Sunday, June 30, 2013

UPDATE: Teacher Aide Arrested from St. John the Evangelist School (Silver Spring, MD)

February 29, 2014 Update

This information was updated on the Maryland Court records database, sometime yesterday afternoon/this morning.  The case is now considered closed.

On Feb. 10, 2014

COURT SENTENCES THE DEFENDANT TO COUNT #2, (ASSAULT-SECOND DEGREE ) A GENERALLY SUSPENDED SENTENCE;

AS TO COUNT #3 (SEX OFF 4TH- PERS POS AUTH), A GENERALLY SUSPENDED SENTENCE;

5 YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION, WITH CONDITIONS. COURT COSTS ASSESSED. STATE ENTERS NOLLE PROS AS TO REMAINING COUNTS.

COURT ORDERS THE DEFENDANT TO REGISTER WITH THE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTRY.

*Please note that the defendant pleaded not guilty to Sex Abuse of a Minor.

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January 23, 2014 Update:


There have been a number of updates to the Maryland Court Records in relation to this case.  Please note the following regarding the January 6, 2014 Plea Hearing:

·         A Plea Hearing was held in front of Judge Boynton.  The State’s Attorney was Ms. Bridgford.

·         The Defendant (Ms. Gulley) appeared with her counsel, Mr. Delpino

·         The State’s motion to amend Count #2 and the body of Count #3 of the indictment were granted and amended.

·         The Defendant enters am oral plea of GUILTY to Count #2 and 3 (Second Degree Assault) and Count #3 (Sex Offense Fourth Degree – Person in Position of Authority).   My note:  It seems, but I can be incorrect as there are sometimes entry errors, that Count #1 (Sex Abuse of a Minor) was dropped.  However, I will check back at a later date to see if the record will be updated.

·         The Defendant continues to be out on Bond.

·         Sentencing will be set on Feb. 10, 2014 at 1:30pm by Judge Boynton.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)



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January 8, 2014 Update

On Feb. 20, 2014, at 1:30pm, sentencing will take place in Courtroom 8 by Hon. David Boynton.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)

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January 1, 2014 Update

On Dec. 20th it was decided that the plea hearing would be postponed from Thursday, January 2, 2014 to Monday, January 6, 2014.

A Plea has been submitted.

On January 6, 2014, it is expected that a jury trial (four days) will begin but it should be noted that a plea has been submitted.  IMHO, no trial will take place if the Montgomery Attorney's Office accepts the plea, which it probably will.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)



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December 12th Update

If I have read the court records correct, a plea agreement has been filed with the court.

On December 10, 2013, a plea agreement was filed with the court before Judge Boynton.  

CONSENT ORDER OF COURT (DEBELIUS, J.) TO SCHEDULE A PLEA HEARING ON JANUARY 2, 2014 AT 10:00 A.M., A DATE CLEARED WITH CHAMBERS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF TENDERING TO THE COURT A DISPOSITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLEA AGREEMENT, ENTERED. 




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Nov. 16th Update

On Nov. 13th, there was an agreement between the defendant and the county to postpone the pre-trial hearing until Dec. 6th.  This will be held in Court Room #15 at 9:30am with Judge Cheryl Mccally.

The trial is scheduled for January 6th.



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Updated Tuesday Evening....

A meeting was held on Monday night (July 1st) at St. John the Evangelist School regarding the arrest and charging of a Teacher's Aide with sexual abuse.

According to my sources, the following were in attendance: the Pastor (Msgr. Pennington), the principal (Sr. Lanark), Thomas W. Burnford (Sec. of Education), Ken Gaughan (head of School Counseling Services), and Deacon Matthew Houle? (Youth Protection). Also, sitting joining but not saying anyting until the end was someone from the Communication Office. (Probably watching what they were or were not saying.)

No one from the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) was invited to this meeting. And my source tells me that this was a bit of a sore point with some of those in attendance, as they wanted to know exactly what were the charges and the next steps.

The meeting started off with Msgr. Pennington speaking about the matter, as much as he could but that was really not much. He indicated that this inappropriate behavior was done outside of school hours, therefore, out of his bounds to comment on. He also stated that this was a closed meeting and not open to the press.

The Principal got up to speak and she was at times in tears over this matter.

Ken Gaughan spoke about how to approach the issue with your child and the resources available from the Archdiocese. Deacon Houle reiterated the point about the training received and the background check.

Questions were taken but had to be written on index cards. The most common questions asked were:


  • How old was the child and what grade?
  • Did it take place on school property?
  • Why weren't they notified as soon as the police were contacted?
  • Why was the entire parish notified about this?
  • What are you going to do to ensure that it does not happen again?
  • What type of communication will we receive in the future?
A couple of parents were upset that a letter was annouced from the pulpit regarding the abuse. Many had confused children and wanted to be forwarned.



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Allyson R. Gulley (Kensington, MD) was arrested and charged with the following:


Charge 1:
Sex Abuse of a Minor -Statute: CR.3.602.(B)
The incident took place between April 1 and May 21, 2013
Complaint made by Police Officer K. Carvajal

Charge 2:
Sex Offense in the Third Degree - Statue CR.3.307
The incident took place between April 1 and May 21, 2013
Complaint mae by Victor Delpino Esq.  (Private Attorney)

Ms. Gulley is currently out on bail.   The hearing will take place on July 26, 2013 at 10am.

***Please note that this information is available to the public from the Maryland Court system and does not violate any privacy laws. 

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Sunday, June 30th
According to my sources, a female teacher aide* from St. John the Evangelist School (Georgia Ave. Silver Spring), was arrested by Montgomery County Police for inappropriate contact with a student.

This sad news was announced by the pastor, who read a letter, at all Masses today.  In it, I was told, the Archdiocese had done all due diligence in background checks and reported it to Montgomery County Police, as soon as the allegation was made.

Please keep the student, the student's family and the larger St. John's Community in your prayers.

*This was a teacher's aide, not a teacher.  Correction from earlier posting. 







Friday, June 28, 2013

What should a Catholic Scout Leader Do? (From my friend Melvin, the Scout)

To paraphrase another....


With the May 2013 policy basically in force (allowing gay scouts), the Catholic Scout Leader must oppose it in the ways that are possible and make our opposition known; it is our duty to witness to the truth.

If it is not possible to repeal such a policy completely, the Catholic Scout leader, recalling the indications contained in the Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, “could licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such policy and at lessening its negative consequences at the level of general opinion and public morality”, on condition that his “absolute personal opposition” to such policy was clear and well known and that the danger of scandal was avoided [Evangelium Vitae 73].

Monday, June 24, 2013

Twenty-Five New Deacons for the Archdiocese of Washington

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, ordained twenty-five men as permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Washington at a Mass of Ordination on Saturday, June 22 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Maybe you know one of them?

You can read all about them here:  http://www.adw.org/query2011/newsite_news.asp?ID=1100&Year=2013


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The World According to Obama: Catholic Schools Divide

The Catholic media is up in arms over comments President Obama made during a speech while in Northern Ireland for the G8 summit. Obama made what is described as “an alarming call for an end to Catholic education,” in spite of the fact that it is considered “a critical component of the Church

For more, go to: http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/06/19/obama-offends-catholics-in-the-uk-says-religious-schools-are-divisive-78053