Memories of molestation haunt long-ago student

For Darrell Edwards, time might heal most wounds — but one in particular will haunt him forever.

And in the wake of the recent Penn State child sex abuse scandal, the memories from 70 years ago have been brought racing back to the forefront for Edwards, now 84 and living in Maryland.

To that end, Edwards says it is time for the truth to be told and he raised the subject publicly during the regular monthly meeting of the Western Wayne School Board.

His subject matter was Otto Mickel who taught eighth grade for years at Salem Twp. Consolidated School.

In August 2010, Edwards wrote a letter to Western Wayne Superintendent Andrew Falonk expressing his concern that Mickel’s name not be associated in any way with the new school which was being built.

Falonk said in an interview with The Wayne Independent that the letter was distributed to each member of the school board when it was received.

In that letter, Edwards was very direct.

“ ...Otto Mickel was a pedophile which fact can be attested to by myself and each of my three brothers as well as many other present and former residents of Salem Twp.,” he wrote.

Another part of his letter addressed a bronze bust of Mickel which was on display at the time at Hamlin Elementary School.

“I find this offensive and feel it is an improper role model for the children of the area. I herewith request that it be removed from further display.”

That was in 2010.

Edwards said recently he felt ignored by the school district because he never received any kind of response from the board about the matter.

Distraught, Edwards decided the time to act was now and he read a statement at the most recent public school board meeting.

Here’s the complete statement:
“My name is Darrell Edwards. I attended grade school at the Salem Twp. School and high school at the Lake Twp. School from 1940 until 1952. One of my teachers was Otto H. Mickel who taught in Salem Twp. from the 1930s to the 1970s. I have here a copy of a letter to Superintendent Falonk, dated Aug. 13, 2010, in which I accuse Mr. Mickel of being a pedophile. I based this on the experiences of my three brothers and myself and of an unknown number of other Salem Twp. boys. I have good reason to believe that this letter was reviewed by this board shortly after it was received but I have never received a response from either this board or Mr. Falonk. I am now resubmitting the letter and request that a response be forthcoming promptly.”

Immediately after Edwards read the letter during the meeting, Falonk motioned to him and asked him to come into the district office area behind the boardroom.

After the meeting, Edwards said he was taken to Flank’s office and shown the bronze bust of Mickel which had been removed from the now-closed elementary school in Hamlin. Edwards said he was told by the superintendent the plaque was going to be smelted and destroyed.

Falonk acknowledged the plaque was removed from the building but when asked if that was recognition that Mickel was a known pedophile, he responded, “Absolutely not. No one has ever complained to me in my 35 years here. The first knowledge of that problem was Mr. Edwards stating to me there was a problem.”

That, he said, came in the form of the 2010 letter.

Falonk said the reason the plaque was taken down was because the “board directed me to take all the plaques down in all of the (closed) buildings.”

That included the old district office as well as buildings in Lake Ariel and Hamlin.

Falonk did acknowledge he contacted the only known relative of Mickel about the plaque but there was no interest. He said it was then destroyed at Western Wayne High School.

Edwards has a different take on the matter.

“I felt they knew it could be a hot item and they waited,” said Edwards, who said the board may very well have ordered all of the plaques taken down from all of the buildings.

Falonk said he was surprised when Edwards came to the school board meeting to address the matter.

“I was taken aback,” he said. “I had no idea he was coming. I had never met him so I didn’t know what he looked like.”

Edwards said he felt he was left with no choice but to bring the matter up at a public meeting.

“The board never answered me in any way formally,” said Edwards.

He did say he talked privately with one member of the board, who did acknowledge the letter had been reviewed by the board.

Falonk acknowledged he had “heard rumors” over the years about Mickel, but had “no knowledge” or hard facts to prove the allegations.

“I never physically met the man,” said Falonk. “I did see him standing in his front yard once.”

Mickel died in 1993 and is buried in the Salem Twp. Cemetery.

He also questioned why the matter is now being brought forth “60 years later.”

For Edwards, there are many reasons. He says there can never be enough public awareness and feels even from so long ago, it can bring to the spotlight that people in well respected positions can be pedophiles.

Though former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has only been charged, Edwards says the child sex scandal which has rocked the university, and the nation, shines the light on a problem which has gone on for years, many times unnoticed — or unreported.

In fact, Edwards said when the Penn State scandal broke, he was watching television and the state Attorney General’s office requested that anyone with knowledge of any type of similar case, whether the person was dead or not, should come forward and report the matter. Edwards did say he contacted the local district attorney’s office and is still waiting on a response.

But for Edwards, there are more reasons he believes this should come out in public.

“I want these other people (victims) to come out and say something,” he said.

Edwards said when all of this was taking place, it was a different time.

“It was the aura of authority,” he said. “These were people who were not to be questioned. People didn’t want to stir things up.”

That, he said, has left many people scarred for life.

“The shroud of silence has not gone away,” said Edwards.