KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This is the third of a three-part series. You can read the others below:
Part 1: Olathe teacher could face no jail time due to wording of Kansas stalking statute
Part 2: Parents allege elementary teacher played favorites with female students
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Parents of a former Olathe Public Schools fourth-grader have formed a nonprofit to raise awareness of Kansas’ stalking statute, with the intent of hosting rallies to educate other parents.
Kristyn and Anthony Antonucci created #notyourdaughter after their daughter was unknowingly the subject of more than 200 photos and 31 videos taken last spring by now-retired teacher James Loganbill.
Loganbill faces stalking charges, but because of the law’s wording, his defense attorney, Carl Cornwell, argued that while Loganbill's actions were wrong, they were not illegal.
The statute defines stalking as "recklessly engaging in a course of conduct targeted at a specific person, which would cause a reasonable person to fear for such person's safety, and the targeted person is actually placed in such fear."
Cornwell said that because the Antonucci’s daughter was unaware that she was being stalked, she could not have been placed in fear.
Jennifer Keys, a parent in the Olathe school district, has been actively involved in helping the Antonuccis rally for change.
“So the laws that are in place for children right now? I had absolutely no idea, until this hit so close to home, how bad they are,” Keys said. “I need to know the laws are being changed and there are regulations within the school. What Kristyn is pushing for (regarding) use of personal devices inside of the school. This needs to be monitored in some way to ensure that this won’t happen to another child."
Kristyn and Anthony also have enlisted help from legal experts and politicians to introduce legislation to better protect Kansas children, even traveling to the state capitol to lobby legislators.
"It's not just for our family's peace of mind, it's for all of Kansas’ kids,” Kristyn said. “Because we really feel there's so much work to be done to protect these kids from pedophiles and predators.”
And to make a personal plea, their daughter, who dreams of becoming a dancer, is ready for a different type of spotlight — one that means she'll be back in front of legislators early next year to testify, sharing her story.
"She wants to be a part of it, and, honestly, I think it's her taking back her power from someone who took advantage of her and took it away," Kristyn said.
The Antonuccis have removed their daughter and their two other children from the Olathe school district, and they now are enrolled elsewhere. Their daughter still is close friends with her friends and classmates who came forward and reported Loganbill's behavior. And the Antonuccis said those friends are the real heroes of this story.
"The biggest thing I can think of is, just always listen,” Anthony said. “ You know, no matter how small it might be, just make sure you listen and then react. That’s the greatest thing in the situation. We had some people that did react to these young girls and were able to get this teacher apprehended.”
Editor’s note: Per the family’s request, 41 Action News is not showing the girl’s face or using her first name due to her age and the accusation involved.
