Smith, Robert O (Evangelical Lutheran Church)

Parkway South Smith, Robert O (Evangelical Lutheran Church)

Renowned for his language arts teaching expertise, Del Crandall's rapport with his students and their parents was exemplary. The educator had raised the bar with his innovative writing and speaking techniques, and he was admired by his fellow colleagues for his caring persona and dedicated professionalism. With the addition of directing school plays and assisting in other extracurricular activities, he was at the top of his game in his middle school milieu. Having already been honored with Teacher of the Year awards, the future held only additional promise and accolades. But there were other "players" in his life who would conspire against him and "monkey wrench" his otherwise model of order daily routines. So profound were these nemeses in their destructive machinations that Del Crandall's personality morphed from excellent educator to twisted teacher. His mind bordered on the absurd, ranging from dedicated professional to cold blooded killer. Preoccupation with confronting his demons would cause him to lose touch with reality. Yet confront them he must, lest he lose all things good that he had accomplished and worked for. But were these torments genuine, or were their origins the result of the inner workings of the teacher's vacillating psyche? Would he escape, or endure, a lifetime of sustained dementia? AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS... This story is the fictional account of a teacher being accused of child endangerment or, to be more specific, engaging in sexually abusive advances towards a minor. Yet in reality, the episode occurs frequently where adults and children interact in our everyday work or social settings. From Mary Kay Letourneau to Jerry Sandusky, we are too often reminded through the media that human frailties often overshadow common sense, decency, and the law. In our age of extreme political correctness, the public is quick to assume guilt for the adults whose names and faces are plastered all over the newspapers or televisions. Anyone working w