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Letter to parents of St. John’s published after headmaster’s arrest

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Letter to parents of St. John’s published after headmaster’s arrest

Editor’s Note: This story contains information about alleged child sexual abuse that may be disturbing to some readers. If you know or suspect that a person under the age of 18 is being sexually or physically abused, call the Texas Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400. To learn more about how to recognize signs of child abuse or neglect, Click here.

The Reporter-News has obtained a lawyer’s letter that the school’s principal sent to parents on July 3. The subject of the letter was the allegations of child abuse against former private school teacher Mark Penfield Eichorn.

The letter from St. John’s Episcopal School included information about why the principal did not report “a possible incident” of child abuse to authorities. She claimed she had conducted her own investigation and “does not believe anything improper occurred.”

In addition, the lawyer claimed that principal Rebecca Ann McMillon had been defamed “by making hasty judgments and assumptions without truly considering the benefit of the doubt.”

Eichorn, a former teacher at St. John’s Episcopal School, was initially arrested in May for possession and intent to distribute child pornography.

In June, he was charged in federal court with producing child pornography. At his detention hearing, federal prosecutors alleged that he confessed to inappropriately touching a St. John’s child.

At the end of June, Eichorn was again charged by the Taylor County District Attorney’s Office with indecent conduct toward a child.

On July 2, attorney Robert B. Wagstaff wrote a letter to the parents of St. John’s.

In it, he addressed the parents’ concerns, but also made some accusations against them, which he considered to be denigration and defamation of McMillon.

McMillon emailed the letter to parents on July 3. She said it was another attempt to ensure the St. John’s community “has accurate and up-to-date information on the Eichorn matter.”

One day later, on Friday, an arrest warrant was issued against her for failure to report child abuse.

Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

McMillon was arrested Monday and is being held in the Taylor County Jail with a total recommended bail of $8,000, according to online jail records.

If convicted, she faces one year in prison and a $4,000 fine, according to Taylor County Assistant District Attorney Erin Stamey.

In addition, 34-year-old teacher Kelsey Danielle Alexander was arrested on Sunday. She is also accused of two counts of failure to report child abuse.

McMillon’s arrest Arrested: Head of a private school in Abilene charged with failure to report child abuse

The accusation of indecency Former Abilene teacher accused of child pornography faces further charges

His detention hearing What happened to the former Abilene teacher who was tried for child pornography?

His first arrest Abilene man charged with child pornography, police seek clues

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