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Hi - I’m Jeff. I am licensed to practice in Indiana and have dedicated my career to helping survivors of child sexual abuse get justice. I am currently working on behalf of clients investigating claims of child molestation by Matthew T. Hostetler.
Call my team today, and we will work our hardest to ensure your truth is told.
Our Indiana child sexual abuse attorneys have recently been retained by an alleged victim of Matthew Hostetler, a former math teacher at Kankakee Valley Middle School.
Our legal team has already started collecting and analyzing evidence in the case against Mr. Hostetler. Our mission is to find the truth, hold the responsible parties accountable, and get justice for our clients.
Contact us now and speak with an experienced lawyer if:
In February of 2021, a detective from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to Kankakee Valley Middle School in Wheatfield, Indiana.
The detective was responding to a call placed by a Jasper County Sheriff's Office school resource officer who was present at the middle school. The resource officer requested the help of the Sheriff's Office after they had been made aware of an incident involving inappropriate touching and communication between a student and a faculty member.
On that same day, an interrogation was conducted by the Jasper County detective of the alleged suspect, 27-year-old Matthew T. Hostetler of Valparaiso, IN. After that initial interview of the suspect, the detective determined that the account of the victim was consistent with the information provided by Mr. Hostetler and he was taken into custody. Hostetler was then transferred to the Jasper County Detention Center and was charged with child molestation, a level 1 felony.
Mr. Hostetler had served as a 7th-grade math teacher at Kankakee Valley Middle School since 2018. Before that, he had worked for three years at John Young Middle School on N Main St in Mishawaka.
The investigation into Mr. Hostetler's alleged abuse of present and past Kankakee Middle students is ongoing.
The Kankakee Valley School Corporation, responsible for overseeing all schools in the district, has cooperated generously with authorities; they've also made public the fact that "the statutory process of terminating [Mr. Hostetler]" has begun.
In a public statement regarding the incident, the Kankakee Valley School Corp defended the quick response of the school resource officer after receiving the initial allegation: "Any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously by the District. The District has taken necessary steps to ensure that student learning continues in a safe environment..."
The School Corporation concluded its statement by indicating that no further comments would be made regarding the sexual molestation allegations against Matthew Hostetler until the investigation is complete.
Incidents of abuse of students by school teachers go unreported for a number of reasons. In many cases, abusers will leverage their positions of power to intimidate the students they victimize. On the other hand, victims may simply remain silent because they doubt anyone will believe them.
Whatever the reason, what is unquestionable is the fact that if perpetrators aren't prosecuted for their crimes, more young students will be at risk of suffering the same traumatic experience. This is why it's so critical, as a parent of a suspected victim or as a victim of Matthew Hostetler yourself, to come forward and aid in our investigation.
The legal process can be overwhelming but our dedicated team is here to help you get through it. We believe you. We can help guide you through the process of reporting the abuse as we've done with past victims. We will also take the time to walk you through your legal options. Contact us now - our team is standing by and ready to help.
