This one hurts all of us

I’ve been accused over the years of bleeding crimson and gold. And it really doesn’t bother me.
I hate it as much as anyone else in our town when our town gets beat up for something it doesn’t deserve.
I feel sometimes, even with some in our town, I’m always defending Columbia.
As Monday’s story started to develop concerning the arrest of Robert Richards, the band director at Columbia High School, my thoughts went back and forth as it always does when I write a story to making sure I got all the facts and comments from the school.
But at the same time, I also had my proud Columbia Alumni hat on, feeling the hurt for the school, its staff, all the students at the school and those in the band program.
The news was not good not only for our town and our school and will definitely cast an unwanted black eye.
While there are still a lot of questions that will go unanswered until all the facts are made public, you have to feel for the hard working staff and teachers at the school. I have friends who teach up on the hill and a couple of teachers still there from when I graduated 32 years ago.
The same goes for the students, those in the band who are preparing for their spring concert in three weeks. Despite what happened Monday, I hope they continue with the band. I hope this doesn’t sour them about learning to play an instrument.
I didn’t know Richards away from the classroom. What I saw with not only the marching band, but the pep band and even concert band, were musical groups that were well prepared. The marching band had gotten better and looked as though it was growing under Richards’ direction. And I, like many in the community, enjoyed the return of the pep band for basketball games.
I’m sure, knowing our town, there is a big split among parents. Those who knew things weren’t right with the band program, and those who will support the band director through thick and thin.
I know that this was one of the toughest events I’ve had to cover in a while just because of knowing and hearing comments pro and con about the situation.
I know there will be a group in our town that will find fault in what happened, how it is being covered, etc. I’m sure, I’ll get some phone calls and letters on what happened. I’ll talk to anyone, young and old, who wants to talk about the situation. We’ll publish letters as long as they are attacking or liable toward anyone person or group.
I know there are people in our town saying that this incident didn’t happen. We have to deal with this situation as a community, not as a group of individuals. If we do that, Columbia will come out stronger because of it.
I have faith in those who run the Columbia School District and the high school that they will do the right thing and put the students first.
Yes, believe me, there are a lot of questions that I have, as do others. It might not come out right away why it happened, but it will come out.
It’s a huge blow to our school and there will probably be a review of the hiring practices, etc. Our job is to report the facts and let the justice system play out as it will.
This is one of those times that I wish officials wouldn’t hide behind the old “personnel issue” policy and open up to the community telling us what exactly happened from their stand point, what the future of the band program is and what it has learned from this situation that it won’t happen again.
We all hope the school district moves forward and rids themselves of those people if they are found guilty by our court of law.
Teachers, coaches and public officials are held in a higher standard as well they should be.

Students are first

In the wake of Monday’s arrest of High School Band Director Robert Richards, the Columbia School District said they will do everything they can to help the students get through the crisis.
“In Columbia the students always come first and we will do whatever is necessary so that the students needs and best interests are met,” Superintendent Dr. Barry Clippinger said in a statement released Monday night.
By all accounts, Richards, who came to Columbia in August 2005, was extremely popular with the students and had improved the band program by leaps and bounds.
He added a pep band that entertained fans at basketball games last season, which was well received and this year, the CHS marching unit competed in a number of competitions for the first time in years under Richards’ guidance.
The CHS concert band was busy preparing for its spring concert, which is set for Tuesday, April 29. He was also scheduled to be graduation director.
Clippinger said others will have to step up.
“The faculty and staff will work together to make sure that all of the programs at the High School will continue for the 2007-2008 school year,” Clippinger said.
Richards was immediately placed on administrative leave on Monday by the school district, pending a review by the school board.
Richards placed Brian Beears as Columbia’s band director in 2005. Beears had resigned just before the start band camp after five years as band director.
At the time of his hiring at his first band camp, Richards told the Columbia Ledger, he wanted the students to have pride and wanted to see the band grow.
“I have a passion for teaching and it has been real easy for me to come in here and work with these kids,” Richards said.
Richards graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Music Education, studying trumpet with James Kluesner. He began his teaching career at Varina High School in Richmond, VA, where he served as the Director of Bands.
In his three years at Varina, he rebuilt the band program, which grew from 40 students in his first year, to more than 80 students when he left. In his final year, the marching band received an Excellent rating at the State Marching Festival and the concert band received a Superior rating at the District Concert Festival. In addition, the jazz band, in their first year of existence, received an Excellent rating at the James Madison University Tri-State Jazz Festival.
After leaving Varina, Richards moved to Pennsylvania and spent three years at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as a project coordinator and project manager. During that time, he also wrote and arranged marching band shows for several schools in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Teacher is arrested

Robert Richards, a popular band director at Columbia High School, has been charged by Columbia and West Hempfield Township Police with having sex with a 17-year-old female student.
The student was 16-years-old when the incidents happened.
Richards, 33, following his arraignment Monday afternoon before District Judge Robert Herman, was placed in Lancaster County Prison, in lieu of $175,000 bail, following his arraignment and processing.
Richards was bailed out of prison late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
Columbia School District Superintendent Dr. Barry Clippinger said in a statement Monday night, that Richards was placed on administrative leave, pending farther action by the Columbia School Board. The board holds its Committee of the Whole meeting tonight.
“Mr. Richards is on paid leave until the Board can take action and since this is a personnel issue the district can make no further comments,” Dr. Clippinger said.
Richards was arrested Monday afternoon around 4 p.m. at the Columbia School District Administrative Center, where police said, he was meeting with school district officials. He was taken out of the building by the two police departments in handcuffs, taken first to the Columbia Police Station for processing and then to Judge Herman’s office for arraignment.
Judge Herman has tentatively scheduled a preliminary hearing for Thursday, April 17 at 1 p.m.
Police said Richards, who was dressed in a blue suit with a light blue shirt and tie, made no comment at the time of his arrest and did not have a lawyer present.He was at the DAC for a meeting with the school district administration and representatives from the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
Columbia Police started their investigation into allegations against Richards, of 3808 Laurel Run, located in West Hempfield Township last week and it intensified over the weekend.
Officer Adam Miller, who was in charge of the investigation for the Columbia Police Department, spent most of the day Monday with Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield finalizing the charges against Richards.
Richards, who came to Columbia High School in August 2005, was charged with one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one count of corruption of minors by Columbia Police.
According to the criminal complaints, Richards was charged with three counts each of aggravated indecent sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault by West Hempfield Township Police Detective Christopher Kunkle.
Columbia Police Officer Miller said in the criminal complaint that he interviewed the victim on April 6. During the interview, the victim indicated she had a sexual relationship with Richards, who is married with young children, during the month of April 2007.
One of the encounters, police said, was in what was identified as the “projection room,” at the high school. The victim told police that Richards placed an office chair in the projection room, which is located in the high school auditorium, at which time the band director performed oral sex on her.
The other incidents, police said, allegedly took place at Richards’ home at 3808 Laurel Run in West Hempfield Township.
Det. Kunkle said he was advised by Officer Miller of an ongoing relationship between Richards and the girl on Sunday, April 7.
In the criminal complaint, West Hempfield Township Police said the first encounter between the two was at Richards’ home in April 2007. At that time, the complaint said that Richards and the girls engaged in oral sex and did have sexual intercourse at that time.
There were two other incidents reported to police. The second was in May 2007 and also in November 2007, also at Richards’ home.
Richards is the second band director in Lancaster County to be charged in connection with a sexual incident involving a student.
Warwick High School band director Todd Shearer was charged by Lititz Police in January for having a two-year relationship with a student.
He was fired last month by the Warwick School District and faces a preliminary hearing later this month on the charges.