Alleged victim, mother testify in sexual assault case.
For eight years, a man told those closest to him about how state psychiatrist Dr. Charles Fischer sexually assaulted him, yet the accusation never made it to criminal authorities until June 2011, when his counselor filed a formal complaint.
The witness’ previous complaints went nowhere, according to testimony Wednesday in Fischer’s trial. Shortly after the alleged assault, the man said he told a church friend, who in turn told the man’s mother. Angered, the mother said that she reached out to Austin State Hospital in 2003, but that an employee there told her Fischer “wouldn’t do that” and that he is married, which is untrue.
Through two days of the trial, prosecutors have presented testimony from the alleged victim as well as his mother, a friend and Courtney Tate, his counselor of eight years, who testified that the man expressed feeling guilty for his role in the assault.
“That was the bulk of his emotional affect,” Tate said. “He said, ‘I was so stupid back then.’ ”
Tate, a licensed counselor in Temple, testified that although her client suffered from mental illnesses at the time of his outcry, “psychosis was not affecting the recollection of the events.”
The man, now 29, was 15 when
Austin high school students can earn college credit and get experience doing college-level work under a new program offered by the University of Texas.
UT is teaming up with the Austin school district to launch the pilot program, TEXAS MicroMajors, beginning next year, and the university plans to expand the program into other Texas schools in 2018. Under the initiative, high school students will be able to take courses developed or endorsed by UT faculty. Students also will get college advising through the university.