A group of Rhode Island middle school boys who created a database on a teacher they labeled a ’creep’ have now shared their log with federal and state authorities as part of an investigation into the teacher’s alleged behavior.
Their “Pedo Database” was started in January 2021 when the boys were seventh graders to track the teacher’s interactions with female students, according to a student who helped start the channel and spoke with the Boston Globe.
The teacher’s behavior included flirting and teasing girls, calling them “sunshine” or “sweetheart,” playing music for some female students to dance to, and asking another student to take off her shoes and wiggle her toes.
He also said all students should show up to virtual class “in bathing suits tomorrow,” according to the student.
“This is now the official chat that we will later use as evidence against [the teacher] about pedophilia in case anything does come up in the future and we do turn out to be right,” wrote another student on the Discord channel. The newspaper reported that eight students were involved in its founding.
The North Kingstown School Department placed the teacher on leave in April after he was alleged to have stalked a pre-teen middle school student whom he coached, among other accusations.
The accusations were brought forward by an attorney for the girl’s family, who filed a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The teacher isn’t being named because he hasn’t been charged with criminal activity.
The student’s mother, who also spoke with the Globe, said she shared the database with the attorney.
The database is now in possession of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families, the state Department of Education, and a lawyer who is conducting the school system’s internal investigation.
“Everybody has talked about it, since sixth grade, how much they’ve hated [the teacher’s] behavior and all of that,” the boy told the Globe. “That’s also why I feel like even if their investigation finds nothing, putting him back in the school would be a disaster.”
The student, now a 15-year-old high schooler, said he never thought that the database would be used as evidence.
“[But] I’m glad that we did, even though it might have seemed like slightly stupid at times,” he told the Globe.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.