Posted on 04/23/2015 8:14:31 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
BOUNTIFUL — A former Davis High School teacher admitted Wednesday that she had sex with three of her students.
In a plea deal, Brianne Land Altice, 35, pleaded guilty to three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. In exchange for her plea, 11 other felony charges were dropped against the former English teacher.
Altice had been facing four trials and 14 felony charges — including rape, forcible sodomy, forcible sexual abuse, unlawful sexual activity with a minor and dealing in materials harmful to a minor — stemming from sexual relationships with three former Davis High students who were 16 or 17 years old at the time.
Two of those boys and their parents are now suing the Davis County School District, arguing that it did not properly vet Altice before hiring her, which led them to be victimized. The two lawsuits are seeking damages that, together, could total almost $1 million.
The parents of one of those victims shared their relief Wednesday that Altice had pleaded guilty. The parents asked not to have their names published in order to protect their son.
"I'm not sure that I'm happy that from 14 felonies, it's gone down to three, but at least she did admit that she was guilty," said one victim's mother, who is listed as a plaintiff alongside her son in the latest lawsuit.
The mother said she is grateful her son, now 18, will not have to testify at trial.
"I don't think any of us were looking forward to a trial and having to rehash the whole situation again. I know it was hard on all of the kids to have to talk about that," the woman said. "It's difficult, and I'm not sure he could go through that again."
Police say Altice befriended the boys while they were students, eventually progressing to three separate sexual relationships between Nov. 1, 2013, and Aug. 25, 2014, meeting the teens for sex at parks, in cars and at her home while her then-husband was away — they have since divorced. New charges were filed in January after Altice allegedly resumed her relationship with one of the students while she was out on bai.
One of the teens testified last year that the relationship started when he would seek Altice out daily to flirt and compliment her. He would skip other classes to stay in her classroom, and over time the two began talking. They first kissed in Altice's classroom, and eventually began meeting for sex.
The family currently suing the school district said they hope the case will serve to warn other parents while encouraging change. Davis High School, they allege, tried to hide what was happening to their son.
"As the case progressed, we knew that Davis had some information and knew what was going on as far as the boys were concerned and kind of turned a blind eye," the mother said Wednesday. "They never notified us, never notified any of the other parents, and just kind of tried to sweep it under the carpet."
School administrators need to be vigilant of interactions between students and teachers on text messages and social media, which can lead to inappropriate relationships, the woman said. In the case of Altice, the teacher was accused of exchanging explicit messages and photos with the students by cellphone.
Ultimately, the pattern that emerged of Altice befriending male students should have served as a red flag to school administrators, the victim's father said. Going forward, the man hopes Altice will receive counseling.
"It's not about punishment. I think she needs therapy more than punishment," he said.
Further, the parents hope to combat a perceived double standard that surrounds relationships between female teachers and male students.
"I think people don't see how it really affects the kids, the boys," the mother said. "It's not a 'tie the boy down and rape him' sort of abuse. You don't know until you're a parent, really, what it is, and it's more of an emotional abuse."
A search of her son's social media profile, however, shows that he "likes" a Facebook page called "Free Brianne Altice," which glorifies her actions.
The Davis County School District declined to comment Wednesday in light of the pending litigation.
Altice could face up to 15 years in prison for each charge. She will be sentenced May 28. She is currently being held without bail in the Davis County Jail.
What is it with hot blond teachers hooking up with boys?
I have to wonder if their insecurity with getting old may drive this.
NOT GUILTY ALL COUNTS!
I wonder why she wasn't simply moved to another school? /sarc>
Perhaps. But the good news is that she will never, ever teach in a public or private school again.
Not guilty!
Crazy Eyes. Dead rabbit in the stewpot crazy.
She is a sexual predator. A serial rapist. juxtapose a male teacher seducing young female students.
As Robin Williams put it, ‘Her lips say, “I love you”, but her eyes say, “Helter Skelter”’.
If this was not so “What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander”, it would be absurd. Then add on the “parents” trying to cash in on their sons testosterone floods at 16....
Common sense is so gone.
I want to be careful how I say this. I hope I express this properly.
I want to say that, we see these young teachers getting involved sexually with students.
We are now 40 or 50 years into the whole “sexual revolution”. These teachers are young. They were born and raised into a culture in which it is considered ok to have sex with any number of partners, any gender of partners.
They were not born and raised in a culture in which those of us older people were raised, in which it was considered wrong to have sex outside of marriage or before marriage.
So I sometimes wonder if that is part of all of this. These young girl teachers grew up in a society in which there is no overall morality anymore relating to who you have sex with. So I wonder if they really see nothing wrong with what they are doing.
Add in the fact that many of these teachers aren’t much older than their students. And if they are immature, they feel like their students are their peers, and that it’s not a student/teacher authority type of relationship.
And then add in the fact that they have been raised in a culture with no sexual boundaries anymore, and it’s a recipe for trouble.
Paging Laz
LMAO. No kidding. Remove all sharp objects within close proximity and never, ever turn your back or close your eyes.
I find it very difficult to believe these HS ‘boys’ were really “forced”. Yes, there is something a little whacked with this gal and clearly “HS teacher” was not the best career choice, but I don’t think 14 years in jail is the right answer here. If those ‘boys’ end up scared, it will be because they are having their activities dissected by the shrinks, Mom, Dad and the press. No one wants that.
I think it’s very much related to that.
As very pretty girls, they peaked in high school.
Their status as women now, as school teachers, and wives, is much lower than it was when they were stars of their whole world as high school students.
Adult existence is humdrum.
They are emotionally stuck in high school and want to return to it by having sex with high school students.
Oh she’s guilty, bad, bad, girl.
Over my knee.
Funny how predatory perverts always attract groupies who idolize their sexual deviance.
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