It seems that in recent years there have been a number of criminal cases brought about because of teachers having sex with their students. Now, I'm sure this kind of thing has been going on for an eternity, but lately we are hearing more and more. The biggest shocker are these female teachers sleeping with their middle school students. Mary Kay Laterneau was the first big case, and we watched as she was sentenced to jail, had two children with her student, got out of jail, and is now married to that student.
Yesterday, it was announced that Debra Lafave, a school teacher from Florida, will NOT serve prison time because she plead guilty to having sex with a 14- year old student. She is essentially under house arrest, but it's not even that bad. She doesn't have to wear that ankle bracelet (made a fashion statement by Martha Stewert), she may leave the house for work or "life essentials" (I.e., grocery shopping, etc.), and she MUST be in the house between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The judge reportedly said she was too pretty to go to prison, and who knows what would happen to her there.
I'm sorry. Did you say you are worried about her well-being in prison? We are talking about a 25-year old teacher that slept with a 14 year old middle school student, right??? I could care less about her well-being in prison. That is where she deserves to be! If this was between a male teacher and a student (male or female... it doesn't matter), the male teacher would be behind bars. Ms. Lafave does have to register as a sex offender and cannot work with children or ever get her teacher certificate back. That's something, but not enough. I don't see the equality in punishment here.
Watching CNN last night, I saw commentator Nancy Grace talking to a number of people, including one so-called expert (I think she was a lawyer for the Leterneau case). This woman stated that women are NOT predatory to children, that they are only involved in relationships, and that boys aren't as damaged by these "relationships" as girls are, so women cannot be classified the same as men when it comes to sex crimes.
EXCUSE ME? I'm sorry, but I thought I heard you say women are NOT predatory. Oh, you did? I didn't know that it was okay for adult women to have sex with young boys. By the way, 14 IS young. Middle school IS young.
This whole thing just ticks me off. As a female teacher, I think it makes me look bad. Who knows how many other whack-jobs there are out there. As a parent it makes me scared beyond belief. My boys could end up with a teacher that has a sexual interest in them, and if that teacher is female and engages in a relationship with MY son, that teacher may not serve prison time. Where is the lesson in all of this? Where is the punishment? There is no difference whatsoever between males and females as far as sex crimes. A sex offender is a sex offender. They should all have the same punishment. And in this case, there should BE a punishment. There should be NO romanticizing of the situation (as in the case of Mary Kay Laterneau). The whole thing is ridiculous, and something better needs to be done about it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Boys are traumatized. There was a case locally, and the mother (her identity was kept anonymous) wrote a scathing letter to the local paper. Her son was being teased mercilessly by his classmates, and every time he thought he was just starting to live it down, the newspaper would revive the story somehow and it would start all over again.
Whether women are predatory doesn't matter. No matter why it happens, when it happens IT IS WRONG! If what you say about the judge is true (I am not familiar with the story myself), then the judge ought to be sanctioned as well.
It's still a horrible statement but saying that she was too pretty for prison was apparently made by her own lawyer and not the judge.
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBPQFJACGE.html
Thanks for the link, Jennifer. You're right. I actually saw a clip of the lawyer on TV today from when he made the statement. I knew I should have researched it a little more than I did. Anywho...
No matter what, I believe this woman belongs in jail. Like you said, Karen, it is WRONG, no matter why or when.
I agree, wrong is wrong. There are so many cases of crooked lawyers getting criminals off the hook. That lady should be locked up. Throw her lawyer in with her.
Looking at it another way, it basically says that males (past a certain age) can't be victims of sex crimes. What would have happened to this teacher if her victim had been a girl? I think it is that particular combination that the courts have let this one (and others like it) get off easy.
In my teacher ed classes we were taught emphatically "don't touch the kids, no matter what." It was a hard rule to maintain; when you become attached to your students and they did well, you want to pat them on the back; when they're having a bad day and they give you a hug, you have to stand there and not hug back, looking awkward and not exactly making the child feel better, either.
But it needed to be that strict so that no one could ever accuse you of anything inappropriate.
Mike brings up a good point, and I've wondered the same thing. Why do we think that men above a certain age can't be victims? Or are we saying that men always have more control over a situation than women?
this whole business is crazy. but i think it is a testament to the difference in how boys and girls are thought of.
in high school... one of my teachers was sleeping with a student. i found out by accident- and it was a female teacher/male student. the kid was messed up in a hardcore way prior to the affair, but i think a kid has to be messed up in a hardcore way to gravitate towards an adult for sexual whatever. and the adults in the situation- should be spayed or nuetered, lose their jobs, and have a scarlet letter placed right smack dab in the middle of their forehead if they ever get out of prison, which they should not ever get out of prison. i'm just saying...
ivbmwwI hadn't heard about this particular case (been boycotting the news lately) but it does not matter--boy/girl--predatory sex IS PREDATORY. I was asked out by a student once (at least he was 18!) and I laughed and treated it as a joke--it wasn't. A friend of his came to me privately and told me that I had really hurt his feelings. So, I talked to him and explained that any relationship between a teacher and student, between any two people where one might be perceived as having power over the other is wrong and harmful and unfair to both. I believed that that 25 years ago, and I believe it now. That judge, by the way, is an idiot!!!
Post a Comment