A maid found dozens of soiled towels hidden in a closet at about the time North Carolina social-services officials were investigating a report of possible child sexual abuse against Campus Crest Communities CEO Ted Rollins.
The maid showed the towels, stained with fecal matter and other debris, to Sherry Carroll Rollins, who was married to Ted Rollins at the time. Ms. Rollins told Legal Schnauzer in an interview that more than 100 soiled towels were stuffed into the closet. She said she relayed the information at the time to a Duke University psychologist, and he said the discovery was a sign that homosexual activity had been taking place in the home. (See videos at the end of this post.)
In fact, the psychologist suggested that Ms. Rollins read a book called The Homosexual Matrix to help her better understand what apparently was going on between her then husband and her son (Ted Rollins' step son).
Ms. Rollins disclosed the discovery of soiled towels to me on multiple occasions during the course of my reporting on the Rollins v. Rollins divorce case, which I've called the worst courtroom cheat job that I've encountered in the civil arena. She and I most recently discussed the towels, and other signs of child sexual abuse during her marriage to Ted Rollins, during a lunch meeting where my wife was present and taking notes.
The maid had mentioned an ever-growing volume of missing towels to Ms. Rollins several times and became concerned that the family might think she was stealing them. "When she found all the towels in a closet under the stairs, she made sure to show me because she had feared I might think she was stealing them," Ms. Rollins said. "There must have been more than 100 towels that were stained with feces."
The Homosexual Matrix, written in 1975 by former Alfred Kinsey associate C.A. Tripp, is considered one of the most comprehensive early works on gay behavior. The Duke psychologist, Ms. Rollins said, thought the book would help her better "understand the activities of homosexuals and the things they use in their activities."
This story inadvertently has a connection to presidential politics. Former GOP candidate Rick Santorum once angered gays by comparing homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia. Syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage responded with a contest to "memorialize the scandal." The winning entry held that Santorum's last name means "the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex."
For our current purposes, it appears the Rollins family maid discovered "Santorum" on the towels in a closet. While that use of a politician's last name is designed to draw chuckles, there is nothing funny about its usage here. It is a disturbing sign that something was seriously amiss in the Rollins household--and even more troubling, North Carolina officials didn't do much of anything about it.
In the first video at the end of this post, Ms. Rollins and I discuss via telephone several matters related to the apparent child sexual abuse involving her former husband.
In the second video, she references her records from the psychologist at Duke and discusses the overwhelming anger she feels toward Ted Rollins because of the abuse he has inflicted on her children. "It inflames me every time I pull it up from the depths," she says.
Ms. Rollins states that she has moments where she wants to see her ex husband dead, a stark example of the deep emotion a divorce case can generate--and Rollins is the most abusive divorce case I've ever heard about. It should be noted, however, that this audio was taped several months ago, and Ted Rollins remains very much alive. As the person on the other end of the phone line, I knew Ms. Rollins' statements were made out of frustration and were not meant to be taken literally. I communicated with Sherry Rollins a lot over a two-year period, and I never once have thought she would harm any living being. I consider her to be a person of kind spirit and good intentions, and I put these statements under the category of "letting off steam." I also know that Ms. Rollins has strong reasons to believe her life has been in danger several times during her divorce case--and in its aftermath. That ongoing sense of fear probably drives statements that might sound extreme to someone who doesn't know the context in which they were uttered.
In a moment of levity, Ms. Rollins invokes the name of her dog, Gus, and swears on his life that "everything I've told you is true, it's not a lie. . . . If I sat around and made up stuff like this, I would really be in need of meds. . . .
"The more I tell this . . . and I come home (to realize) I've left some more of it out."
Ted Rollins has been given multiple opportunities to respond to questions about the abusive relationship with his stepson. When I asked him via e-mail about documented reports of his conviction for assault of his stepson, Rollins made a bogus reference to "your stalking and harassment of my children" and added this reply:
I am not in the habit of responding to rubbish such as yours. Please refrain from contacting me or my children.
I sent the following response, specifically asking about the investigation involving possible child sexual abuse. Ted Rollins never responded to my questions:
Ted:
Are you saying that the reports I've received about the beating of Zac Parrish are inaccurate?If so, in what way?
You think the beating of a 15-year-old boy who was under your care is "rubbish" and addressing it is "wasting time"? You think child abuse, in general, is not worthy of your attention?
I've given you more than a dozen opportunities to respond to issues raised in my blog--and to point out anything that is inaccurate or misleading--and you haven't done it yet.
Are you not going to address any of the substantive issues raised in the questions I sent? That's certainly your prerogative, but it's my duty as a journalist to make sure you have an opportunity to respond to these issues. If you change your mind about addressing questions, please let me know.
For the record, your statement regarding "stalking and harassment" of your children is wildly twisted. My only communication with Sarah Rollins was instigated by her--she called me, out of the blue.
The issue here is your treatment of your children.
On that front, I've received reports from multiple sources stating that you were investigated for sexual abuse of Zac Parrish while you lived in North Carolina. As you probably are aware, the issue of child sexual abuse has been front-page news across the country in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State, plus other similar reports. I've been told a number of details about the situation in your home that led to the North Carolina investigation. I have a lot of questions on that subject and would be glad to send them if you let me know that you are willing to address them. Otherwise, I will refrain from communicating with you and move forward with my reporting.
One final point: I have contacted you via e-mail at your invitation. You told me in our one phone conversation that you would be "more than happy" to respond to written questions. I want it to be clear that I've treated you exactly in the way that you asked to be treated, and you've had every opportunity to respond to various issues.