'I want justice': Akron mom alleges son was molested. Arrested aide denies allegations
An Akron mother became suspicious when she read text messages on her 9-year-old son’s cellphone that mentioned sneaking around and love.
LaQuina Haggins grew more alarmed when she learned the messages were sent to her son by an aide at the Akron program he was attending for disabled youths.
Haggins alerted Wings of Change Therapy Inc., which promptly fired Isaac Rosler and alerted the authorities.
Summit County sheriff deputies arrested Rosler, 20, of Lake Township, on Wednesday. They charged him with six counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of attempted rape and booked him into the Summit County Jail.
Haggins is pleased action has been taken against Rosler, who was named the outstanding senior boy at Lake High School in 2020.
“I want justice so he can’t do this to any other kid,” Haggins said in a phone interview this week. “I don’t want my son to be pushed under the rug.”
Attorney Don Malarcik, who was retained to represent Rosler, said his client has no prior record. Malarcik also cited Rosler's academic accomplishments at Lake High School and Kent State University.
“He is shocked and devastated at the allegations and adamantly denies any inappropriate contact,” Malarcik said.
Malarcik said Rosler passed a polygraph, a tool that’s inadmissible in court but is often used by law enforcement during investigations and by probation departments.
“It’s difficult to prove you didn’t do something,” Malarcik said. “A polygraph is a valuable tool.”
Disability program takes action
Officials with Wings of Change Therapy, located at 703 S. Main St., said Thursday they learned in early September that Rosler had exchanged texts with a student. They said they fired Rosler after confirming this.
“Everyone at Wings of Change Therapy is shocked and distressed by news of these charges,” Jordye Joyce, the program’s president and founder, and Michael Asente, the CEO, said in an emailed statement. “Protecting the children in our care is always our highest priority.”
After learning about the texts, Joyce and Asente said the school reported this to the Akron Police Department, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Summit County Child Protective Services. They said they are cooperating with the sheriff’s ongoing investigation.
“We expect and demand the highest moral and ethical standards from our staff, and do not tolerate behavior deviating from those elevated standards,” Joyce and Asente said.
The school officials said their staff undergo background checks from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the FBI. They said background checks of Rosler raised no concerns.
Wings of Change provides educational and therapeutic services to people ages 5 to 21. Therapists work with intervention specialists in classrooms and provide individual therapy. The program has a golden doodle named Waffles and features photos of the dog prominently on its website.
Student's behavior deteriorates
Haggins, who agreed to her name being used but asked that her son’s name be withheld, said her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and is on the autism spectrum. She said she enrolled him at Wings of Change Therapy in August 2020 on a scholarship for students with special needs.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Haggins said her ability to be at the school was initially limited. She said she her son’s behavior worsened during his time there.
Haggins said she enrolled her son, who is now 10, in August at Bridges, an alternative school in Akron Public Schools for students who need support for emotional or behavioral needs. She said her son told a counselor at Bridges that Rosler had sexually abused him on the bus and in two rooms at the school.
The Bridges counselor alerted the sheriff’s office, which provides security at the school.
Haggins said her son is doing OK, though she plans to get him into counseling.
“He’s a very strong kid,” she said. “Right now, it’s ‘out of sight, out of mind.’”
Inspector Bill Holland from the sheriff’s office said Rosler’s case was presented to a grand jury this week, though the charges haven’t yet been reported out.
Asked if investigators are concerned that other children were harmed, Holland said investigators haven’t heard of any others.
“That’s always something we look for,” he said.
Parents with concerns can call Holland at 330-643-2114.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Aide at Akron disability program charged with molesting boy
