watch this and see how it ends...will the courts find the school district has the right to interfere; will there be charges filed against the 23 yr old; will the counselor be fired?

[Phyto Chems]

Get OUT of the PUBLIC SCHOOLS...... Wake up America this is a sinking ship. When they pay in excess of $9,000.00 to school one child something is VERY wrong.

[farmfriend]

If that's the case, the nurse belongs in lockup, along with this 23 year old.

I agree.

[bushisdamanin04]

Hypothetical: If you were on a jury and the case was a murder case where a father had killed a school counselor/nurse who had, behind his back, helped his daughter obtain abortion pills and which caused her death, would you vote to convict or acquit?

[OldFriend]

The libs don't believe in parental notification in the case of abortion. This certainly fits the same pattern.

[OldFriend]

There is nothing in the article to suggest the girl died.

Try sticking to the facts!

[exnavychick]

OK...my bad! I am really sorry. I somehow got this one mixed up in my head with a similar story I heard earlier this year. My apologies.

[ikka]

The public health nurse dispensed the prescription-only, "morning-after" pills. "She was returned to the school with the statement by the counselor that what had happened was their secret and they did not have to tell her parents," Berryman said.

Question: What is the law in Wyoming concerning parental notification? AND, nurses can dispense but not prescribe medicine--so did a doctor write the prescription?

[bin2baghdad]

Assuming that a 15-year old is under the age of consent in the state in question, apparently ...

... the right to abortion privacy is more important than reporting a crime to authorities

... the right to abortion privacy is more important than letting parents know that their daughter has been the victim of a crime

... the right of a minor to obtain an abortion without parental consent extends to the school system that advised/assisted her (it doesn't have to even be her idea)

Alas ...

Well, I hope the parents' suit prevails. They need a good lawyer, though, who will pursue it on the right constituional grounds. In the courts, it can't be about the girl's abortion rights but about the school's interference in the parent-child relationship.