SIXTEEN YEARS LATER

Sixteen years after the murder of Angela Dales at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia, the harsh reality is abundantly clear: the average family has little recourse in Virginia if their child is killed on a school campus. I have learned that politicians in Richmond lack the courage to find the root of the problem and tell the truth about not only gun violence in Virginia in general, but about school shootings specifically.

From mental health care to campus security, Virginia’s elected officials appear to be happy playing Russian roulette with the lives of young people, students, teachers, and professors. Children apparently are worth next to nothing in the eyes of the political leaders in Richmond, even if gross incompetence led to their deaths.

No amount of money can ever replace a child or loved one. Given a choice, you could not give a parent any amount of money for the life of a child. But in Virginia, the state places an insulting price tag on the life of a child--$100,000. Compare that figure to the salaries of school presidents posted on VirginiaWatchdog.org:

Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao received a $275,000 signing bonus when he inked his employment contract in October 2012, with $200,000 a year in deferred compensation. That’s on top of a base salary just shy of half a million dollars.

Whenever Christopher Newport University President Paul Tribble leaves his presidential post, he’ll continue making whatever his final base salary is — more than $360,000 — to teach just three courses over the entire academic year as a tenured professor at the Newport News institution.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education's national ranking of executive leadership by compensation, recently retired Virginia Tech President Charles Steger made $836,886 during fiscal year 2013. That salary alone placed him as the 12th highest-paid public college president in the U.S. out of 256 institutions.

Charles Steger was the president of Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. He and then-Police Chief Wendell Flinchum, failed to warn or lockdown the campus following a double homicide at West Ambler Johnston Hall. As a result the killer, Seung Hui Cho, methodically proceeded with his plans and killed 30 students and faculty in Norris Hall two and a half hours later.

Charles Steger made $836,886 his last year as Virginia Tech president, 28 families got $100,000 for their dead children and spouses. The Pryde and Peterson families, whose daughters were killed got nothing.

Over the past thirteen years one of the most sobering facts I have come to terms with is the extent mendacity permeates the leadership cadre of our society.

When I was writing the book on the Virginia Tech rampage, I finally stopped my research because every time I picked up a rock, something else crawled out from under. I found few leaders of principle and few working for the common good. (To be continued)