If you were an editor, where would you put this story in your paper?

The director general of a controversial private Catholic school in Fairfax County has been found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse and fined $500.

Abner I Alanson, head of the Vatican Catholic Academy on Route 1 in the Mount Vernon area, was arrested last month by Fairfax police, who said Alanson had been informed of the possible sexual abuse of a 5-year-old student at the school. School authorities are required by law to report alleged child abuse within 72 hours.

Alanson was charged with misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse and obstruction of justice. He pleaded no contest July 24 to the failure to report charge, and Fairfax prosecutors agreed to dismiss the obstruction charge, according to court records.

No brainer, right? Front page -- or at least the front page of the Local news section. After all, the story has everything you could want -- religious school covering up sex abuse and prosecutors working a plea deal to give the offending administrator a slap on the wrist, despite the fact that his actions endangered a small child.

You certainly wouldn't bury it on page B-6, would you?

Well, that's where this story got placed.

The director general of a controversial private Islamic school in Fairfax County has been found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse and fined $500.

Abdalla I. Al-Shabnan, head of the Islamic Saudi Academy on Route 1 in the Mount Vernon area, was arrested last month by Fairfax police, who said Al-Shabnan had been informed of the possible sexual abuse of a 5-year-old student at the school. School authorities are required by law to report alleged child abuse within 72 hours.

Al-Shabnan was charged with misdemeanor counts of failing to report child abuse and obstruction of justice. He pleaded no contest July 24 to the failure to report charge, and Fairfax prosecutors agreed to dismiss the obstruction charge, according to court records.

Oh, I see -- it just wouldn't do to give the administrator of an Islamic school the same play that the principal of a Catholic school (or even a public school) would get in such a situation. That would be insensitive and prejudicial towards Muslims -- who as we know are all peaceful and are steadfastly opposed to sex with little children.

Never mind, of course, that the school has been embroiled in controversy for some time because it is apparently teaching religious bigotry and encouraging jihadi terrorism. Bury the story -- because we don't want to provoke the same sort of response that publishing cartoons has caused in the past.

H/T NewsBusters

Posted by: Greg at 01:05 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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