FL - School teacher arrested for abuse, SNAP responds
A school teacher in Palm Beach has been arrested for abusing children as young as nine.
We are grateful to Palm Beach police for not only arresting Stephen Budd, but also for reaching out to families to find more victims. School officials at Rosarian Academy should follow this example and use all of their resources to find other victims and help them come forward.
We agree with the police that there are likely more victims, especially given that Budd worked around special education students. In the past, Budd has also worked at another catholic school (St. Francis of Assisi) where he also prepared students to receive sacraments. It is highly likely that Budd victimized children in those roles as well, and we urge church and school officials there to aggressively reach out to parents of both current and former students.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 1 comment
I too, am beginning to wonder, indeed even as one of the persons who commented on this (the attached story) said:
“how many more instances of perverts in the palm beach county school system is it going to take to get a full investigation from the state and feds…this is like the 10th in a year…start calling and emailing the state reps…ALL of them and demand a full and complete investigation”
I am beginning to wonder HOW MANY WILL IT TAKE??? How many victims and how many times, and how much do the “authorities” have to read or be reported to, until finally those who actually do have power and are in powerful offices in our country, what will it take for them to notice and take charge of arresting and convicting these pedophiles?
What will it take to begin what essentially will certainly be the difficult and lengthy process of ridding our churches and schools (both public and private) and other places vulnerable children would otherwise congregate, of essentially what are “institutionalized” predator pedophiles?
When I read that thousands of pages of documentation had been submitted to the ICC, my heart sank. My heart sank not only because of the reality of how many victims those thousands of pages must represent exponentially, but because of realizing that perhaps most jurists would find the task of reading all of the documentation beyond their own capacity or tolerance for the need of being adequately informed of the details of these very real and specific charges.
So, I feel compelled to pray here:
God, I beg you, please help all of the victims and all of those fighting on their behalf. Please help all of us who truly care and want to see
this virulent scourge that has been and continues to be inflicted by pedophiles in our own country and on our earth, to be ended in our lifetime. Please I pray, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, let this be the time, let these be the years for it to be ended. Amen.
Lani Halter
Mother and Grandmother
Remember Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:41 and Luke 17:2