Posted on 09/03/2011 7:26:15 AM PDT by bigbob
Former Durand High School teacher Jennifer Bland is sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with multiple students.
Bland admitted to charges of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and child pornography.
Students at Durand High School today remember Ms. Bland as a fun teacher, but know what she did was wrong and say one bad teacher doesn't define all of them.
Students at Durand High School remember having class with former Spanish teacher Jennifer Bland.
"The class was fun and everything."
Some say they knew what was really going on with Bland and some of her students. Others had no idea.
"Well not in my class."
Students and parents believe this case was an isolated incident and won't happen in the future. Even though another Durand teacher was arrested for a similar incident not long after. That teacher's case is still pending.
"I think it was just bad luck with hiring. I think it was just those two teachers. All the teachers that replaced them are great teachers.Totally comfortable with both of them."
Linda Smith is the parent of a Durand fourth grader, she trusts the school to do the right thing.
"I would hope not and I don't think so, I think that the school's pretty safe. I feel confident that they would do what they need to do."
In statement to 13 news Durand's interim Superintendent Mike Duffy says the school and the community are happy to have this incident behind them. He says security measures like more video cameras in hallways will help prevent future incidents.
Last year an officer from Rockford's Sexual Abuse Division talked to staff on opening day. Duffy says this makes the school more up to date than a lot of places, but hopefully they'll never need the training.
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