| How does this keep happening? Last Monday | | | | romantic (and let's be honest - sexual) |
| (June 25), ABC's Good Morning America (along | | | | relationships with their underage students - are |
| with every media outlet in the US) reported | | | | not diminishing. What's being done by state |
| another case of a trusted teacher hitting on a | | | | legislatures and school boards to reverse (or at |
| student! This time it's a male teacher involved in | | | | least mitigate) the situation? Why aren't |
| an inappropriate relationship with a female student. | | | | prospective teachers given a battery of |
| What's happening to the parent/teacher trust | | | | "personality" tests before being offered their first |
| factor? Let's be honest...it's evaporating faster | | | | 12 month contract? |
| than you can say, "crazy teachers and sexual | | | | Heck, you can't even get a good sales job |
| misconduct." | | | | without being subjected to the 4-5 hour |
| I mean, I know it's a youth worshiping country, | | | | Myers-Briggs Test. New sales candidates are told |
| but this is getting ridiculous. According to every | | | | to relax, be yourself and answer honestly. After |
| TV and radio station in the US, long time track | | | | all, "There are no "wrong answers" they say. |
| coach Brenton Wuchae first started paying special | | | | Yeah...RIGHT! Of course there are wrong answers! |
| attention to his then 14 year old student, Windy | | | | If this weren't so, they'd require you to take the |
| Hagar, a few years ago. He started giving her | | | | test AFTER they hire you! But I understand - |
| special attention and rides home from practice, | | | | companies are trying to weed out timid, overly |
| which progressed into heavy texting, and | | | | sensitive souls from their candidate base. For |
| eventually into full blown "love". What was a | | | | sales positions, they want driven people with the |
| gaw-gaw couple in love to do? Head to the altar | | | | killer instinct. And why not - they want results! |
| and tie the knot, of course! | | | | Don't you think it's about time these genius |
| There was only one thing standing in their way - - | | | | "personality profiling" companies came up with |
| the law. Without the consent of Windy's parents, | | | | some type of "test" to weed out new teachers |
| ole Brent would have been committing statutory | | | | who are a little off-balance before they begin their |
| rape if he had tried to whisk his 16 year old love | | | | teaching careers? |
| away and wed secretly. Parents can't control | | | | When Linda Felton Steinbaum approached me |
| everything, but until daughters are 18, they hold | | | | about producing her new play, Mustang Sally, I |
| some pretty potent cards. Being armed with this | | | | was excited because the subject is so topical. But |
| power, what parent wouldn't choose to employ | | | | it's even more prevalent than I thought. Almost |
| this restraint and give their starry eyed teenager | | | | daily another case is in the news. Like dirty |
| a chance to get her head on straight? | | | | laundry, a long list of these cases with details |
| The Hagars apparently! For some mysterious | | | | about the age disparities is listed on the play's |
| reason, Windy's mom and dad actually signed a | | | | website cases such as Lakina Stutts, Deana Bobo, |
| parental consent form, and their sweet | | | | Mary Kay Letourneau, Bethany Sherrill, Kelly Lynn |
| 16-year-old daughter became the wife of this 40 | | | | Dalecki, Sherry Brians, Pamela Turner, Susan Eble, |
| year old man. Windy's father, Dennis, said they | | | | Tara Lynn Crisp, Laura Lynn Findlay, Carol |
| were exhausted, that they had to "move on" | | | | Flannigan, Moan Marie Sladky, and let's not forget |
| because "it was going to kill us all." | | | | infamous Debra LaFave.. And these are only a |
| They obviously had reasons that are very | | | | few of the female offenders! I heard a rumor |
| personal. I don't know all the dynamics involved in | | | | that the schools in Simi Valley California had three |
| this family, but I'll tell you this...I don't get it. I admit | | | | cases of female teachers and sexual misconduct |
| I am wrong to judge from a distance. Perhaps | | | | with their students (that were successfully swept |
| they were indulging parents who just never | | | | under the rug) LAST YEAR alone! |
| learned to dominate their own emotions so they | | | | See the full ABC Good Morning America story of |
| could say, "no". But let's put parents aside for a | | | | Mon, June 25, 2007, "Anguished Parents Sign |
| minute. | | | | Consent Forms, Saying They Had No Choice" at |
| What concerns me more is that these cases - | | | | Is it just me, or does anybody else find this |
| cases of teachers involved in inappropriate | | | | disturbing? |