TT Scrutiny

Mar 31, 2007 - The Sun-Sentinel worries that male teachers in Broward County, Florida will have to deal with scrutiny in the classroom following arrests.

This year a wrestling coach, a Broward math teacher, a science teacher and a third-grade teacher all have been arrested on sexual molestation or child pornography charges. All four are men.

TT - The article calls for a little scrutiny itself. You can spot the input from the union in the story.

The Broward Teachers Union and colleges of education advise teachers never to be alone with a student. But if it happens, standard practice is for the classroom doors to remain open and for both student and teacher to sit so they are visible from the hallway.

If they are so effective in teacher training, then why were four teachers arrested in less than three months? That isn't counting the subsitute teachers who were arrested. Or the problem in Florida schools with the whole system when 70% of allegations are dismissed.

And, then there is this clue.

Men, stereotypically thought of as the family breadwinner, don't step into classrooms because of low pay, educators said.

However, if you visit the Broward Teachers Union website, you can find a Sun-Sentinel article, dated Aug 4, 2006 that contradicts that assertion.

Broward County's 1,800 new public school teachers could get a $2,000 raise before they step foot in a classroom this year, making them among the highest-paid neophyte teachers in the state.

The new teachers' salaries would jump from $35,000 to $37,000 under a tentative agreement reached Thursday between the Broward School Board and union leaders. Each of the county's roughly 17,000 teachers would get at least a $2,050 raise. The most experienced teachers would get an additional $2,488, bumping their base pay to just under $70,000.

They go on to note that "This raise would be in addition to the automatic 3.7 percent raise teachers and other instructional staff would receive for the 2007-08 school year next July."

Also found at the site, this Miami Herald story confirmation. "The school district's newest teachers -- those who were expecting to earn about $35,000 when they report to work next week - will instead be paid about $37,000, among the highest starting salaries in the state.

A starting pay of $37,000 for a candidate with 4-year-degree with absolutely no work experience isn't shabby. It's $25.17 an hour That works out to an annual $50,340 if teachers worked the 2000 hours that is average in business.

In addition, there are the supplementals, an opportunity for sabbatical leave with 75% of their salary and full benefits in critical fields (visually impaired, speech language impaired, media specialist or exceptional student education.) And an upfront $1,000 for first year teachers.

But, that's not all. There's also a professional sabbatical that will pay $500 a month and full benefits for a whole year if you want to, say, volunteer for a school board. The teacher can apply to transfer to a closer school if they have a hardship, like driving 20 miles one-way to work. There are signing bonuses, incentive awards, related work experience credit.

For approximately 9 months work - 200 days.
Paying no social security.
Fully paid contributions to Florida Retirement system.
Fully paid benefits: health, vision, dental and life.
No state or city income tax.
Fully paid disability insurance.
Ten days sick leave, accumulated from year to year, with no maximum.

You can even get a personal leave for cultural traveling.

Teachers might get more if they could do something else. They probably would, except that a large percentage of teachers wouldn't be employable in any other field except teaching. Private business couldn't afford them and stay solvent. Businesses wouldn't hire them and demand so little.

And businesses surely couldn't survive with the bad publicity of four employees arrested for sex crimes with children if the business was based mainly on trust.

And what does that say?

See Manhattan Institute Civic Report 50 "How Much Are Public School Teachers Paid?"

Edinburg, TEXAS

It isn't a failure of the system. It's how the system works to protect themselves.

Mar 31, 2007 - Michael Barrett, writing in The Monitor, in "Too Little, Too Late," did what a good journalist should do. Follow up. And he did. On Genaro Vela, the middle school teacher who was sentenced to this month to 14 years for indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault. And the school district who didn't report him to police. In 2000.

Vela was arrested in June 2006, but the district had prior warning.

In 2000 a boy reluctantly reported that he had been abused. School officials said they contacted Child Protective Services and conducted an internal investigation into the 2000 allegations . Child Protective Services did not contact the boy or his mother. They never looked into the allegations and there is no evidence they were ever notified. The school supposedly conducted an internal investigation. They claim they notified the district central offices, but they appear not to have done anything. Not a single one of them notified the police.

TT - No one appears to have done anything about the abuse allegations. Vela continued to teach. And collect child pornography.

When police searched his house they found a hidden staircase with thousands of images of child pornography. See TT entry for Vela.

The student who was molested in 2000 is suing the school district. It's probably the only regret he will ever see from them -- regret they may have to take the stand to defend their actions. The statute of limitations means school officials responsible will not be prosecuted. It won't cost them a dime. Insurance will cover any awards resulting of the lawsuit. Taxpayers pay for that too. And not one of the people who let it happen will be punished, reprimanded, fired, or be named. The lawsuit will be settled out of court and the details will be confidential. Not even the public will know the wrong that occurred.

Especially not the public.

Apr 1 - The Monitor also found documents that show federal agents knew Vela was trolling child pornography sites in 2004. However, they did not know he worked with children. When they found out, they raided his home a month later.

Sept 18 - A third lawsuit has been fiiled against Vela and the local chapter of Boy Scouts of America, but also the Mission school district where Vela was a long time teacher. The Boy Scouts and Vela himself were the only defendants named in the previous suits, also filed anonymously.

Perth Amboy, NEW JERSEY

Disgust is a word that comes to mind.

PLEADED GUILTY: Nov 29, 2006 - Amy Burke, 32, a teacher at William C. McGinnis School, pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct for a relationship with a 13-year-old boy.

The physical education and health teacher worked 10 years at the school. Married and the mother of one, she has yet to be sentenced, but the plea agreement was for four years.

SENTENCED: Mar 30, 2007 - Burke was sentenced to up to four years in prison. Under terms of the sentence, Burke could become eligible for parole in about six months, but could serve as much as 3½ more years in prison. She was credited with already serving about six months in custody since her arrest. Under the plea agreement, Burke agreed to give up her teaching certificates and never seek a teaching position in New Jersey.

Burke is married and the mother of a 3-year-old boy. The boy she assaulted undergoes counseling and is angry that he was assaulted and angry with his mother and prosecutors for pressing the case.

Gallatin, TENNESSEE

May 30, 2007 - Terry Shephard, a teacher at Benny Bills Elementary school, was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication, assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.

She was arrested after she caused a disturbance at another woman's house. According to police, she showed up at the woman's house drunk. They said Shephard hit the woman, and she bit one of the officers when they tried to arrest her.

Allen, TEXAS

Mar 29, 2007 - John Creech, 58, Collin County Community College professor fired after child pornography was found on his work computer has been indicted for raping a 9-year-old girl.

He was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography. He denies the charges and calls them "absolutely false." In response to the pornography charge, Mr. Creech previously told police that hundreds of sexual images of children on his computer were research for a human sexuality course.

I had some images on my computer at work that some people might find disturbing outside the context of the human sexuality class," Creech said.

But according to the arrest warrant affidavit, the college's president, Dr. Cary Israel, told the investigating officer Creech was not performing any authorized research.

A technician found the images on the computer in August and reported it to police. Creech was fired. He appealed and lost, despite Creech's attorney's assertion that "Administrators failed to recognize, Mr. Stewart said, that the images didn't show children but adults who looked younger than they were."

Timothy Brightman, an attorney who was representing the college, disputed Mr. Stewart's assertion that the people in the images weren't children.

"This is not simple research on child pornography," Mr. Brightman said. "This is hard-core child pornography. These were girls younger than my 12-year-old daughter engaged in this despicable act."

The sexual assault investigation began around the same time when The girl, a daughter of one of Mr. Creech's family friends, went to the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center. Capt. Flores said the girl described how Mr. Creech had sex with her more than once.
Full Name: John Preston Creech

North Brunswick, NEW JERSEY

School districts, by law in New Jersey, pay legal fees for public employees found innocent.

