Teeple takes the CASA oath
Retired special education teacher Lonnie Teeple was sworn in as Court Appointed Special Advocate Tuesday morning by Steuben Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Musser, left, and Superior Court Judge William C. Fee. “Nothing is more amazing than being the voice of a child,” Musser said.
ANGOLA — Lonnie Teeple is going back to work.
The Angola native spent her career in special education, working in Chicago and South Adams, but after taking the oath as a Court Appointed Special Advocate Tuesday morning, she will work to protect the interests of children involved in legal proceedings.
“I was looking for some way to give back in retirement and make a positive difference,” she said after the ceremony. “As a teacher I was always bound by school policy, which could be frustrating when a student needed services the district could not provide. Here, I’m free to advocate and have fewer constraints.”
Steuben County Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Musser, who administered the oath, also served as a CASA early in his career.
“It was a very short stint, only a couple cases before I went to law school,” he said. “It’s the most amazing thing you can do, and you’ll never know the full impact you’ve had.”
Superior Court Judge William C. Fee also attended the ceremony and offered his own words of encouragement.
“You stand on the shoulders of wonderful, dedicated professionals with a lifetime of experience,” he said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to help the court and make all the difference in the life of a child. You will sit next to them during the most tumultuous time of their lives to provide an honest reflection of their experience.”
CASA volunteers are neither attorneys nor social workers, but independent factfinders tasked with understanding the effects of each child’s circumstances, identifying community resources available to address them and make specific recommendations to the court.
