Recent criminal cases involving former educators in the Lehigh Valley have forced the community to confront difficult truths about student safety. Over the past decade, a music educator at Whitehall High School was convicted for sending explicit images to students, a former Bangor Area High School band director was sentenced to prison after being convicted of having a sexual relationship with a student, and most recently a former performing arts administrator at Parkland School District pleaded guilty to secretly recording a student during school theater activities.
Their actions caused real harm, and the effects on the students and families involved will not be erased by any courtroom outcome. The focus must remain on those young people and on the arts programs whose integrity and sense of trust were shaken by what happened. These programs deserve protection; the students who pour their hearts into them deserve our care.
I taught choir and directed musicals at Whitehall High School, beginning with my first job out of college in 2007. Although I moved away more than a decade ago, I still remember the unmistakable energy that filled an auditorium on performance nights. In the years after I left the Lehigh Valley, I was saddened to learn that both the educator who precede me and the one who followed me, were later charged with harming students. It was a painful reminder of how vulnerable young people can be when adults in positions of trust fail to honor that responsibility. Those memories and realizations continue to shape my belief that arts programs must be built on a foundation of safety, integrity and respect.
Arts programs hold an irreplaceable role in a school. They are places where students learn far more than notes, lines, blocking or technique. They learn how to listen to one another, how to collaborate, how to persevere and how to recover from mistakes with grace. They learn discipline and responsibility. They learn to take creative risks. For many students, these programs are where they discover confidence that carries into every other part of their lives. For some, they are the only place in a school where they feel like they truly belong.
Arts programs also play a vital role beyond the school walls. They bring families together. They strengthen community identity. They give neighbors something to look forward to and cheer for. They remind us that young people have an extraordinary capacity to create beauty, meaning and joy. When arts programs are healthy and well- supported, the entire community benefits.
That is why student protection and arts enrichment must always go hand in hand. The arts cannot flourish in environments where students do not feel secure. Protecting students does not mean treating educators with suspicion or assuming that misconduct is inevitable. Instead, it means building systems that support the many dedicated teachers who uphold the highest standards. It means providing thorough training on professional boundaries. It means clear expectations for conduct, transparent communication within schools, and structures that empower students to speak openly when something feels wrong. These measures do not restrict artistic expression. They create the conditions in which expression becomes possible.
Safety alone, however, is not enough. Students also need our visible support. Arts programs thrive when the community shows up for them. I encourage residents of the Lehigh Valley to attend concerts, plays and musicals and to fill the seats for student performers. Donate when you can. Volunteer if you have the time. Talk to the students who perform and let them know that their work matters. These young artists are talented, imaginative and resilient. It means more than many people realize for them to look out into a crowd and see a community cheering them on.
The recent events have been painful, especially for those directly affected. But they also present an opportunity for reflection and renewal. We can acknowledge the harm that occurred without letting it define the future of the arts in our schools. We can recommit to safety, transparency and care, while also celebrating the profound value that these programs bring to students’ lives.
The arts are resilient. They deserve investment, attention and protection. Most of all, the students who bring them to life deserve environments that honor both their creativity and their well-being. With honesty, vigilance, and compassion, the Lehigh Valley can continue building arts programs that enrich lives and strengthen communities for years to come.
This is a contributed opinion column. Josh Dearing is a family physician in Williamsport, Lycoming County, and a former faculty member at Whitehall High School. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.
