— from San Juan County Sheriff Ron Krebs —
On 10/26/2015 we investigated and served a search warrant for Gerald Grellet-Tinner, a teacher who is working for Orcas High School. [Editor’s Note: Grellet-Tinner has been placed on administrative leave by the Orcas Island School District].
That teacher was arrested and booked into [San Juan County] jail on two counts of Sexual Misconduct with a minor and then seen in court the next day where a $100,000 bail was set.
He posted bail and was released pending a trial date.
As a parent I have many unanswered questions. Perhaps a meeting with parents, school administration and the sheriff would be helpful…… We need to know our children are safe.
Perhaps meeting with the parents, we have the right to know what going on and how the school have plans to tell are kids what’s to be aware of before and after, we love our kids and their close friends, meeting with the parents is the best.
This is not the first time this teacher has done this to students at a school he was working at, according to an article in another town from almost a decade ago.
I think it’s time to ask some hard questions. I’m not a parent and I’m not involved with the school system but if I did, I’d be asking.
How was this professor hired to teach without anyone looking into his background and seeing the history? I found the offending information in under 30 seconds.
What is the school district going to do to help heal the wounds? The student body needs guidance. Their are students among them that had an adult take advantage of them, and I think it would be wise to help guide the entire student body through the healing process. Because gossip, rumors, bullying, and lack of sensitivity can cause irreparable damage.
What will the community do? Rape culture, victim blaming, and racism could run rampant if there isn’t help offered. I’ve already heard terrible things uttered by members of the community that make me just tilt my head and say, “Really..???? Did you just go there…?”
I know that there currently is only one student involved, according to official reports, but if history has anything to say there are likely more. Anyone involved needs to know the community supports them. And any other student who wants to speak up and say something needs to know that it’s okay and no one will judge them.
That’s my two cents.
Well thought and said, Erica Lyons.
What did you find, Erica Lyons? I know nothing about the merits of the current case, nor do I know the teacher. However, when I Googled him, I found a lot of academic work and one article in which he allegedly was not re-hired because he helped expose sexual misconduct at an academic institution: https://www.nature.com/news/2009/090513/full/459148a/box/1.html
Thank you, Moana, for your post. I spent much longer than the 30 seconds Erica Lyons says she did online, and I found what you found as well, and nothing else. I fear that reader comments without proper citations on this site can be harmful to someone who has not had their day in court.
I don’t know the merits of this case, the issues surrounding it, or even the teacher involved. But I do know that if somebody is going to publicly accuse someone of past indiscretions based upon third party reports they should site their sources. Otherwise it is nothing but idle gossip and fear mongering.