EXCLUSIVE: Letter to St. John's parents revealed after head of school arrested
Editor’s note: This news story contains information about alleged child sexual abuse that may be troubling to some readers. If you know or suspect that anyone under 18 is being sexually or physically abused, call the Texas child abuse hotline at 1-800-252-5400. To learn more about how to identify signs of child abuse or neglect, click here.
The Reporter-News obtained an attorney's letter sent to parents July 3 by the school head regarding allegations of child abuse against a former private school teacher, Mark Penfield Eichorn.
The letter from St. John's Episcopal School contained information about why the head of the school did not report "one possible incident" of child abuse to authorities, contending she conducted her own investigation and "did not believe that anything improper had taken place."
In addition, the attorney alleged Rebecca Ann McMillon, the school head, had been defamed "in a rush to judgment and assumptions with very little, if any, of the benefit of the doubt."
Eichorn, a former teacher at St. John's Episcopal School, was initially arrested in May on charges of possession and intent to distribute child pornography.
In June, he was brought up on federal charges of production of child pornography. In his detention hearing, federal prosecutors alleged that he confessed to inappropriately touching a child from St. John's.
In late June, Eichorn faced further charges of indecency with a child as filed by the Taylor County District Attorney's Office.
By July 2, attorney Robert B. Wagstaff had penned a letter to parents from St. John's.
In it, he addressed concerns of parents, but he also leveled some accusations aimed at them for what he deemed as vilifying and defaming McMillon.
McMillon emailed the letter to parents on July 3 in what she said was a continued effort to ensure that the St. John's community "has accurate and updated information regarding the Eichorn matter."
Day later, a warrant was issued for her arrest on Friday on charges of failure to report child abuse.
Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court beyond a reasonable doubt.
McMillon was arrested Monday and was being held in the Taylor County Jail with recommended bonds totaling $8,000, according to online jail records.
If convicted, she faces a possible year in county jail, along with a $4000 fine, according to Taylor County Assistant District Attorney Erin Stamey.
In addition, teacher Kelsey Danielle Alexander, 34, was arrested on Sunday and also faces two class A misdemeanor counts of failure to report child abuse.
Letter-To-Parents at Abilene Private School by Denise Nelson on Scribd
McMillon's arrest Arrested: Head of Abilene private school faces charges of failure to report child abuse
The indecency charge Abilene ex-teacher accused of child pornography faces additional charges
His detention hearing What happened to Abilene ex-teacher going on trial for a child pornography charge?
His initial arrest Abilene man charged with child pornography, police looking for tips
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Letter to St. John's parents revealed after head of school arrested
