The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

Black Collar Crime: Christian School Teacher Curtis Van Dam Accused of Sexually Abusing Numerous Children

Written by

Bruce Gerencser

in

,

curtis van dam

Curtis Van Dam, a teacher at Sioux Center Christian School in Sioux Center, Iowa,  was charged Wednesday with sexually abusing numerous school children

Cristina Maz, a reporter for Newsweek, writes:

A teacher at a Christian day school has been charged with 84 separate counts of sexual abuse after allegedly sexually exploiting numerous students, according to a statement Wednesday from the school.

Curtis Van Dam, a 36-year-old fifth-grade teacher in Iowa, sexually abused an unknown number of his students from August 2013 until last month, when he was finally discovered, according to the statement. Some of the crimes allegedly even took place within the Sioux Center Christian School, where Van Dam worked.

“We have been told from the beginning that additional charges for a former teacher at Sioux Center Christian would be coming. Today, Mr. Curt Van Dam, was charged with 101 felonies and 39 misdemeanors,” said the statement by Josh Bowar, a representative of the school.

Bowar then thanked God for shining a light on this horrific situation.

[WHAT A LOAD OF GRADE A BULLSHIT] “Kids, we want you to know that we consider you brave for telling your parents, the police, and the interviewers what happened to you.  We praise God that your testimony has brought to light a dark secret that none of us adults knew was there. Please know that thousands are lifting you before the throne of your Father in heaven…. Trust Him to restore you completely,” Bowar wrote. “Our focus at Sioux Center Christian continues to be the Christ-centered education of our students, while also providing daily support and guidance to students as needed through their teachers and professional counselors.”

Cheryl Haan, an administrative assistant at the school, told Newsweek Friday that the exact number of students affected is unknown, but that the number continues to change as more students come forward with their stories.

The school is also offering students and their parents special therapy sessions with a Christian pastor.

…..

Teachers at the school in Iowa said they hope the recent accusations against their teacher will bring the community closer to God.

“In the midst of this hurt, we proclaim hope. Hope in our sovereign God, who is so very trustworthy and true in His promises of life and healing,” said the statement. “He gave His only Son, who lived as one of us, died on the cross, rose again, and reigns on high, so that we could enjoy eternal life in Christ’s unfolding Kingdom.”

Comments

3 responses to “Black Collar Crime: Christian School Teacher Curtis Van Dam Accused of Sexually Abusing Numerous Children”

  1. Ami

    “The school is also offering students and their parents special therapy sessions with a Christian pastor.”

    Sort of like seeing a masseuse for open heart surgery.

    What a bunch of assholes, adding insult to injury.

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Rachel

      By offering the students and their parents this “therapy with a Christian pastor, they are trying to exert control. Over people who are already traumatized. How can that Christian pastor provide real help when he is part of the set-up that perpetuated the abuse? In short, he can’t. This is a shabby attempt to keep the whole thing in-house.

      It also shows how arrogant these people are: they STILL hold to the view that Christians are the only people who can offer assistance and healing. I hope the students and their parents tell them what they think of that, and seek some proper INDEPENDENT help elsewhere.

      Reply
      1. Brian

        I want to put an exclamation mark on Rachel’s statement here. Among Christian evangelicals, one would be hard-pressed to find a church that does not operate in exactly the same fashion as a family hiding a father’s abuse of his wife and children. The unspoken and sometimes very loudly threatened rule is that outsiders are not to hear of family matters.They can be shared scripture about how we have all sinned etc. and told that Christians are the first to admit fault in their own hearts by accepting Jesus but they must not be told the deeper, personal truth. Well, dear believer, whether you crawl around on your knees constantly covering known abuse with ‘the blood of Jesus’, praying it away or whispering about it, the more you advertise the utter bankruptcy of belief.
        Is it possible to get good therapy from a Christian counselor? Absolutely not unless the professional can leave their beliefs outside the therapy…. Wait! Isn’t that abandoning Jesus?
        When I left the evangelical world, some time passed before I really knew it was over and finally felt, “Wow, I’m really free.” I had left in secret, not even admitting to myself that I was done with it. The peeled onion, layer by layer…

        Reply

Want to Respond to Bruce? Fire Away! If You Are a First Time Commenter, Please Read the Comment Policy Located at the Top of the Page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More posts

Discover more from The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading