Monday, June 23, 2008

"School Days, School Days, Good old Golden Rule Days"

Well, it has happened again. A female teacher has had inappropriate relations with one of her male students. Maggie Laughlin, 23, a math teacher at a Mentor, OH junior high school is alleged to have oral sex with a 15-year-old student in late May of 2008. This became known after the eighth or tenth incident. There seems to be an epidemic here as this has often occurred before. In Lexington, NB in August 2006, 25-year-old math teacher, Kelsey Peterson had sex twice with her 13-year-old former student. In October 2006, Sharon Rutherford was convicted of having sex with two students under the age of 16. In February 2005 Pamela Turner, 27, a physical education teacher in Tennessee was charged with statutory rape when she had sex with one of her 13 year old students. In December 2003 a Tampa, FL former model— turned teacher, Debra Lafave, 24, had sex with one of her 14-year-old students. The ultimate case involved Mary Kay Letourneau a Seattle teacher who had sexual relationship with a 12 year old sixth-grader; who once bragged to a classmate that he could "sleep with the teach." Their union eventually produced two children. Letourneau spent more than seven years in jail and then married her lover—21-years her junior.

Coincidence here; I think not! Let's be the devil's advocate (in this case the defendant's advocate), and say these teachers were NOT responsible for their actions. There are at least three videos on YouTube where a teacher has been hypnotized in a classroom situation and filmed. Granted, they were acting as if they were clucking chickens and not performing sexual acts but the fact is they were not themselves and had no control over their minds or bodies.

What could appear to more innocent than a female teacher willing to help her struggling male student with his "problem?" The precocious "child" hypnotizes and seduces her, then leaves her with a post-hypnotic suggestion for further encounters. The unwitting teacher sees her pupil repeatedly not knowing that she is being duped. The events eventually come to light when the man-child cannot control his glee and begins to broadcast his tryst throughout the school. The law views the student as the victim and the hapless teacher as the seductress (which is the furthest from the truth).

A simple act of kindness and professionalism could cost the teacher her job, her career, as well as thousands of dollars in fines, bail money, court costs and legal fees. A young lecherous student whose only aim is self-gratification could ruin her life.

K.

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