LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Former Leavenworth teacher Jerome C. Riscovallez, 55, was arraigned Friday afternoon for charges related to indecent liberties with a child.
Family members of his alleged victims sat in court while a judge went through the proceedings.
“I feel it keeps going, it doesn’t stop,” said Gwynne Garrison. “We were hoping it would be over by the time, next school year for our kids. I feel like it keeps trickling down.”
Garrison is the mother of a 10-year-old girl who she said was abused by Riscovallez in 2023. Garrison stood next to Kristine McMillen, who has an 8-year-old daughter who she said was abused by the same teacher earlier this year.
The defense attorney for Riscovallez said they are currently in mediation for this case. The judge set a jury trial for later this year in case an agreement is not reached.
Garrison and McMillen said they want to have a jury trial.
“They need it to be a jury because everybody can hear it now. Everybody can see it,” Garrison said. “Rather than, 'Hey, let’s just do it behind closed doors and figure it out.' I don’t think we should do that, honestly.”
In late February, prosecutors charged Riscovallez with one count of indecent liberties with a child.
Prosecutors in Leavenworth County expanded the charges against the former Leavenworth School District teacher.
Prosecutors filed an amended complaint several weeks later that included several additional charges.
Riscovallez, who was an elementary school teacher, is now charged with a second count of indecent liberties with a child. He also faces charges for criminal restraint and four counts of battery.
All the alleged crimes took place in Leavenworth County, Kansas.
Three additional district employees were charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect as a mandatory reporter.
In Kansas, teachers, administrators and first responders are among those designated as mandatory reporters, meaning they must report to the state if there is "reason to suspect that a child has been harmed or has a likelihood of harm."
Assistant principals Alyssa O'Neal and Kelsey Stimatze, along with executive director of HR, Amy Sloan, are each charged with multiple counts of failure to report child abuse or neglect.
While court records don't explicitly state the district employees failed to report Riscovallez's alleged abuse, he is listed as a witness in all three complaints.
The Leavenworth School District confirmed Thursday all three employees facing charges are still with the district.
A statement from the district said: "Due to confidentiality obligations for students and staff, and to avoid intervening in the judicial process, Leavenworth USD 453 has no additional comment to provide at this time."
The school district employees are expected back in court in late June. Riscovallez’s jury trial is set for Sept. 29.
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