On Jan. 11, newspapers in central California and Internet Web sites carried stories about a civil lawsuit filed against Monterey Bay Academy, near Watsonville, Calif., stemming from alleged molestations involving two academy teachers, Ronald E. Wittlake and Lowell E. Nelson, and five former students, said to have occurred some 20 years ago. Although the trial has not been held yet, Wittlake, a former music teacher at MBA, committed suicide on Jan. 15, four days after the story appeared as front-page news in local papers.

That the plaintiffs should take so long to press charges is attributed by their attorney, Joseph Scully, to their efforts to suppress the memory of their painful experience. Because of the delay, criminal charges were not allowed by the court, only civil.

The facts of the case will be spelled out in detail when the case comes to trial, although the trial has been put off indefinitely at the request of the defendants' lawyer, Philip Hiroshima. Alumni of the school who attended during the years 1981 to 1989, during the tenure of Wittlake, when many of the troubles were said to have occurred, have mixed recollections of the period. Some say they heard absolutely nothing untoward about the accused teachers; others say they heard rumors. Principals of the school during those years included Harvey Voth, Ernie Unruh and Keith Wheeler. Ted Winn took over after the brief tenure of his two predecessors and continued for five years. Wittlake was dismissed from the school in 1989. The plaintiff's lawyer, Joseph Scully, asks how word of such mischief could not be known throughout a dormitory, even a whole school. He thinks there is an attempted coverup here.

A letter regarding the situation was sent to alumni and friends of the school and signed jointly by Jerry Page, president of the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and chair of the academy board, and Bill Keresoma, present principal of the academy. It referred to two previous letters sent to parents, in September of 2003 and January of 2004. The first read, "I do need to tell you some sad news. Monterey Bay Academy, Central California Conference and former MBA staff members have been sued civilly for alleged misconduct that occurred more than 18 years ago. The staff members have not worked at MBA for some time. Attorneys have been retained to defend MBA, the conference and the individuals named in the complaint. It must be remembered that at this time these are merely allegations, which have yet to be proved".

In the January letter to the same parents, Keresoma declared that "four additional civil complaints have been filed" against the same entities. This letter ended with the words, "Be assured, the well-being and safety of your child is our highest priority. We will keep you updated as needed". The joint letter concluded with mention of the suicide of Wittlake and said the writer's thoughts and prayers were for the surviving family.

The letter is noncommital, as can be expected under the circumstances. Students, faculty and alumni of the school are anxious to see that the school's good name is not besmirched by idle accusations. Whatever the outcome of the trial, the case should be a reminder to church-run secondary schools that rumors on campus need to be listened to by deans and administrators. Students and faculty alike should have access to some kind of counselor who is independent of the school's paid staff and who can hear out complaints. Social work professionals point out that all persons working in the proximity of young people - teachers, pastors, social workers, deans, counselors and others - are mandated by law to report any rumors they hear to a Child Protective Services office. One such professional told me she thought that, starting with the local conference secretary of education, all teachers in the primary and secondary grades should be given specific instruction on what to do when they hear rumors of children who are being physically or sexually abused. They should be alert for symptoms of such abuse, such as the 'acting out' behavior of some students. And if a teacher is fired because of such misconduct, the school should look further into the needs of students who were victims. It is not enough to try to protect the good name of the church or one of its schools at the expense of young people. If the Adventist academy is to serve as a haven of refuge for the church's youngest members during their stressful adolescent years, it must look beyond the academics and ensure the moral and ethical quality of their environment.

As Jesus once pointed out, "The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!" (Luke 12:2, 3.) If ever truth and justice are suppressed in the name of loyalty, the cause of God is sure to suffer.