Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 31, 1992 TAG: 9203310407
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
The woman may have benefited personally by the cathartic exercise of putting her anxious feelings in print, but the public was not served by the paper's printing her graphic description of her private life. Her legitimate concerns could have been just as convincingly communicated without the detailed explanation.
For the paper to print a letter addressed to Miss Duffy implies that she could have done more in dealing with the current stalker. Miss Duffy is a model of structure and discipline. She shares a parent's serious concern for a child's safety and well-being. In fact, I have seen her show concern for individual students that surpasses that expressed by the parents.
The case of Scottie Wimmer being too frightened to crawl out from under a board is just what Miss Duffy wanted to guard against in her careful, clear warning given to students on March 12. She told them that the man had been seen. She instructed them to walk in groups, to avoid secluded routes home, and to be alert to notice anyone watching or following them.
Parents have every right and responsibility to be concerned about their child's safety. Students and parents have a friend in Miss Duffy, who shares that concern and bears the burden of securing that safety. I am certainly one who appreciates her quality of leadership in a very tough situation. SUSAN D. BLANDING Staff, Woodrow Wilson Middle School ROANOKE
by CNB