Mar 29, 2007 - A former gym teacher who was found not guilty in the late 1990s after three females alleged official misconduct and attempted sexual contact during his term, pleaded guilty to a count of coercion. He was "charged on a count related to sexual misconduct." [No explanation given.]

In the late 1990s, he was involved in "intensive litigation involving indictments brought down from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and a grand jury." Due to a difference in burden of proof, he was found responsible for his actions in the civil proceedings.

As a result, tenure charges were filed against him, which were compromised, [no explanation] and he was asked not to return to the school district.

Although he sued the district for $325,000 in legal fees and $100,000 in back pay, only $150,000 was paid because due to state law, a public employee charged with a criminal offense who is found innocent is required to have their legal fees paid back by the district, according to Vignuolo.

TT - Emphasis and puzzlement ours.

Trenton, NEW JERSEY

Mar 30 - Logan Alexander, 59, a security guard at Mott Elementary School, was arrested Mar 9 and accused of accused of molesting two girls at the school.

He was arrested after a 13-year-old told a counselor that Alexander had kissed her breast through her clothing and made sexually explicit comments to her. Another girl came forward and told a teacher that Alexander "restrained her" and had touched her legs and breasts earlier in the year in a teacher's lounge.

TT- why the item is only now being reported is unknown.

Malcomb, ILLINOIS

Mar 30, 2007 - John Reinhart, 23, a substitute teacher on the Hancock-McDonough Regional Office of Education' call list was arrested and charged with stockpiling hundreds of child pornography videos on his home computer.

Police said Reinhart was a tenant of an apartment building with linked computers. A fellow tenant searching an Apple iTunes server on the computers in the building told police that they observed child pornography in Reinhart's folders on the server.

Police searched Reinhart's computer and found hundreds of videos downloaded on his computer depicting what is believed to be children under the age of 14 engaged in sexual activities. During the police investigation, it was learned that Reinhart used a peer-to-peer downloading service on the Internet, to find and download the illicit video files. They also found drug paraphernalia and less than 2.5 grams of marijuana in the apartment.

Reinhart worked in Macomb's elementary schools through the regional office's call list.
Full Name: John S. Reinhart

San Bernardino, CALIFORNIA

Compiled by the San Bernardino Sun , one of the few newspapers that follow up on cases. An education blog would help keep all the stories together where readers could find them.

Area teachers either charged with or convicted of sexual misconduct with students

Eric Norman Olsen, 29 - Substitute teacher from Ontario who taught in at least 17 school districts. He pleaded no contest in February to charges that he improperly touched six female students. He faces a sentence between probation and five years in prison. Olsen told police he enjoyed female students sitting on his lap. Detectives initially said the Ontario man may have molested more than 100 students.

Rogelio Alvino Cardenas, 60 - Sheriff's deputies believe Cardenas, a 17-year teacher at Del Rey Elementary School in Victorville, may have molested at least 15 female students. He faces charges based on the reports of two students. Cardenas was arrested in January and has pleaded not guilty.

Sean Ramiro Lopez, 32 - Lopez used a fabricated science experiment as a ruse to molest three boys and was sentenced in January 2006 to more than 74 years in prison. Lopez was convicted of inviting the Clement Middle School students to take part in a scientific program to help them increase muscle mass and the size of their genitals. Beginning in 2000, the students met Lopez in what they believed was a laboratory, where they would undress, allow Lopez to measure them, watch pornographic movies and masturbate.

Joan Hadden, 33 - A former teacher at Cajon High School in San Bernardino, Hadden was arrested in Las Vegas in May 2002 after she was found in the company of a 15-year-old student with whom she was having a sexual relationship. Hadden was sentenced to two years in state prison on June 20, 2003, on nine counts of various charges, including lewd and lascivious acts with a child and unlawful intercourse with a minor.

Michael Carrol Logan, 35 - Palmdale resident was arrested March 27, 2002, on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student at Granite Hills High School in Apple Valley. Logan, a firefighter and paramedic with the Apple Valley Fire Protection District, taught a fire service class at the school, according to sheriff's officials. Logan was sentenced to three years in state prison March 9, 2005, on charges of oral copulation with a person under 18 years old and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

- Compiled by Mike Cruz

Napa, CALIFORNIA

Teacher is sentenced to two years. The victim was deported back to Mexico earlier this month.

Feb 28, 2007 - Jorge Covarrubias, 32, a Napa High School teacher, is still free on bail after being convicted last August of sexually molesting a high school student, starting when the boy was 15.

His sentencing has been delayed twice. His next scheduled court appearance is Mar 29.

Napa Police detective Judy Bond, the lead investigator in the Covarrubias case, is upset he is not in custody.

“A jury of his peers convicted him of nine counts of child molestation. The victim deserves justice. When a jury takes it own time and works hard on a trial and comes to a guilty verdict, the person should be taken into custody,” Bond said.

“I have never worked a case where a person was convicted of child molest or sexual assault and not taken into custody.”

The incidents took place between November 2003 and August 2004, when the teen, now 18, was 15 years old. During this time, the boy was a student at Napa High School, but not a student in Covarrubias’ math class. Covarrubias and the victim met at Napa High School.

His attorney said that Covarrubias is on unpaid administrative leave with the school district, and that his teaching credential was revoked when he was convicted.

Mar 29 - Covarrubias was sentenced to two years in state prison. The judge ruled he does not have to register as a sex offender.

From the Press-Enteprise: The abuse, prosecutors said, began when the boy was 15, after the teen's father allowed the boy to live with Covarrubias.

Their source was the Napa Valley Register:

The boy and his father had a rocky relationship. The father went to the school and sought advice about his son from Covarrubias, who was also a school counselor. After visiting the victim and his father at their home, Covarrubias offered to let the boy live with him to “straighten him out.” The boy’s father agreed.

The prosecutor read a letter from the boy: "I met (Covarrubias) at school and thought he was a nice guy. I thought he was someone I could trust. Now, I don’t feel normal. I question my sexuality. He betrayed me and I don’t know if I can ever trust anyone again.”

The prosecutor said Covarrubias used his position of trust to lure the boy into the sexual relationship. He said the victim had a troubled life and Covarrubias took advantage of it. “His mother died. His father abandoned him (giving over custody of the boy to Covarrubias.) His father had no money to take care of him. He threatened to send him back to Mexico. The boy was vulnerable.”

The prosecutor argued at the sentencing that the sexual relationship between the defendant and the victim was anything but consensual.“He told the defendant ‘no’ many times. The victim said he was thinking of suicide,” Gero said. “There was nothing enjoyable for the victim about the relationship. This is not a Romeo and Juliet statutory rape case.”

Watsonville, CALIFORNIA

Sentenced to 15 days in jail, three years of probation, and registration as a sex offender for life.

Jan 30, 2007 - Efrain Ortiz, 44, a fourth-grade teacher at Landmark Elementary School and a martial arts instructor, pleaded no contest to a charge of battery.

Ortiz was arrested in September and charged with felony child molestation and a misdemeanor of committing lewd acts with a child. This was in connection with had an 11-year-old girl "grab his genitals" during a kung fu lesson at the martial arts school.

In his plea agreement he admitted he had the girl touch him for sexual gratification. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28.
Full name: Efrain Israel Ortiz

Mar 28 - Ortiz was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years probation. Ortiz also will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life because the court found that Ortiz committed the battery for sexual gratification.

Ortiz will have to complete counseling and abide by restrictions on his contact with children.

Mar 29 -California Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows his credential SUSPENDED.

Hesperia, CALIFORNIA

Mar 26, 2007 - Jamal Jackson, 34, a teacher, was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Jothan [not misspelled] Omar Boyd.

Boyd was found dead inside a home. The cause of death is not being released because it could interfere with the investigation, a coroner's spokesman said Monday night. Jackson is the second person arrested in the incident.

Mar 28 - Cause of death was a gunshot. Jackson was a teacher at a learning center.
Full Name: Jamal Thomas Jackson

First Article Launched: 03/26/2007 11:28:40 PM PDT
Second Article Launched: 03/28/2007 01:00:00 AM PDT
[Newspaper story time stamps. Newspaper notoriously removes stories and then you can't find in their archives even four hours later.]

Lowell, MASSACHUSETTS

The Lowell school district may soon require national background checks for volunteers and job candidates. This would include checking a person's background for criminal records in every state.

Unfortunately, the (New York Times-owned) Boston Globe illustrates the need by citing Severine E. Wamala, a math teacher at the high school who is a native of Uganda. He only became a U.S. citizen after immigrating in 1988 to get his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. He hasn't been convicted. His case hasn't even gone to court.

Wamala had previously been arrested in New Hampshire but the school committee member did not know the details. He is currently being held on $1 million bail after he was arrested in 2006 on on 19 counts of incest and 11 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault.

In a letter to a newspaper (no longer online) Wamala proclaimed his innocence and referred to the arrests (plural):

Being arrested does not mean one committed a crime. One can be arrested for a number of reasons. False charges is one of them. Thirteen years ago as claimed in the newspapers I was arrested numerous times for false charges. During the period 1992 to 1994, my ex-girlfriend filed 36 false charges in nine different Massachusetts courts....

If you want to make the case for national background checks, you should at least make sure the teacher cited has been found guilty.

Smyrna, TENNESEE

Mar 29, 2007 - Adlai "Jay" Gill, technical education teacher at Stewarts Creek Middle School, was arrested and charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia March 18.

He was arrested in July 1995 when Gill and his wife assaulted each other and both were arrested. In October 1996, he was charged with driving under the influence, a charge that was later reduced to reckless driving. The latest arrest was after his wife called police, concerned that he would leave her home intoxicated.

As I approached the vehicle, I observed Mr. Adlai Gill sitting in the driver's seat with a lit marijuana cigarette in his right hand. He was using a pair of yellow needle nose pliers as a roach clip,"

Manning wrote. "I could smell a strong odor of what I believed to be alcohol as well as marijuana smoke coming from his person and vehicle."

Gill is on paid medical leave until April 16.

His brother is Harry Gill, Jr, the Rutherford County Director of Schools.

August 11 - The Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro) reports that Gill recieved a diversion that include $1,064 in fines, two months of drug screening and an 11-month 29-day suspended in a story about his returning to school in the fall.

Finley, NORTH DAKOTA

TRIAL DATE SET: Jan 4, 2007 - A trial date has been set for Jonathan Champagne, charged with sexual assault and corruption or solicitation of a minor. He's accused of having sex with a 17-year-old female student.

Champagne's trial is set for February 21st. From KFYR 550AM: "Champagne was hired as a math teacher at a high school in Crookston (Minnesota) but he was fired last month because of the pending charges."

GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCE: Mar 28 - Champagne pleaded guilty to corruption of a minor. Under the plea agreement, he was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 60 days suspended. Two other counts of corruption of a minor, one count of sexual assault and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor were dropped.

LICENSE REVOKED: May 10 - The Education Standards and Practices Board voted unanimously to revoke the license of Jonathan Champagne. Assistant Attorney General Bill Peterson says state law mandates the revocation.

Brandon, MISSISSIPPI

Lawsuit: "...negligent misrepresentation of Ozborn as a teacher with good moral character."

Nov 21, 2006 - David Lee Ozborn, (David Ozborn) 38, Richland High School biology teacher, was sentenced to 40 years for sexual battery of two students. He had impregnated both students (ages 14 and 15) twice each and arranged for out of state abortions. He will not be eligible for parole.

The Sun-Herald reported that Ozborn's bond had been revoked in June after he allegedly tried to run off the road the car carrying one of his accusers and her parents. He was charged with intimidating a witness.

Mar 28, 2007 - The family of one of the victims filed a lawsuit against the district, the school, and principal Stanley Shows. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages, and they're requesting a jury trial. Among other things, the suit alleges "The suit also alleges breach of duty to K.B., infliction of emotional distress, and negligent misrepresentation of Ozborn as a teacher with good moral character. "

Atlanta, GEORGIA

Mar 28, 2007 - Chelsea Gourd, 20, a substitute teacher, was arrested at the middle school where she taught. She was accused of stealing 6 credit cards and unknown amount of money on Monday and Tuesday from other teachers at the school. She is being held without bond, charged with financial transaction card theft.

A man was caught on a security camera signing some of the card receipts and police believe Gourd sold or traded the cards that were use at various businesses. Officials say they believe there will be more arrests.

Glouster, MASSACHUSETTS

School secretary accused of sex with student was a former on-call masseuse for a Rowley motel. NOT that there's anything wrong with that.

Mar 28, 2007 - Natalie A. Nemeskal, 31, a secretary at North Shore Technical High School., pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of selling or delivering alcohol to minors and one count of felony witness intimidation. The charges stem from a party in her Hamilton home during which police said she gave students booze and had sex in a hot tub with an 18-year-old from Gloucester.

On Jan. 19, North Shore Regional Vocational School District Superintendent Amelia O’Malley fired Nemeskal after she found out the secretary, hired last fall, had been socializing with the Middleton school’s students. A teacher learned of the matter from a 16-year-old girl who had ridden home with Nemeskal, according to court documents. The student said she was concerned about Nemeskal’s well-being because she had been crying during the drive and suggested she wanted to harm herself.

The secretary gave the party on Jan 12. Also in the house at the time of the hot tub sex were Nemeskal’s 11-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friend, according to police. A neighbor turned the Nemeskal in.

Pre-trial hearing is April 24.

Lake Charles, LOUISIANA

Mar 27, 2007 - George Walker, a permanent substitute, was arrested is charged with 18 counts of stalking, iIndecent behavior with a juvenile, and soliciting for prostitution.

A female student claims walker made sexual remarks to her on a daily basis since she was sixteen, even offering her money for sexual favors. The sheriff's office says an investigation confirmed her allegations. The student is suing both Walker and Lake Charles Boston Principal Rodney Geyen, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which claims he instructed the girl not to take the matter to the school board.

No other news stories found at this time.

Warrenton, GEORGIA

Mar 28, 2007 - Thomas McDonald Jr., 34, principal at Warren County High School, pleaded guilty to propositioning a student. Prosecutors said they were prepared to use testimony that he behaved similarly in Burke County when he taught here.

He was charged after a four-month investigation that started when a 15-year-old student accused him of asking her for oral sex on school grounds. There were other problems: In 2001 he allegedly kissed a student, and in 2003 there was another alleged act of solicitation of sodomy.

After he pleaded guilty to solicitation of sodomy, he was sentenced to one year probation and fines.

Full Name: Thomas James McDonald Jr.

OUTRAGE OF THE DAY

A letter to parents who complained about a special education teacher who was later found guilty of abuse.

Source: here.

Psychological or Behavioral Screenings

Mar 28, 2007 -
After the fourth district employee accused of sexual misconduct this year, Broward County school officials said they must scrutinize the district's hiring practices. They might add psychological or behavioral screenings.

School Board members Eleanor Sobel and Jennifer Gottlieb suggested the district add psychological or behavioral screenings, which are not part of the process. The district also does not conduct drug tests on applicants.

The newspaper reports that more than 17,000 teachers work for Broward schools. They also give space for a a forensic psychologist who specializes in the treatment of sexual predators and offenders, who cautions against psychological screenings. Besides questioning their legality, he said such a small portion of educators are pedophiles that people would be misidentified."If you look at the number of teachers vs. the number of teachers doing this, it's a minuscule proportion," Alexander said. "It would be impossible to screen for this."
-------------------
TT - You can't screen for a sexual predator. Most teachers are not arrested for child pornography, or pedophilia, but for having sexual relationships with their students. Most teachers who get involved with students don't start out to seduce them or be seduced. It's a question of opportunity and woeful lack of self-discipline.

What you can screen for is suitability to be a teacher with an emphasis on maturity, responsibility, commitment and character. How hard is that to judge? How hard would it be to ask an applicant to sit at a desk and write an essay on values? Besides verifying that they can actually spell, it might signify serious intent to find the best candidates.

Departments of Education and school systems have become hiring factories with little interest or concern with the ethical training of their teachers or administrators. Except for that once-a-year, mandated training exercise that involves sitting around a table with a cup of coffee in a styrofoam container, the subject is pretty much a non-goer. The teacher knows it. The principal knows it. The student can sense it. Parents fear that's the case. Headlines prove it.

We aren't looking for pedophiles in schools! We want teachers who act appropriately and maturely with their students. No teacher should have a MySpace page to engage students in an off-campus dialogue. They shouldn't be text-messaging them. Both should be grounds for immediate unpaid suspension. Sex with a student, even if the student is of legal age, should be criminalized.

How difficult is it to act like an adult?

Endicott, NEW YORK

Mar 27, 2007 - Jo-Ann Peters, a teacher at Linnaeus W. West School in the Union-Endicott School District, was arrested, charged with felony grand larceny.

She allegedly stole instructional materials from her school and putting the stolen items for sale on the E-Bay Internet auction site. State police executed a search warrant at the teacher's town of home this morning and found a large quantity of things from the school.

TT - Earlier this month, a Connecticut teacher was arrested allegedly for stealing books from the town elementary school and selling them on E-Bay.

Peculiar, MISSOURI

Substitute teachers are strangers in the classroom. Strangers to the administration. Strangers to the students. Strangers to other teachers. They're paid visitors and, increasingly, they are sources of major problems.

Mar 27, 2007 - Karen Charron, 58, a substitute in the Ray-Pec School District was arrested for allegedly being under the influence. (It was Raymore-Peculiar Middle School.)

She was serving her second day in the district when a staff member reported a change in the teacher's behavior. Charron was arrested and charged with possession of an open container and endangering the welfare of a child.

The school district said it conducts background checks on all substitute teachers, and it called the behavior "unacceptable."

[TT - Background checks do not predict behavior. They only tell you what the individual did in the past. Doesn't the district require professional or personal references? An interview? Citing background checks, increasingly, is a way for some school authorities to say, "It's not our fault."]

Elyria, OHIO

The former teacher is not alleged to have harmed any student but what did the students learn about the profession when they found out about his past? Would it have made a difference if he had been required to take a pre-employment lie detector test with the question, "Have you done anything that would, if known, disqualify you from obtaining or holding a certification to be a teacher in this, or any other state?"

Mar 27, 2007 - A former teacher won't be teaching again. He left prison after serving a year for throwing the body of his infant son into a quarry.

Thomas Truelson Jr., 27, admitted in 2005 that he threw the baby into a quarry in 1999 after his girlfriend - the baby's mother - killed the newborn. The mother, Jennifer Coleman, 24, is serving six years in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and six other charges.

In 2005, Coleman told friends she had killed the newborn. By then, Coleman was dating someone else, and Truelson had gone on to college and graduated and was working as a teacher at a school for students with behavioral problems at Lorain County Academy in Oberlin.

At the time the baby was killed, he was 19, and she was not yet 16.

TT - Coleman appeared on Oprah Winfrey show last year to discuss her case and urge mothers of unwanted children to turn their babies over to authorities. The baby Coleman killed was born in a toilet in her home. Coleman stabbed the baby to death and Truelson stuffed the body into a rock-filled duffle bag and threw it into a quarry. A recreational diver found it weeks later.

San Antonio, TEXAS

Lurid accusations that, if true, are disturbing.

Mar 27, 2007 - Enrique Martinez, 44, a former teacher's aide at at Nimitz Middle School, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault.

According to a police affidavit, a 19-year-old man went to police March 7. He "told police that Martinez molested him more than 100 times over a period of five years, beginning when he was 13."

Martinez lured the male and other boys to his beauty shop, promising him an after-school job, the affidavit stated. But Martinez instead asked the male to become his lover, which "freaked out" the complainant, who left the shop.

Martinez then went after the boy and told him he would give him money if he didn't tell anyone what had happened, the affidavit stated. The boy then went back to the shop, where Martinez performed sex acts on the boy in exchange for several hundred dollars. The relationship continued for five years.

The man stopped allowing Martinez to perform sex acts and began assaulting him to get money out of him. The man also told police that he burglarized Martinez's home in February, which police verified, the affidavit stated.

Martinez is no longer employed at the school. The accuser is now 19-years-old.
KHOU is reporting that the teenager made the allegations after he was caught burglarizing Martinez’s home.
Full Name: Enrique Gill Martinez

Miramar, FLORIDA

Mar 27, 2007 - CBS 4 is reporting that a Miramar elementary school teacher who worked with autistic children is under investigation alleged inappropriate contact with a students at the school.

They spoke with a co-worker who did not want to be identified. The co-worker says that she reported the abuse to the school’s principal five months ago. She says the Broward County School District took him out of the classroom only last month.

The district says they temporarily reassigned him to a desk job away from children while they investigate. The story does not say when they removed him from the classroom.

TT - The district attorney is investigating. (A two-year investigation by the Herald-Tribune found that a large number of Florida schools and school districts are conducting their own investigations without adequately trained investigators, sometimes reaching agreements with the teacher that avoid involving the police or even other education agencies. Referring the matter to police for criminal investigation is sometimes delayed or avoided. )

Child Pornography

Child pornography isn't just a photograph or a movie. "It's a crime scene."

That's how Flint Waters, leader of Wyoming's Internet Crimes Against Children team describes child pornography in this article in the Star-Tribune.

The images go well beyond naked children in bathtubs, Waters said."We find movies of any kind of sexual act that you can imagine adults doing, and the victim is a toddler," he said.

Despite this fact, authorities remark about the relative lack of outrage child pornography generates among the public. The horrific nature of the crime makes it difficult for people to comprehend, Mead said."It's hard for us, most of the public, to think next door a 3-year-old daughter or son is being sexually assaulted and videotaped," he said.

Excellent article. Links and what you can do at the site.

TT - teachers who have been sentenced for child pornography we found in 5 months of published news stories.

Garland Eary, fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia - 42 months, probation for life.
Genaro Vela, coach and Boy Scout Leader in Texas - 14 years.
Waylon Kaus, teacher and scoutmaster in Missouri - 20 years without parole.
Steven M. Smith, a shop teacher in South Dakota - 6.5 years and sex offender registration.
Zachary Daubenmire, a special ed teacher in Ohio - 5 years probation, registration.
Joseph Briley, a band teacher in Kentucky - 87 months, supervision for life.
Louis Konetski, a teacher in Alaska - 5 years, 10 years probation.
Denzial Tittle, science teacher in Texas - 14 years, without parole, 10 years probation.
John McColgan, teacher in New Jersey - 48 months.
Steve Dennis Thomas, an elementary school principal in Alabama - 12 years.
Ron Nash, a high school teacher in Washington - 8 years.
Curtis Oishi, a teacher in California - 1 year, 3 probation, registration for life.
Jon Blaisdell, pre-kindergarten teacher in Massachusetts - 6 years.
William Cockerham, a Fresno biology professor - four years, 10 years probation.
Steven Rubinstein, an assistant principal in N.Y - 10 years, 5 years probation.
Dennis Wayne Casolari, a sixth-grade teacher in Illinois - 25 years.
Ron White, middle school science teacher in Florida - 5 years.
Dennis Vickery, "baby porn teacher" in Pennsylvania - 10 years, 10 years probation.

NEW - Updated child pornography information.

Child Pornograhy

Teachers who pleaded guilty or no contest, not yet sentenced.

SEE Child Pornography updated lists.

Big Stone Gap, VIRGINIA

Mar 27, 2007 - Darlene Blagg, 36, a teacher's aide at Powell Valley High School, pleaded not guilty after being indicted on nine counts of taking indecent liberties with a juvenile under 18 while serving in a custodial or supervisory.

