In Baltimore City
Archdiocese, school sued over sexual abuse by teacher
Parents of five girls who attended a Baltimore Catholic elementary school filed suit in the city's Circuit Court yesterday against the Archdiocese of Baltimore, officials of its St. Thomas Aquinas School and a teacher who has been imprisoned for sexually abusing pupils there.
Contending that officials at the Hampden school could have prevented the abuse of the young girls by 38-year-old David Czajkowski, the parents are seeking millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages. Czajkowski pleaded guilty in May to child sexual abuse for fondling fourth- and fifth-grade pupils between 1999 and last year, and was sentenced to five years in prison in August.
Czajkowski's attorney, Steven A. Allen, said he had not seen the suit and could not comment. In a statement, the archdiocese said, "Our policies are very clear: Abuse must be reported and abusers must be removed." According to the statement, the archdiocese has offered to pay for counseling for children who were harmed, and their families.
The suit contends that the girls, ages 10 and 11, were touched and fondled on their backs and breasts by Czajkowski. A similar suit was filed on behalf of a 10-year-old girl last month.
Staples, Johns Hopkins join for summer kids program
An alliance between Staples Foundation for Learning and Teach Baltimore at the Johns Hopkins University to provide summer-learning experiences for more than 300 city elementary children will be formally announced at 3 p.m. Monday at a community art show in the cafeteria of Govans Elementary School, 5801 York Road.
Over the next year, funding from the foundation will support the program, including the costs for supplies, field trips and stipends for college students who will serve as instructors in the Teach Baltimore Summer Academy program. The alliance is designed to address the problem of summer-learning loss by helping children develop and practice literacy skills during the break from school.
The art show will showcase the work of children who participated in this year's academy, with the pupils as docents in presenting their work on the theme of "Reflections on a Warmer Time."
Storm hurts blood supplies in area, Red Cross says
Blood supplies are at a critically low level because of Tuesday's ice storm, which forced the cancellation of blood collections throughout the area, according to the American Red Cross.
The Baltimore-based Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Region of the Red Cross reported that collections sank by about 600 units of blood this week because of the bad weather. Some 1,200 to 1,500 units must be distributed daily to meet patient needs at area hospitals.
Information on donor center sites and scheduling blood donations may be obtained by calling 800-448-3543.
In Baltimore County
Man accused in attack now charged with murder
TOWSON - An Essex man being held on assault and attempted-murder charges has been charged with first-degree murder in the beating of a man in May on Back River Neck Road.
Michael Phillip Harrison, 38, of the first block of Pelczar Ave. initially was charged in an attack on Jerry Bilodeau, 52, of the 1600 block of Gail Road. Bilodeau died Oct. 12. Police said yesterday that the medical examiner's office determined this week that Bilodeau's death was a result of the assault May 15.
Police said witnesses told them that Bilodeau was walking on Back River Neck Road in Essex when a man approached him from behind and hit him on the head with a cane. Harrison admits fighting with Bilodeau but denied hitting him with the cane, police said. He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
Shelter for the homeless moves to Rosewood Center
OWINGS MILLS - Baltimore County moved its cold-weather shelter for the homeless yesterday from Clays Lane in Woodlawn to a building at 10204 Jensen Lane on the Rosewood Center campus.
Shuttle service will be provided from a bus stop at Reisterstown Road and Rosewood Lane to Jensen Lane from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. A limited number of bus tokens will be available to homeless people. Tokens can be obtained at the shelter or by calling the Department of Social Services at 410-853-3000.
The Clays Lane shelter was closed because it lacked reliable heat and hot water. A second shelter is operated on the east side at Eastern Family Resource Center in Essex.
Police arrest third man in fatal shooting of woman
TOWSON - A third suspect was being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center yesterday in the killing June 7 of Tonya Ann Jones, 39, who was fatally shot outside her Randallstown apartment.
Jamane Antoine Johnson, 22, of the 4100 block of Parkside Drive in Northeast Baltimore was arrested on a street corner in the city Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, police said. Two other men, Shawn Earl Gardner, 24, of Chase and Aaron Dwayne Holly, 17, of Catonsville were arrested shortly after the killing and remain in jail awaiting trial.
Detectives said they were told by neighbors that they saw Jones on her balcony shouting, "No, no." Then, she either jumped or fell to the ground and was trying to crawl away when two men walked up and shot her at least twice. Investigators have not established a motive for the killing.