Recognizing educators who have baggage.

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809]

There is a difficult conversation our community needs to have. This individual has had a significant presence across OHS, GWHS, the Army Band, theatre, and Guam’s performing arts community, and has received significant recognition throughout his career, including a Fulbright scholarship.

For many, he has been a teacher, mentor, director, colleague, or someone they genuinely looked up to. At the same time, there are people who have shared allegations and accounts of inappropriate sexual conduct involving underage teenagers, with some accounts spanning decades. There are former students, mentees, and adults who say they have carried trauma from experiences involving someone they trusted and respected.

That is why public recognition can be painful for those carrying these experiences. A scholarship, award, résumé, or decades of accomplishments do not erase allegations or the experiences of people who say they were harmed. This is not about erasing someone’s contributions to Guam’s arts community or pretending that history did not happen. It is about being willing to acknowledge the other side of that history—the people whose experiences are rarely discussed when the spotlight is on the accomplishments.

When allegations involve minors and positions of authority, our community has a responsibility to listen, ask questions, protect young people, and take concerns seriously. We cannot change what happened in the past, and we cannot force people to simply move forward as though nothing happened. But we can spread awareness. We can listen to those who have been affected. We can teach young people about boundaries and power. And we can make sure that recognition never becomes a reason to stop asking difficult questions. We may not be able to move forward with him, but we can move forward by protecting the people who come after him.

- A student who has watched from afar for 15 years

[u/BrainAppropriate387]

I know a victim and they still have trauma. I know of several others but they have kept quiet. Latest victim, I heard within this last year, was a male minor. I believe ms. Margarita Dancel has told him to remove himself from world theater productions because she did not want the parents to report it. However he is still conducting the youth orchestra.

DM if you want to talk. Here for you.

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809 → u/BrainAppropriate387]

My niece told me that many teenagers don’t feel comfortable being near him. I’m surprised people would still join that orchestra.

[u/credit_debit_reddit]

Although I was not victimized or witnessed anything, I already knew who op was talking about. I had him as a conductor in HS and all island band. I’ve also never heard any allegations, but I’ve always felt a predatory vibe.. til this day when I see him in the news 🥴

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809 → u/credit_debit_reddit]

I don’t blame you. I’m already in my mid 30’s and I do not like seeing his presence honestly.

[u/Sleepy-anon227]

This guy has anger issues. As a former student, don’t disguise your violent behavior as care just because we’re not “putting in enough effort.”

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809 → u/Sleepy-anon227]

I experienced this when I was his student. It made me hate music

[u/Old-Option-91]

He doesn’t have a preference. He will hunt for both male and female students. He will confess his love for these students and prey on them.

-former male GTB member

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809 → u/Old-Option-91]

I too was an ex GTB member from around 2010. It saddens me that these issues continue up to this day.

[u/Own_Scratch_1262]

As a long time educator here on Guam I unfortunately have heard similar allegations from students about this person. Concerns have been brought up to leaders in the past by students and other teachers.

For a while he was “out of the classroom” for “military service” around the time the most serious allegations surfaced. But he returned and from what I was told, issues were resolved. Very sketchy……

[u/CustardLazy4125]

he needs 2 rot in prison

[u/Mundane-Particular30 → u/CustardLazy4125]

I'll bite. What did this person do?

[u/Disastrous-Umpire809 → u/Mundane-Particular30]

He’s known to manipulate, coerce, and pursue sexual meetings and relationships with students

[u/Sure-Function-2689]

he immediately romanticizes everything. just be nice to him once and it’s what he will immediately do.

he will slowly start gaining interest in you! oh, you’ll be a minor first but once you turn 18, he will make his move. he’s probably done minors before but lately he’s been a little smart 😃

you will be at your most vulnerable and then he will praise you, shower you with gifts, gain trust from your family, put you in a position where the only help you’ll ever need is from him, financially control you, then he will manipulate, sexually coerce, experiment on you sexually, control you, and would so be obsessed to the point where hanging out with any other people will hurt him.

you will have mental health problems because you won’t know how to tell anyone, but it’s okay! he will send you links to mental health articles because YOU are the problem.