She is accused of accused of having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old student. The mother of the male student contacted police on Mar 13. The lead investigator said that Wise County school division was informed of alleged improprieties some time before the sheriff's department was made aware of the allegations.

A school administrator said Blagg resigned last week. Prosecutors and investigators were under the impression she had been dismissed before they knew about the case.

She is married and the mother of two children, ages 5 and 2.
A jury trial date is scheduled for June 26.

Mar 24 story (before arraignment) The male student's mother reported the allegations to the sheriff's department on March 13, about two weeks after complaining to school division authorities. The Sheriff's Co investigator said Blagg was "dismissed" from her job by school officials a week before they were notified of possible wrongdoing and began their investigation.
A school division official said that Blagg resigned last week.

May 27 - The Kingsport Times News: "A plea arrangement is also about to be tendered to Darlene Blagg, a former teacher’s aide at Powell Valley High School charged with an illicit relationship with a male student earlier this year. Elkins said a plea deadline is Wednesday in the Blagg case."

May 30 - Blagg was sentenced to three years, suspended except for 30 days. She must serve two years of supervised probation and one year of unsupervised probation and is required to register as a sex offender. For life.

[Whacked out reporter portrays the teacher spared jail by her victim by his agreement to the plea deal. He's 13-years-old. WAS THERE NO ADULT IN THAT COURTROOM?]

Dirty, filthy old man

"It is a form of offending which elicits the strongest feelings of abhorrence and repugnance."

Mar 27, 2007 - Jonathan Quick, 71, was sentenced to eight months after admitting he sexually abused pupils in his care in the 1970's and early 80's.

One of the students, David Young, a medical student who had been taught by Quick in the 1990s, committed suicide in the Phillipines in 2002.. That started an investigation pursued by his parents. Three months later they discovered he had been sexually abused by a teacher at Dollar Academy in 1990 in psychiatric reports that cite the abuse as the main reason for his depression and subsequent death.

With the asssistance of a former detective, who had helped a number of families who had suffered miscarriages of justice, they tracked down 500 students, eight of whom said they had been abuse. Quick pleaded guilty. Other former pupils told The Herald of their feelings of guilt and anger about the abuse they suffered.

TT - the location is Scotland. The affront to human dignity doesn't stop at the abuse. With the child pornography victim, the pictures remain forever, traded like playing cards, collected by perverts over the globe. For those sexually abused by authority figures, the shame, guilt, anger and vulnerability last a lifetime.

Background Checks

Certified teachers in Texas employed before 2003 have been exempt from national background checks.

Mar 26, 2007 - The Houston Chronicle reports that the Texas senate passed a bill that would require all public school teachers to submit fingerprints for a national criminal background check. It will mean fingerprinting 200,000 current teachers.

Texas has required national criminal background checks for all teaching candidates since 2003, but that law did not apply to teachers who were already certified. Under that law, they found 200 candidates had serious offences on record, including crimes against children and sexual misconduct.

TT - See Senate Bill 9 School Safety Act news release at Sen. Florence Shapiro's website. The bill, as introduced, would create a Texas clearinghouse that will be available to school districts and state agencies. See Texas Senate news.

TT - A New Jersey newspaper compared public records of those eligible for a public pension and another containing people charged with felonies and convicted of those or lesser crimes since the 1980s. They found 4 employees in North Jersey schools who had criminal records since they were employed. A fifth slipped through the cracks.

TT - The Philadelphia School District unwittingly hired a company to mediate student conflicts to reduce violence whose founder spent two years of a 10-year sentence in prison for a sex crime against his 7-year-old stepdaughter, not knowing he was here illegally after having been deported to his native Senegal. A criminal background check was done, but it looked only for crimes committed in Pennsylvania and didn't consider that he had an alias. No fingerprinting was required.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Mar 26, 2007
Star-News (SC) examines why teacher molestation charges are hard to prosecute.

"The biggest difficulty you have in prosecuting any sexual assault case, especially with children, is that they do not tell right away, and by the time they disclose there is no physical evidence," said Debbie Lash, assistant prosecutor for the 9th Circuit, which includes Berkeley and Charleston counties.

Stephen Braveman studies child abuse. He estimates that just half all incidents of sexual abuse are reported. Among male victims, he said, the reporting rate is likely about 10 percent.

In the seven active South Carolina cases, seven of the 12 alleged victims are boys ranging in age from 11 to 15.

TT- the case they highlighted is a 46-year-old female 2nd grade teacher , Kimberly Moody Alexander, who was charged with performing a lewd act on a child. A Columbia police officer found the former Bradley Elementary School teacher and a 14-year-old boy lying down in the front seat of her car. The two were fully clothed and were kissing, the boy simulating sex. The jury deadlocked at her trial and prosecutors plan to try her again.
Alexander is married with two children.

The Post and Courier on "Awareness of female offenders increasing" reports experts caution that sexual misconduct by women has long been under-reported in our society, which has had trouble accepting the notion of women as molesters. They list South Carolina cases.

A state representative is pushing legislation that would institute a 25-year minimum sentence for sex crimes committed by school personnel.

Sioux City, NEBRASKA

Mar 26, 2007 - A South Sioux City, Nebraska teacher is on "leave" for one week after his arrest for soliciting a prostitute. He is a teacher and head coach at South Sioux City Middle School.

His status could come up for discussion at Monday night's school board meeting.

TT - The Nebraska Department of Education is one of the few state sites where it you can find a front page link to Certification that leads you to a link to a Code of Ethics.

Florence, ALABAMA

Mar 24, 2007 - After parents complained, a student teacher at Wilson High School has been banned from the school after he was accused of e-mailing and posting inappropriate messages to students online.

The intern was an education major at Alabama State University in Montgomery

He was escorted off the campus Thursday morning by the school's resource officer.
[Story continued here for space considerations.]

Durham, NORTH CAROLINA

"She's not teaching anymore. She's in another line of work, in the administrative field."

Mar 25, 2007 - A Durham teacher who taught eighth-grade at Chewning Middle School was arrested in 2006 for and charged with allowing a male student to spend the night with her. Thee Herald-Sun found the resolution of the case:

But in a quiet September plea deal that escaped media attention, Janet K. Briggs received deferred prosecution on two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, court records indicate.

TT- Deferred prosecution means no criminal record. Continued here.]

Bellaire, TEXAS

Mar 20, 2007 - Tamara Ryman, 37, a Bellaire High School algebra teacher, was arrested after being found with a 16-year-old male student who was naked from the waist down in a van. The current charge is trespassing.

She was found in a parked van with the boy. When the deputy approached the car, the boy had his pants down, and Ryman had just jumped into the driver's seat, according to police reports.

Ryman appears to have been an informal, if not legal, guardian for the teenage boy. He was arrested when police found marijuana and brass knuckles on him.

ABC13 - spoke with her father-in-law. Ryman is married with two children.

Aurora, ILLINOIS

Mar 25, 2007 - Kenneth Kane, 53, a West Aurora High School teacher, was sentenced earlier this month to 24 months' intensive probation after pleading guilty to charges that he improperly touched female students.

Kane pleaded guilty to aggravated battery. He must also must register as a sex offender for the next 10 years, and is banned from contacting victims in the case, according to records.

Prosecutors say Kane, of Joliet, inappropriately touched three teenage students over their clothing during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years.

TT - second story down.

Background Checks

School districts are required by the 2005 Jessica Lunsford Act to run background checks on workers and most visitors. So how did The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind allow felons to work on campus construction jobs during the past two years?

That's the question a Police department employee asked in anonymous letter complaining about the felons to school officials in May 2006, He also sent it to state officials, who asked the school's board of trustees' chairwoman about the felons.

A reporter at the St. Austine Record asked the exact same questions and more.
You can read it at the link.
-----------------------------
TT - the implication is that the school was "saving money over the school's students' safety," as an unattributed "others" put it. The records of the 10 men are daunting, but the newspaper acknowledges that they broke no law going on the campus.

