Posted on 08/22/2011 11:03:24 AM PDT by Libloather
Bill bans teacher-student flings
By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer
Updated: 12:16 pm, Mon Aug 22, 2011
She was a 17-year-old student. He was a 43-year-old math teacher. When their romance was revealed in 2009, many called it morally and ethically wrong.
**SNIP**
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, whose office initiated the push for the bill to make student-teacher sexual relationships a felony, says the crimes happen frequently, and they do “enormous” damage to young people.
Ferman believes the bill would provide a strong deterrent for school employees.
“When misdeeds have no consequence, there is not disincentive to act. What we have seen over many years there is no consequence to any significance,” Ferman said. “I’m hoping we never have to use it.”
School employees who pursue romances with students are usually aware of the age of consent, and some will start “grooming” students before their 16th birthdays to earn their trust, Bucks County prosecutor Jennifer Schorn said.
“That is what is most disturbing,” she added.
During the 2005 trial of former Pennridge High School gym teacher David Heath, it was revealed that he had waited until shortly after the girl’s 16th birthday to start a sexual relationship because he knew the age of consent, said Schorn, who prosecuted the case.
Hawkins, the Council Rock High School South teacher, did the same thing, discussing the age of consent with his teenage lover, according to court records. The girl later told police Hawkins did Internet research to find out the legal age of sexual consent.
“To me that is what really showed me how manipulative he was,” said Schorn, who also prosecuted Hawkins. “He knew there was a gray area.”
(Excerpt) Read more at phillyburbs.com ...
“He knew there was a gray area.”
What gray area? Either she attained the age of consent or she didn’t.
We need to end protective custody for pedophiles in prison. There are too many of them and the cost is too high.
A ban, is it? Why didn't anyone think of this before?
So, I guess this will never happen again?
It didn’t happen before because way too many people think this is a big joke. A young boy has sex with a 30 or 40 year old teacher and everyone is proud that he is “getting some.” No teacher—male or female—should have sex with a student—male or female. It doesn’t matter how “hot” the teacher is. And it shouldn’t matter what the age of consent is either. A teacher should not be having sex with a 16 or 17 year old boy or girl while the boy or girl is in school. Period. Throw the teachers in jail if they do it.
shouldn’t this already be illegal?
It doesn’t matter, she is a minor.
It also should be illegal with anyone abusing a position of public trust or authority to gain sex over an inferior/student. A boss who makes it plain to an employee that their paycheck depends on sexual favors, a college professor giving better grades to a student they are sleeping with. It is all wrong and should be firing offenses.
If its a minor, they should just be shot.
“What if the teacher is female?”
Well then...as we all know...
it depends on what she looks like!!
It doesn’t matter whether its male or female predators.
Do we want boys to think that kids are fair game when they grow up?
Generally, it is NOT illegal for people who have reached the age of consent to have sex. That’s what the age of consent is all about.
More to the point, in principle I am skeptical of “zero tolerance” rules and laws.
Is a teacher banging a student wrong? Yes.
Should the teacher be fired? Yes.
Does it merit the teacher being labeled a sex offender for life? Each case is unique.
This scarred him for life.
Not just fired - but also banned from teaching.
They have shown unmistakably that they cannot be put into a position of trust.
So a teacher, professor boss having sex with a student he has power (grades, paycheck) over shouldn’t be illegal?
“Age of consent” what is that to you, 10? Are you NEA or Planned Parenthood or APA? It should be 18.
just kidding
“A ban, is it? Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
So, I guess this will never happen again?”
Of course it won’t! I mean think about it. Have you ever heard of this kind of thing happening between teachers and students below the age of majority?
;)
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