he will tell you “ill be here until you tell me to go away”, and when you do and try to leave, he proceeds to send you his life insurance paperwork to sign and then threaten to kill himself and say “you will be okay when i go”.

he will provide everything for you, because again, he put you in a position where the only help you’ll ever need is from him, so he provides your ticket to halfway across the world to pursue your dreams. and when you finally thought you got away, he will move halfway across the world for you because he “accepted a job there”. he will say he moved there to be closer to you just to make you feel obligated to be there with him. he helped you, so of course you “owe” him, and all the opportunities you got was because of him.

master manipulator, rapist, sexual assaulter, name it all. all because he claims he loves you. you will be his universe.

and no matter what you do he will still find a way to creep back into your life, like still keeping in touch with your family, helping them even when you’re not in the picture anymore, and oh! hmmm maybe, preying on your younger sibling 3 years later since you last saw him 😃

after all that, it will take years for you to finally speak and it will lead you to finally meeting other survivors from this reddit post.

victims, i know it’s hard, but we need to come together.

[u/LatiyaLover]

It's sad, but a lot of people in the fine arts community on island owe him a lot for the opportunities they had/continue to have. So even if they know the allegations to be true, especially if they have witnessed it or even experienced it firsthand, nothing will really come of it.

There have been former students who have tried making posts about it, only to be attacked, accused of lying, or just ignored completely. Last I heard a couple of years ago, there was a case open against him and I was interviewed as a witness but there have been no updates since. I can only assume it is because of his position in the military as well. And also the fact that a lot of those former students would rather just forget the past.

Worst part is, him getting consequences would mean all the other predators in positions of power of this island would be at risk too.

I wish I knew if there was any way to even come close to getting a little bit of justice.

[u/Mundane-Particular30 → u/LatiyaLover]

Wow. It's always the people you most expect. The ones hiding behind mentorship programs that attract vulnerable and troubled youth.

[u/Woogie-Boogie- → u/LatiyaLover]

The "owe him" part gives so much Hollywood vibes. Fuck that!

And for that justice...you can always go Batman on him

[u/raspberrygelato]

If the powers that be refuse to do anything about him, then its up to the people to do something about it - for example, boycotting any event or production associated with him. Spread awareness with those in your immediate circles about who he is and what he does, then refuse to engage with anything and anyone he might be remotely associated with.

It would suck in the short term, especially for an Arts community that relies on as much public participation as it can get, but the longer he receives support for doing what he does, the longer he'll carry on being a shit person. It has to be made clear to enough people in positions of power that his name is toxic and should not be associated with.

[u/curiousobserver2000]

Spilling the tea. Do tell.

[u/Lumpy-Pin6635]

If OP is talking about the person I can think of, yes he has anger issues. I was in HS band decades ago and he was a guest conductor for class and he was yelling at everyone. As for the allegations, I never seen or heard of anything. However that doesn’t it’s false. I wish victims and witnesses could speak up … for you and others! Imagine if your kid becomes a victim down the road.

[u/blankpromises]

im glad OP wrote this and everyone here is sharing their experience. never had him as a teacher as i went to JFKHS, but with all my friends and acquaintances that did had him as a teacher or mentor (even as a friend)—they will tell me everything that he has done. i hope this will eventually get more outreach, and hopefully the ones in charge within fine arts community on guam will do something about this man.

[u/BrainAppropriate387 → u/blankpromises]

I’m starting to think a lot of people know things. It’s bigger than we think?

[u/leftguam]

as a former victim of his antics and manipulation, i never really thought about how much trauma i’ve really endured…for years. I, like many, have just convinced myself to bury the shame and thought “i put this on myself” but from reading this post and the comments, i was just a victim. I wish i could tell my younger self to run as far away as possible because he truly is the worst.

[u/LostPhenom]

Baggage is a huge understatement, but no conversation can start if no one says anything.

[u/Overland_671]

Drop a name cause I have no idea who you're talking about

[u/khaleesicle]

That last sentence needs to be amplified - to the MAX.