Neither, apparently, did the school. There was a memorandum from the school president in 2005 at about the same time as Jessica's Law was implemented that stated that the school would not allow felons on the campus. But most schools issued memorandums to announce that they were responding to the new law.

The felons who acted on construction projects at the school are not accused of any criminal activity. The school hasn't broken any law in employing them. The school employed a full-time, off-duty Augustine police officer to be there the whole time they were there.

So where is the story? At a guess, it's a newspaper taking advantage of the tide of resentment from the "Broken Trust" series from the Herald-Tribune to expose more wrongdoing on the part of the Florida Department of Education.

And, perhaps, some construction union resentment that the workers might have been non-unionized. It's hard to tell because the reporter doesn't examine that angle. But, then, there is no criminal conduct alleged either, and the reporter quotes a 'former" FSDB Police Department employee without explaining to the reader why he is no longer employed. And who, besides the FSDB Police Department, employed him. No one was injured or hurt, threatened, raped, pickpocketed, sexually propositioned, offered drugs, or assaulted.

At least not by the construction workers. And not by anyone else employed by the school.

The school is boarding school supported by the Florida Department of Education. It was established in 1885. It is Florida's primary public school for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired students pre-school through 12th grade. (Wikipedia)

A headline of "Felons on Campus" is catchy. But the reporter would do more good investigating the biggest threat to students: the school systems that hire and fail to provide oversight of teachers who sexually abuse students The same officials who then, after the fact, express surprise, conduct their own investigations without any training, and dismiss the allegations and allow the teacher to move on to another school. Another victim.

Brooklyn, NEW YORK

ALL CHARGES WERE DROPPED WHEN GIRL'S STORY UNRAVELED.

Mar 23 - All charges were dropped against a Brooklyn, New York janitor who was accused of raping an 8-year-old-girl. Arrested on Monday, he was arraigned then sent to Rikers. Bail was set at $150,000. The very next day, the prosecutors asked for him to be released on his own recognizance as the girl's story unraveled.

Prosecutors said yesterday that during further questioning, they concluded that the child's account had too many inconsistencies to be credible.

ABC7 reported: [The teacher] was overcome with tears at Brooklyn Criminal Court today, after the less than two minute proceeding that ended with an assistant district attorney delivering the words, "The People are dismissing the charges."

School Principal
Mar 21 - Officials reassigned the principal of the school because he allegedly did nothing about another possible abuse case involving the same girl and a different adult.

A Department of Education spokesman said yesterday that Long was being probed about "his alleged failure to report an earlier allegation of child abuse

Thanks to a poster for the tip.

Greenfield, INDIANA

Mar 24, 2007 - Greenfield-Central school officials fired a Greenfield Middle School teacher over concerns about her relationship with a student.

"No one has suggested the relationship between Trina Moore and the student was sexual or illegal, school officials said." The teacher spent hours per day outside school hours in the girl's company, talking to her on the phone or e-mailing with her, according to school officials.

When she refused to terminate her contact with the girl outside school even when instructed to do so by Greenfield Middle School Principal Jim Bever and despite complaints from the girl's mother. The teacher was fired for insubordination. Moore's attorney says she is considering a legal appeal.

"Phone records obtained through the school's investigation indicate Moore spent a cumulative total of more than 11 hours on the phone with the student one day in June 2006, and similar amounts of phone time with the girl on several other days. " While Moore's attorney says the calls were initiated by the girl, school officials said the teacher already had been warned about getting too personally involved with students.

School officials thought the conduct exceeded the bounds of a healthy teacher-student relationship.

The girl was 13-years-old.

TT- there's a lively debate at the news site that brings up some good issues. The ones who argue that she was just a caring teacher can be safely ignored. As an adult, if a parent asked you to quit talking to her child 10 hours a day, wouldn't you consider it wise to do so? The teacher wasn't fired for having poor judgement. She was fired because she was specifically ordered not to continue.

STATE CORRECTION.

Murfreesboro, TENNESEE

Dealing with a mad parent can really ruin your day.

Mar 21, 2007 - Nalin White, 29, a Siegel High School teacher, entered a a no-contest plea to three counts of soliciting a minor. He surrendered his teaching license.

Under terms of the plea, he was placed on supervised probation for 35 months and 27 days. according to the mother. In addition, he can't have contact with the victim, and he must undergo a psychological evaluation and abide by the recommendations.

The girl accused White of asking her if she was interested in having sex with a teacher between 26 and 28 years old. She told her mother about the conversation, and the mother complained to Siegel High Principal Ken Nolan that night.

The mother then notified the Schools Director and other central office administrators the next afternoon to look into what happened. The parent then asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate five days later, and Gill suspended White without pay that same day.

The girl's mother said she was glad her daughter pursued the complaint.
"She had been harassed at school, but she knew she did the right thing by coming forward," the mother said.

TT - It took five days for school authorities to remove the teacher from the classroom where he could be in contact with his victim. The mother had to go to the police to make something happen. What does this tell you about the first concern of some schools?

Mar 30 - County schools director Harry Gill, Jr., terminated Nalin White with a letter dated March 26. When he entered his plea on March 20, White also surrendered his teaching license.

SENTENCED and LAWSUIT - July 23 - White was sentenced and received probation and surrendered his teaching license. The mother of the victim has filed a lawsuit against White and the school principal and the school board.

Memorable Quote

Memorable quote of the week.

Out of the mouth of an elementary school principal after a teacher in the school left two children in a car. For six hours. In 80 degree weather.

"I understand law enforcement officials, they have their reputations at stake, they don't know her. They have a job to do in terms of protecting children, but my hope is that all this would be cleared up and she would be able to return to work," she said.

"Bottom line - we want to support Kristy. And it's not one of those situations of 'protecting your own, no matter what they've done' types of things," she said. "I think if the public knew the pressure some mothers are under, and how often this really does happen, they'd be amazed."

TT - They have their reputations at stake? They have a job to do protecting children? Like no one else should be concerned. And yes, the policeman did his job: he broke the window to rescue the children who were ages 2 and 4-months-old. Isn't an elementary school principal supposed to be concerned with protecting children? Ya think?

And she's right. If the public just knew.

Janesville, WISCONSIN

Mar 23, 2007 -
Christopher Hurst, 29, a Craig High School teacher's aide, has resigned. He was arrested Mar 12 when he went to meet what he thought was a 15-year-old girl. He had worked as a special-education aide in the district since 2004.

He is charged in Columbia County Court with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.

School officials had suspended Hurst without pay after confirming the arrest. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Apr 12.
Full Name: Christopher J. Hurst

WCLO link August 21 - Conditions of his bond have been modified to allow contact with children to accomodate his employment. Hurst is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18 for a preliminary hearing.
--------------------------------------
A jury trial is scheduled for 10-02-2008 at 9:00 am

Burbank, WASHINGTON

Mar 23, 2007 - Alfredo Castillo, 80, a teacher's aide at Columbia Middle School, was sentenced to 15-month sentenced for fondling a female student during the 2004-2005 school year. He also will be placed on three to four years of community custody when he's released.

She told officials the abuse occurred frequently enough that she started wearing sweatshirts to make it more difficult for Castillo to touch her.

The mother of the developmentally delayed girl who was 13-years-old at the time, reacted to the sentence. ``I pity him. My daughter isn't the damaged one - he is.''

Suffolk, VIRGINA

Mar 23, 2007 - Jerome Crawford, a teacher at Forest Glen Middle School, was sentenced to three months for going online to solicit sex from a teenager. He pleaded guilty last October

The judge ruled Crawford must register as a sex offender and continue treatment programs.
Full Name: Jerome Keith Crawford

See: Officer's job should be responsibility of all parents

Barstow, CALIFORNIA

NOT GUILTY of all charges. The jury deliberated just 90 minutes.

