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At one time a person was considered to be a Adult at age 21.
The Law was changed to 18.
A male when 17-1/2 was allowed to join the military. He cou die for his country but is not allowed all the privileges of an Adult.
Change the numbers. Make them 21 for the Male student and 31 for the Female teacher. Same age difference as for the Texas situation. They would still be Adults and consenting individuals. What is done outside the School has NO bearing unless the Sex was for better grades then the Teacher/Student Law should be inacted regardless of age.
From what little I read there was just communication via text messages....... Adult with Adult.
As long as they were after school hrs no crime was committed.
I believe the students were 18; one of the "victims" asked the Court/jury not to punish her with prison; her family, including her husband, asked that the jury not sentence her - acknowledging that it was morally wrong, etc., but that punishment would end up punishing him, their children etc.
Lookitsaustin, you are probably correct, had it been a male teacher with 18+ age students -- Texas law says it is illegal and punishable -- I am wondering if that was really lenient, the 5 years, if the jury wanted to set an example to everyone i.e., male or female teacher, you are going to be convicted and sentenced, or would counseling, community service, suspended sentence have been more appropriate?
while I do feel that 5 years in the slammer is a very steep price to pay, and unfair, I do feel that this young woman must have known that what she was doing was wrong....people should be able to send their kids for schoolin without some teacher coming on to them....I feel real bad for her, she maybe should've had to pay some kind of compensation to the "victims" (maybe the 25,000 dollers she paid for bail on each charge could have gone to the kids instead))...that probably would have been enough to keep it from ever happening again....that and she's never to teach again.
Purehuman, I do think 5 years in prison is very steep; I do understand and agree that students need to feel safe and secure in school, even teenagers [smile] as they are sooo incredibly impressionable too -- and certainly a teacher, a trusted position, knows better too...I also wonder, and we do not know if this is a factor - some kind of psychological issue[s] too -- certainly counseling would be in order...good idea about victim compensation -- and yes, she is probably not going to teach any more too.
It is also tragic for her husband and their children.
This is one of the several troubling elements of our system - once convicted of a crime, what is the appropriate punishment / sentence? Not everything is simply black or white; if it were, Crayola would not have created all of the shades of gray. Certainly there are some crimes that are just so egregious that the greater decision is life or death penalty. This may not be one of those crimes - that is not to say it is more or less acceptable than another sexual assault crime - certainly in a moral / ethical arena [leaving the law itself out]. Personally, I think they are all victims - the husband and children, and the students. And, if it turns out that this is a troubled [psychologically-wise] woman/teacher who needed help and did not receive it, then, she too, on some levels, is a victim.
I think I would be fair and just sitting on a jury and deliberating over a verdict. I think, for me, the greater challenge would be determining the 'right' punishment. Those, I believe, are two very different jobs.
I believe the students were 18; one of the "victims" asked the Court/jury not to punish her with prison; her family, including her husband, asked that the jury not sentence her - acknowledging that it was morally wrong, etc., but that punishment would end up punishing him, their children etc.
Lookitsaustin, you are probably correct, had it been a male teacher with 18+ age students -- Texas law says it is illegal and punishable -- I am wondering if that was really lenient, the 5 years, if the jury wanted to set an example to everyone i.e., male or female teacher, you are going to be convicted and sentenced, or would counseling, community service, suspended sentence have been more appropriate?
The students were legal adults. I do not agree she deserves prison for 5 years for violating morals in this case. It was very inappropriate for her as she is a teacher, So revoke her license. Let the punishment fit the crime.
With this teacher/student sex issue so pervasive, I have always felt like there should be a way of helping teachers who are struggling with boundary issues, and process it out in therapy. There is obviously some underlying issue, but no one talks about it, and anyone who even "thinks" it, is in fear of discussing it.
For teachers, there should be a hotline to call, with referrals for non judgemental and confidential assistance with this problem.
When I took education classes, this issue was never even discussed. And if it was, everyone was adamant, it is an aberration, with teachers who are mentally ill.
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