Supporters of principal in sex case to demand reopening of Citrus Heights school

July 27th, 2011 Indiana Lalor Leave a comment Go to comments

Supporters of Robert Adams, the longtime principal accused of molesting children at his Creative Frontiers school, are planning to “storm” the Citrus Heights City Council tonight with a petition demanding that the school be reopened.

Last week, authorities shut down the private school, which Adams had operated for 30 years, amid an ongoing investigation into alleged molestation of young children. Police have identified Adams as the focus of the investigation, but he has not been charged with a crime.

“We’re holding tight and letting the investigators do their jobs,” Citrus Heights police spokesman Jon Kempf said this week.

In the meantime, relatives and friends of Adams, as well as some parents whose children attended the school, have launched an online campaign on his behalf.

As of Wednesday afternoon, organizers said, they had collected more than 200 signatures on a petition pledging support for Adams and urging the city to “restore” the school.

“Tomorrow we take Citrus Heights City Council by storm and get our kids their school back!!!” Lisa Rasher posted on the school’s Facebook page Wednesday. Supporters of “Mr. Bob,” as he was known at Creative Frontiers, also are organizing rallies.

The city and the state Department of Social Services shut the Creative Frontiers preschool and elementary school on July 18 based on allegations that Adams inappropriately touched children over the past 15 years.

Adams, 60, has denied the accusations. His attorney, Linda Parisi, has described the school as an “educational model.”

The elementary school at Creative Frontiers operates under a business license issued by Citrus Heights. The city, based on the ongoing investigation, took action last week against that business license, which in effect closed the school.

The preschool portion of the school is licensed by the state; Adams and his wife, Saundra, hold that license. The state Department of Social Services took action against the preschool the same day.

The state Department of Social Services, in a complaint filed in support of revoking the preschool’s license, accuses Adams of “inappropriate physical and sexual contact with female children” beginning in 1997.

The complaint cites two specific allegations from a parent and former school receptionist, and other more general accusations. Those include Adams touching female pupils on their chests and vaginal areas and lying with female children on a mat in a secluded area.

The principal’s brother Dan Adams told The Bee on Wednesday that his family is devastated by the allegations. They blame a former volunteer who was denied a full-time job at the school for spreading false allegations.

“My brother is depressed. But the longer this thing goes, the better he feels,” Dan Adams said of the police investigation. “If they have evidence, why haven’t they charged him? It was excessive to close the school.”

Police have said they are meticulously sorting through evidence pertaining to allegations of molestations of at least 10 children but have offered few details.

Dan Adams, who is helping with the online campaign, said that even if his brother is cleared he likely will never overcome the trauma of being accused of such horrendous acts.

“His entire income stream is shut off. His school is closed. His reputation is on the line. How will he ever recover?” he said. “His life will never be the same.”

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