Jan 24, 2007 - Arrested on Jan. 24, 2006, he pleaded not guilty in an arraignment in March 2006. Today the trial began for James McKinley, a Cameron Elementary School teacher charged with sexually assaulting several of his former students.

Update Feb 3 - McKinley's trial is ongoing in Barstow. The prosecution has called 18 witnesses, including 13 students who were 8 to 10 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.

Update Feb 8 - The prosecution rests in the trial. The defense is scheduled to start Thursday then the trial will be suspended until Feb 14.

Update Mar 22 - The jury is deliberating.

Update Mar 23 - The jury deliberated less than 90 minutes before finding McKinley not guilty of all 22 counts alleging he molested 10 fourth-graders.

Although he was acquitted of criminal charges, school district spokeswoman Susan Levine said McKinley still faces dismissal under a state Education Code section dealing with immoral or unprofessional conduct, unsatisfactory performance or unfitness for service as grounds for unpaid suspension.

New York, NEW YORK

Mar 23, 2007 - Alan Schaefer, a music teacher at M.S. 67, a Queens middle school, has been charged with trying to use the Internet to have sex with underage girls.

The criminal complaint charged Schaefer with one count of using the Internet to persuade and entice what he thought was a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. He was talking to an undercover officer.

TT - no age, no arrest date, no schedule for court appearances given.

Camden, NEW JERSEY

Mar 20, 2007 - Michael Hailey, 65, principal at H.B. Wilson Elementary, was indicted, along with his top aide, administrator Patricia Johnson, 57, charged with conspiracy, theft, official misconduct and record tampering.

It's alleged that they asked parents and students at the school to pay for field trips and other outings, knowing that the trips were to be financed by the school district. Then kept the money collected through fundraisers and donations. Camden is one of the nation's poorest cities.

Hailey and another principal and her daughter were also indicted in a suspected scheme to overbill the district for leadership meetings authorities say never occurred. More indictments are expected.
[Continued here for space considerations.]

Camden, New Jersey at Wikipedia.
New Jersey Attorney General Office press release.

INDICTED Apr 13 - Michael Hailey and administrator Patricia Johnson were indicted. Hailey's attorney predicts that more people will be indicted.

NOT GUILTY PLEAS May 22 - The four former school employees pleaded not guilty at their arraignment to stealing student field-trip money and submitting phony pay vouchers. Hailey, 65, of Delran, Johnson, 57, of Atco, and Juanita Worthy, 59, of Evesham, all veteran educators, retired from the district last June.

The state began investigating Camden schools after The Inquirer raised questions about 2005 state standardized fourth-grade test results at Wilson and Wiggins. The struggling schools posted some of the best scores in the state.

Scores for 2006 plummeted at both schools, and were generally lower across the district after the state sent in monitors. The state Department of Education concluded last summer that the scores had been boosted by "adult interference."

TT - Myron and Win would know what to do. Well, Win would.

NPR background on the Camden schools scandal.
Philadelphia Inquirer has a whole section on Camden Schools Testing Controversy.
From Inquirer: Camden Test Scores compared for 2004, 2005 and 2006. (The 2006 is honest testing.)

PLEA OFFERS REJECTED June 12 - Four defendants rejected plea offers. They are: Michael Hailey, 65, Patricia Johnson, 57, Juanita Worthy, 60, and her daughter, Keah Worthy, 31.

JOHNSON GUILTY PLEA Jan 29, 2008 - Patricia Johnson pleaded guilty to illegally collecting more than $14,000 from parents and teachers for field trips that were already included in the school budget. She also admitted she conspired with three other school district workers to be paid for after-school meetings that were never scheduled.

As part of her plea agreement, Johnson agreed to testify against co-defendants including retired principal of the school Michael Hailey. Johnson had been the chief administrator at the school under Hailey. The plea agreement does not call for a set sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept 22.

Hailey is scheduled to go on trial in July. The Worthy defendants, both Evesham residents, and Hailey are scheduled for trial in August in connection with the leadership council vouchers.

KEAH WORTHY PLEADS GUILTY October 24 - Keah Worthy, 33, pleaded guilty to a theft charge for her part in a scheme to bilk her district out of $25,000 for meetings that never took place. She admitted to submitting false paperwork to try to get paid for fictitious council meetings. The councils were created through the so-called Abbott court decisions.

The state will recommend probation when she is sentenced on Dec. 5.

Still pending are charges against Hailey stemming from the meetings and field trips and against the elder Worthy regarding the meetings.

A spokesman for the state attorney general declined to comment on the status of the grand-jury investigation into the rigging of 2005 state reading and math tests at the Wilson and Wiggins schools.

HAILEY PLEADS GUILTY November 3 - Hailey pleaded guilty today to official misconduct to March 19, 2007 charges of official misconduct and attempted theft by deception, according to the Attorney General's office. The state will recommend, under the plea agreement Hailey made, a sentence of three to five years in state prison.

Lincolnton, NORTH CAROLINA

GUILTY
Mar 22, 2007 - Jeremiah Wood, 28, an East Lincoln High School teacher, was arrested, accused of having inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old student at school.

The charge is one count of taking indecent liberties with a student by school personnel. He turned himself in at the sheriff's office. He was released on bond.
(Photo courtesy WCNC)
Full Name: Jeremiah Howard Wood

Lincoln County Sheriffs Office is a great site.. No press release online yet.
Check out their FAQs.

GUILTY PLEA to sexual battery. [Source: N.C. Board of Education]

LICENSE ACTION February 2008 Action: License Revoked. Reason: Guilty plea to sexual battery. [Source: N.C. Board of Education]

Elkview, WEST VIRGINIA

Sentenced to 42 months and probation for life-under the direct supervision of a federal probation officer.

GUILTY PLEA Nov 14, 2006 - Garland Eary, 54, a fifth grade teacher at Pinch Elementary School, pleaded guilty to child pornography possession.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 13.
Full name: Garland Lenn Eary

Feb 9, 2007 - Correction to state. (Thanks to a reader.)
Eary is still shown as a teacher at the West Virginia Department of Education school directory.

U.S. Attorney's Office News Release dated Oct 17, 2006.

SENTENCED Mar 22 - After pleading guilty in November, Eary was sentenced to 42 months in prison. He will be on probation for life. He gave up his teaching certificate to the state.

U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver described Eary’s child porn collection as “revolting to the senses,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Copenhaver said that by being a “willing consumer” of child pornography, Eary supported the sexual abuse of children, according to the release. [We link to below.]

Three former colleagues of Eary wrote to the court to support him.

U.S. Attorney's Office News Release dated Mar 21, 2007.
"EARY will be under the direct supervision of a federal probation officer for the remainder of his life."

Oct 5 - Lawsuit filed to end pension benefits.

Officials at the state’s public retirement board are trying to end pension benefits for a former Kanawha County teacher who pleaded guilty last year to having child porn.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Kanawha Circuit Court, a lawyer for the state Consolidated Public Retirement Board asks the court to terminate benefits for Garland Lenn Eary.

Eary’s “less than honorable service” renders him ineligible to receive benefits, according to the lawsuit.

Morristown, TENNESSEE

Mar 19, 2007 - No criminal charges have been filed against Michael Crosby, 36, a teacher at Morristown-Hamblen High School East, but he was dismissed for allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct with a student.

[For space considerations, continued here.]

JUDGE RECUSES HIMSELF June 9, 2008 - Judge Kindall D. Lawson has recused himself from deciding Michael Crosby’s appeal of his firing by the Hamblen County Board of Education. Whoever is appointed will probably want to hold another hearing, said Scott Reams, the board’s attorney.

Crosby was fired from his teaching position at Morristown-Hamblen High School East in 2007 on charges of unprofessional conduct and insubordination related to his alleged relationship with a female student and because of e-mails sent to another teacher via the school’s computer system.

While the girl told the school board that she did not have a sexual relationship with Crosby, numerous other witnesses testified she had told them she was having sex with Crosby.

