\u201cWhen we call the hotline \u2026 it seems like it\u2019s falling on deaf ears,\u201d Mariscal told KTAR News 92.3 FM\u2019s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos last week. \u201cWhen we\u2019re calling in these pretty extreme allegations that are evident, it is just taken as information, and a report is not generated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Empower College Prep leaders critique DCS after death of Rebekah Baptiste<\/p>\n
Mariscal and the school\u2019s executive director, Brian Holman, said school officials had filed a dozen abuse reports to DCS on behalf of Rebekah and her brothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are upset, frustrated, devastated, sorrowful at Rebecca\u2019s death,\u201d Holman said. \u201cWe go to DCS to keep kids safe. We report things to keep kids safe. \u2026 Every agency needs to look at what we can do differently to keep this from ever happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebekah\u2019s father, Richard Baptiste, and his girlfriend, Anicia Wood, are facing first-degree murder, child abuse and kidnapping charges in connection with her death.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this situation, there\u2019s no evidence that the numerous reports are synthesized so that a person can see a pattern, a trend, and make an informed decision of how risky this situation is for the child,\u201d Holman said.<\/p>\n
However, DCS had disputed the number of calls it received<\/a> from the school, saying there were five, with only one meeting statutory report criteria.<\/p>\n Educators at school Rebekah Baptiste attended describe learning about her death<\/p>\n Both Mariscal and Holman expressed frustration over the DCS response, especially after everything school officials did to help Rebekah. For instance, months in the past, the school resource officer and vice principal of Empower College Prep went to her home to check on her.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019d been gone from school I think for about four days,\u201d Holman said. \u201cThere were acute concerns for Rebekah\u2019s safety.\u201d<\/p>\n Mariscal said she heard of Rebekah\u2019s death after leading mandated reporting training. She returned to her office, saw an email and felt overwhelming horror.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had staff members say, \u2018I don\u2019t know that she\u2019ll come back this summer,\u2019 indicating \u2018I don\u2019t know that she\u2019ll come back alive or start the new school year,’\u201d Mariscal said.<\/p>\n Holman said he learned about Rebekah\u2019s death while in the room with the principal and her third- and fourth-grade teachers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anguish like her fourth-grade teacher just break down,\u201d Holman said. \u201cWe want justice.\u201d<\/p>\n How will Rebekah Baptiste case change how Phoenix school reports child abuse?<\/p>\n Holman said school officials are going to change the way they report suspected child abuse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe intend to call DCS and the police department every time,\u201d Holman said. \u201cWe intend to take photography of the injury so that if they don\u2019t go until it looks like a month after the report and say, \u2018There\u2019s no mark here. Case closed.\u2019 We can say, \u2018Here\u2019s the picture of the the mark.’\u201d<\/p>\n He hopes changes like this will help keep children safe.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want her life to be honored. She was going to make a tremendous impact on people\u2019s lives,\u201d Holman said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want the fact that she is dead to prevent that impact she was going to have from being made. We want many kids\u2019 lives to be saved amidst her death.\u201d<\/p>\n We want to hear from you.<\/p>\n Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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