Houston school investigates after students, sex offender trade letters

Rickey R. Rowlett, of New Braunfels, was convicted last month of child molestation. Rickey R. Rowlett, of New Braunfels, was convicted last month of child molestation. Photo: Stautc Photo: Stautc Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston school investigates after students, sex offender trade letters 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO - Officials at a Houston private school said they are investigating how a teacher arranged for a group of fourth-graders to correspond with a man who had been charged with child sexual molestation.

The man, Rickey R. Rowlett of New Braunfels, was convicted last month of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl younger than 14 between 2008 and 2011.

While he was jailed in Comal County, Rowlett exchanged letters with students at Trinity Lutheran Church and School, at the corner of Houston and Washington near downtown.

"It's very alarming," Comal County District Attorney Jennifer Tharp said of the pen pal relationship. Authorities found the letters as they were transferring Rowlett from one cell to another in the county jail.

Tharp traveled to Houston to alert staff and parents to the letters, in which she said fourth-graders provided detailed personal information and expressed a desire to meet Rowlett once he was free.

John Menke, chairman of the school's governing board, called the voluntary project that Laura Perry suggested for her class "absolutely unacceptable."

"We've hired a private investigator to find out exactly what happened and have enacted new security protocols and policies," Menke said Wednesday.

Teacher not on staff

Perry is no longer on the school staff, Menke said, and the principal, Amy Boatman, was placed on administrative leave while the issue is reviewed.

Neither Perry nor Boatman could be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Authorities say Perry, a family friend of Rowlett, told the students he had been wrongly accused.

Over several months, as many as a dozen students exchanged letters with Rowlett, who had no prior criminal record.

Tharp said Perry's father, Larry Lanfried, testified as a character witness for Rowlett, 55, during the punishment phase of the trial, which concluded March 22 with a 50-year sentence.

Parents of two children enrolled at the school, one in Perry's class, have filed suit.

The suit, filed March 27, claims Pastor Michael Dorn approved of the pen pal project, but Menke said his investigation indicates that only Perry and Boatman knew of it.

"There's a long history of churches corresponding with inmates," Menke said. "In this case, it was really poorly handled. We didn't have good information or know the type of charges pending."

The suit also claims the students had contact with Perry's husband, who is charged with possessing and promoting child pornography in Harris County.

Menke said Blake Perry, 23, had not been around the school since his arrest.

The suit claims otherwise, saying that Blake Perry, despite being told by Dorn to have no interaction with students, was around the school after his arrest and may have helped coach soccer there.

Suit alleges negligence

The suit accuses the defendants of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, vicarious liability and inflicting emotional distress.

"Trinity has allowed, in fact encouraged ... minor children to have contact and communication with a child molester and a person indicted for promotion of child pornography," says the suit filed by attorney Charles H. Peckham. "Trinity has approved and condoned the release of identification of minor children's information for distribution with the jail and prison systems."

In a statement, church officials said they are committed to the safety of students and families.

"We do not condone any of the alleged activities or the decisions of those individuals involved," it said.

zeke@express-news.net