In an October 5 post on his blog, CBN News White House correspondent David Brody claimed that Education Department official Kevin Jennings did not report the “sexual abuse of a minor to authorities,” writing:
We now have the first member of Congress who has called on controversial “Safe Schools” Education Official Kevin Jennings to resign. More on the Jennings controversy here.
[...]
Even though Jennings has come under fire for not reporting sexual abuse of a minor to authorities, clearly Evangelical groups see that as just once incident in a much bigger underlying problem. Pushing a pro-homosexual agenda laced with “attacks” on people of faith is what is really at the heart of the matter. You know what? Across the country, tens of millions of people are concerned about that too.
But Brody's own link -- “More on the Jennings controversy here." -- disproves his smear of Jennings. Brody links to an October 2 CNN.com article by Jessica Yellin, which reports:
Conservative groups charge that Jennings, who is openly gay, condoned statutory rape and child molestation. That's in reference to an incident in 1988 when Jennings, who was a teacher at the time, did not tell authorities that a 16-year-old student revealed to Jennings that he'd had sex with an older man.
Now that former student is speaking out for the first time and telling CNN he did not have sex with that man at all. He did not elaborate on what he told Jennings at the time. Jennings could not be reached for comment late Friday.
In a statement obtained by CNN, the former student, who wanted to be called Brewster, wrote: “Since I was of legal consent at the time, the 15-minute conversation I had with Mr. Jennings 21 years ago is of nobody's concern but his and mine. However, since the Republican noise machine is so concerned about my 'well-being' and that of America's students, they'll be relieved to know that I was not 'inducted' into homosexuality, assaulted, raped, or sold into sexual slavery.”
The former student recounted what happened at the time and maintained there was no sexual contact.
“In 1988, I had taken a bus home for the weekend, and on the return trip met someone who was also gay. The next day, I had a conversation with Mr. Jennings about it. I had no sexual contact with anybody at the time, though I was entirely legally free to do so. I was a 16-year-old going through something most of us have experienced: adolescence.”
Shoddy work from “top political reporter” Brody.
Previously:
Fox News tirelessly advanced false accusation that Jennings covered up “statutory rape”
Hannity continued to push “statutory rape” smear even after Fox reporter questioned story's accuracy
EXCLUSIVE: Statement from former student at center of Fox-fueled Jennings controversy