Allegations involving teacher lead officer to eastern states
By Mary Clarkin -

The Hutchinson News -
mclarkin@hutchnews.com

A criminal investigation of a Buhler High School debate-forensics teacher and coach sent a Reno County Sheriff's detective to the East Coast in late November. The teacher, Richard Young, is on paid administrative leave, and no charges have been filed in the case.

Expense vouchers processed during the past two weeks at the Reno County Courthouse showed the county spent more than $3,000 on Detective Diana Skomal's travels to conduct interviews. Airfare cost $1,592, and a one-night stay at the Embassy Suites in New York City came to $683. The investigation also took Skomal to Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

According to a notation on one voucher, Skomal "attended those interviews w/ SSA Larkin from ICE." Mark Larkin is a special agent, and ICE refers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Reno County Sheriff's standard offense report for the case, filled out on Nov. 1, lists allegations of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, involving fondling and touching, and electronic sexual solicitation of a child. The allegations cover a period from Sept. 18 to Nov. 1, 2007, and the location alleged was Young's home in Buhler. On Nov. 1, search warrants were served and computers were seized for possible evidence from Buhler High School and Young's home.

The alleged teenage victim was a one-time foreign exchange student at Buhler High. Young has served as host for foreign exchange students, a fact noted on the USD 313's Web site. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit initiated the investigation.

Young, on the advice of his attorney, declined to comment Monday.

Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said Monday that the investigation continues and that he hopes that a resolution is reached in a month.

"We're looking for other people that may have been involved, other victims," he said. "We don't want to close this thing out without checking thoroughly everything."

Henderson said his department was "catching flak" from people complaining that the probe has cost the veteran teacher/coach his $42,000-a-year job.

"I want it to come out, too," Henderson said. "I want everything to come out."

The Sheriff's Department is absorbing the cost of the probe, and Henderson said he alerted County Counselor Joe O'Sullivan about the higher-than-normal expense vouchers.

The New York hotel was "actually picked by Immigration," Henderson said, explaining that a search for a cheaper hotel was unsuccessful. The visit occurred during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and hotels wouldn't honor the discount government rate, Henderson said.

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