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Post by capncrunch on May 29, 2015 22:04:14 GMT -6
I copied this: My son told us about this at the start of the week and we received a phone call over this this evening.
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Streator teacher faces abuse charge, resigns
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Posted: Friday, May 29, 2015 5:19 pm | Updated: 5:48 pm, Fri May 29, 2015.
The Times | 0 comments
A Streator Township High School teacher was arrested Friday afternoon at the school on a sex charge, and he has resigned from his positions at the school.
Rylee D. VanMelkebeke, 25, no address provided, was taken into custody at 12:42 p.m. on a complaint of aggravated sexual abuse of a child between the ages of 13 and 17. He was taken to the Streator Police Station, pending transfer to the La Salle County Jail in Ottawa. Police said late Friday afternoon the investigation was ongoing.
VanMelkebeke was listed in a school directory as a physical education, health and drivers education teacher. He also was a coach at the school.
Streator Township High School released a press statement late Friday, it said: "Over the past several days, Streator Township High School staff have been involved in an investigation involving a staff member, Rylee VanMelkebeke.
"Because our first priority is the well-being and safety of our students, we take very seriously allegations involving any of our staff. School district policy and state guidelines regarding the investigation of allegations were followed. Mr. VanMelkebeke has resigned his positions as a teacher and as a coach for football, girls basketball and girls track effective immediately."
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Posted in Local on Friday, May 29, 2015 5:19 pm. Updated: 5:48 pm.
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Post by tjsrxpilot on May 30, 2015 0:41:53 GMT -6
He lives 400 block of Wisconsin Ave. brick house on west side of the street. he just moved here not long ago and just bought that house(brick) both my kids attend SHS. I WOULD SAY THE ADDRESS but feel i should not. seemed like nice kid in my book as im 55yrs old. wow! im shocked! but if he did do this? he let the wrong head do the thinking! what a idiot yikes!
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 7:04:07 GMT -6
He lives 400 block of Wisconsin Ave. brick house on west side of the street. he just moved here not long ago and just bought that house(brick) both my kids attend SHS. I WOULD SAY THE ADDRESS but feel i should not. seemed like nice kid in my book as im 55yrs old. wow! im shocked! but if he did do this? he let the wrong head do the thinking! what a idiot yikes! Hey...this has been going on up there for years, involving multiple teachers, according to this town's rumor mill. Teachers and students know the people involved, but don't want to get involved. If the underage person doesn't come forth or is not compelled to an admission, or if the "affair' has no witnesses that will come forth - nothing is done about it and it remains in the "did you hear that" file. Pending a video tape or admission from one of the people involved...these "affairs" persist, as do the rumors. My personal belief is that something like this would be obvious to many students and SOME teachers in a school setting. Just sayin".
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Post by father of two on May 30, 2015 8:23:04 GMT -6
Why would you put this person home location on here? Aren't they innocent until proven guilty? If this is proven to be true I hope they lock him up for a long time. Prison, shame, labeled a sex offender for life, losing a career to sleep with underage students. I don't understand what these people think. Yes Butterbean, rumors of these things have been circulating around town for years and years. How the community could hear about it and not administration didn't, always baffled me.
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Post by capncrunch on May 30, 2015 8:30:16 GMT -6
Why would you put this person home location on here? Aren't they innocent until proven guilty? If this is proven to be true I hope they lock him up for a long time. Prison, shame, labeled a sex offender for life, losing a career to sleep with underage students. I don't understand what these people think. Yes Butterbean, rumors of these things have been circulating around town for years and years. How the community could hear about it and not administration didn't, always baffled me. And the sad thing is, even if the male teacher is found not guilty(false accusation), just this being printed in the paper, is being put in the back of people's minds, to what type of person this individual might be. So either way, this male teacher's career, and or life has change.
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Post by dumdave on May 30, 2015 9:09:22 GMT -6
My old physics teacher got in a lot of trouble taking students on a camping trip. Came home. Sold house. Left town. per my Mom. (I was long gone)
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Post by ironeagle on May 30, 2015 9:16:48 GMT -6
Hell I will NAME one anyone remember Ken Bubalitz the old SHS Basketball Coach and his Wife. She was a Cheerleader at SHS when they started to Date when my Older Brother who Graduated in 90 with her and he KNEW all about her dating him. They got married as soon as she turned 18. Oh trust me there was crap like this going on at SHS 25 years ago it was just that back then we figured if a 16-17 year old was banging a 20 something OH well the older person was luckier than US.
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Post by capncrunch on May 30, 2015 12:34:45 GMT -6
Hell I will NAME one anyone remember Ken Bubalitz the old SHS Basketball Coach and his Wife. She was a Cheerleader at SHS when they started to Date when my Older Brother who Graduated in 90 with her and he KNEW all about her dating him. They got married as soon as she turned 18. Oh trust me there was crap like this going on at SHS 25 years ago it was just that back then we figured if a 16-17 year old was banging a 20 something OH well the older person was luckier than US. Also the german teacher married one of her students that was younger than her and was a student. Granted they are divorced now. But the idea is still there.
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Post by capncrunch on May 30, 2015 12:41:08 GMT -6
My thing is though, that this situation is being announced, while at the junior high level, there was an accusation of sexual abuse situation within the past few years, and that was kept under the table. Why pick and choice on whom goes public and whom does not? But I do think the one teacher at Northlawn that did get accused has retired though. But still. There were rumors about the Northlawn teacher just like this high school teacher but the high school mad public.
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Post by helencrump on May 30, 2015 13:21:07 GMT -6
My thing is though, that this situation is being announced, while at the junior high level, there was an accusation of sexual abuse situation within the past few years, and that was kept under the table. Why pick and choice on whom goes public and whom does not? But I do think the one teacher at Northlawn that did get accused has retired though. But still. There were rumors about the Northlawn teacher just like this high school teacher but the high school mad public. There were rumors and innuendo that the woman recently hit and killed by a train, was homeless. How accurate were those rumors? This case has been investigated, and enough info gathered to make an arrest. Some people are just going to continue to believe and spread unsubstantiated rumors, no matter how many times they are proved wrong. Smdh
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 13:33:21 GMT -6
My thing is though, that this situation is being announced, while at the junior high level, there was an accusation of sexual abuse situation within the past few years, and that was kept under the table. Why pick and choice on whom goes public and whom does not? But I do think the one teacher at Northlawn that did get accused has retired though. But still. There were rumors about the Northlawn teacher just like this high school teacher but the high school mad public. The Northlawn accusation you are alluding to was a farce, from it's easily dismissed, but mishandled genesis...through its character d**ning "investigation" period, to its ignominious end. There was no "fire"....let alone, "smoke"...just the totally incompetent handling of the situation by Northlawn and District 44. The current SHS situation and the Northlawn situation resemble each other about as much as a Waterford punch bowl resembles a Dollar Store salt shaker.
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Post by no1inparticular on May 30, 2015 14:00:42 GMT -6
IMHO, this could have AND should have been handled with a bit more tact...This man is indeed innocent until PROVEN guilty, but the need to sensationalize led them to arrest him at the school...Why not wait until he was at home, or elsewhere?...Was it for show?... I don't condone sexual abuse, but we don't know ALL of the facts... I have also seen plenty a teenage girl put themselves out there in a manner that is beyond provocative...While that doesn't excuse a grown man from taking liberties, it is a reflection of the world we live in...True beauty is ignored in favor of "looking hot"...Young girls are purposely getting pregnant in the hopes of being the next "Teen Mom"...Geez, some would even create a situation with the hope of getting $$$ from a lawsuit... If this man is truly disturbed, let the chips fall where they may...But until the facts come out, nobody can say for sure what went down...
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Post by dive61364 on May 30, 2015 14:13:38 GMT -6
now a days you are tried by the media and the masses before you even get to face a jury of your peers.
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Post by Blue Star on May 30, 2015 14:54:36 GMT -6
now a days you are tried by the media and the masses before you even get to face a jury of your peers. Esp. on FB & forums ... aka ... the SOL!
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 15:11:26 GMT -6
now a days you are tried by the media and the masses before you even get to face a jury of your peers. Esp. on FB & forums ... aka ... the SOL! That's what these outlets exist for.
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