Crosby’s attorney, Robert L. Jolley of Knoxville, maintained that there was no proof that Crosby had a sexual relationship with the girl and that by allowing hearsay testimony, the school board made its decision based on evidence not admissible in a court of law.

Reams countered that Crosby’s relationship with the girl did not have to be sexual in nature to constitute an inappropriate relationship for a teacher to have with a student. He cited the testimony of one witness who said he had seen Crosby and the girl kissing and hugging in the back room of a business Crosby owned and where the girl worked.

At the time of the school board’s hearing on Crosby, the girl was living in Crosby’s mother’s house, Reams said.

"There was ample evidence that there was an inappropriate relationship," Reams said. "Clearly, Mr. Crosby should have been disciplined. If the board had not done so, it would have been violating its responsibility to the students and to other employees."

In his appeal, Crosby alleges he did not receive adequate notice of the charges against him and that the board’s decision violated his right to freedom of speech.

Jolley maintained there was no evidence that the other teacher was offended by Crosby’s e-mails, that the e-mails were sent after work hours and that disciplining Crosby over them was a violation of his rights.

On the other hand,
Mar 22, 2007 - A Wisconsin teacher who was fired and the charges were later dismissed, is appealing his firing. Dennis Bravick, was accused in Mar 2005 of four counts of invasion of privacy when prosecutors said he entered the girls locker room on several occasions while female students were changing.

A year later - Mar 2006 - all 4 charges were dismissed.
A year later - Mar 2007 - he is appealing to get his job back.

Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

An earlier page from the Los Angeles Times had a picture of Al Gore instead of the teacher, as they noted in this screenshot.

Mar 22, 2007 - Antonio Gomez, 36, a teacher at Stevenson Middle School in East Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of molesting five teenage girls.

The girls are 13 to 16 and include two sisters. The arrest came after a month long investigation. Police believe there may be more victims.

Formal charges are pending, but Gomez has been accused of committing lewd acts with a child younger than 14 and is free on $100,000 bail, police said. Gomez has been reassigned to a site where he has no contact with students, pending the completion of the investigation.

Mar 27 - Gomez will now be placed on unpaid leave, Hilda Ramirez of the Los Angeles Unified School District said. Prosecutors allege Gomez began molesting one of the victims when she was younger than 14. Six of the counts relate to that girl, who was allegedly molested between Feb. 1 and Nov. 30 of last year. On March 6, investigators served search warrants at the school and at Gomez's home.

Mar 28 - Gomez pleaded not guilty. The judge increased Antonio Gomez's bail from $100,000 from $620,000, noting the "seriousness of the charges." Gomez was immediately taken into custody. Although initial reports said there were five victims, the prosecutor only charged Gomez with two. The Deputy DA told the court that "other victims that are outside the statute (of limitations) that the court should take into consideration."

Gomez had originally been reassigned to a "non-school site" with pay. He is now on unpaid leave.

Mar 27 - Press Release from Los Angeles District Attorney's Office on the arrest.

Rosyln Heights, NEW YORK

A student and a teacher were in the hallway when the drugs fell to the floor, police said.

Mar 22, 2007 - A hall monitor security guard, was arrested after two bags of cocaine fell out of her pocket. Police arrested Evelyn Garza, 46, and charged her with third-degree criminal possession of a control substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of a control substance.

Newsday found a statement on the district's web site: "A staff member at Roslyn High School who was employed as a hall monitor was dismissed without pay by the school district on March 21 following her arrest for possession of illegal narcotics."

Savannah, GEORGIA

We're re-thinking laws restricting sex offenders from living in proximity to schools, bus stops, and playgrounds.

A registered sex offender who was previously convicted of molesting a child was living with his parents less than 600 ft. from a bus stop. A local boy went missing for a week before his body was found.

In a trash bag.

Police arrested David Edenfield, 32, and his parents on charges they molested and then murdered Christopher Michael Barrios. He was six-years-old. Christopher's grandmother lived across the street.

A Georgia law passed last year prohibits registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop. That would have barred the younger Edenfield from living so close to temptation, but a pending lawsuit prompted a federal judge last year to block that provision from taking effect.

TT - Link to story with details about the lawsuit. We can all thank the Southern Center for Human Rights. They're proud to partner with several sex offenders in the lawsuit. But somehow, we don't think those sex offenders wrote all those legal papers by themselves.

At what point do we tell those public interest organizations that they aren't serving us and they aren't serving the public?

The District Attorney said he would seek the death penalty. Would you like to take a really wild guess who's also against the death penalty?

Vinton, VIRGINIA

He threw the woman's cat at the German shepherd, which distracted...

Mar 21 - A William Byrd High School teacher was arrested and charged with charged with obstruction of justice, recklessly handling a firearm, and a felony count of attempted malicious wounding.

He is on leave without pay from the Roanoke County school system.

Mar 22 - From the Roanoake Times: Maj. Delbert Dudding of the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office said that authorities believe a gun had been fired. He said this occured after they arrived:

A woman walked out of the basement and told deputies the man was inside. Deputies went in and found Lemon, who ignored commands to show his hands even after deputies threatened to release a dog.

Lemon failed to comply, and a dog was released to subdue him.

Lemon threw the woman's cat at the German shepherd, which "distracted the dog enough for the subject to flee out the front door," Dudding said.

Deputies tackled him outside.

Lemon was briefly hospitalized and evaluated. He was released on bond.

Fernley, NEVADA

Sentenced to 12-32 months in the Nevada State Prison.

Jan 5, 2007 - Tracie Nelson, 37, a Fernley Intermediate School teacher's aide, pleaded guilty to a charge of statutory sexual seduction with a minor under age 16.

Nelson underwent a competency examination before she was pronounced competent to stand trial. Prior to her sentencing hearing, the defendant must undergo a psychosexual evaluation to determine risk of her becoming a repeat offender.

Sentencing is scheduled for Mar 19.

[TT - In December 2006, Kymberly Tamburello, 43, a 6th grade special-education teacher at Fernley Intermediate School, was arrested, along with her husband. She is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, maintaining a residence for the purpose of sales, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of marijuana and unlawful use of both marijuana and methamphetamine. Her husband pleaded guilty.
Our entry for Tamburello.]

Feb 28 - Nelson was rearrested Feb 23 following reports she has been sighted hanging out with juveniles. She appeared before the district court Monday for a bail hearing. Re-hearing scheduled for Feb 28.

Mar 7 - Bail was recently ordered revoked. Nelson is to remain in custody at least until her judgment and sentencing hearing.

Mar 21 - Nelson was sentenced to to 12-32 months in the Nevada State Prison.

Troy, NEW YORK

Mar 21, 2007 - Police arrested Doris Kurick, 54, along with her daughter, for for felony possession of marijuana.

Inside the basement specifically officers discovered drying rooms, growth rooms, seeding rooms, ventilation, humidity control, all the very professional equipment needed to effectively grow cannabis."

Kurick is a special education teacher with Carroll Hill Elementary School. District officials said the state Education Department will be notified. The agency will then determine what action, if any, to take on Kurick's teaching certification. Both Kuricks were charged with second-degree possession of marijuana, a felony. Doris Kurick also was charged with unlawfully growing marijuana, a misdemeanor.

Mar 22 - The school board asked Kurick to stay home while they consider their options. Police had been investigating her for a month after an anonymous tip. In a search of her home police found she was growing marijuana in the basement.

And while they don't believe Kurick was selling, they also found five pre-packaged pounds of the drug.

Capital9 news: If if they choose to suspend Kurick, it can only be with pay because she is a tenured teacher.

Long Island, NEW YORK

Reiner pleaded guilty to to a federal charge that he possessed child pornography.

Sep 27, 2006 - Michael Kelly Reiner, 46, a teacher at the Long Island School for the Gifted, was arrested on federal child pornography charges. Reiner who taught 4th thru 5th grades also operated a Web site devoted to sadistic fantasies and cannibalism.

In making the recommendation for [permanent] detention, [federal prosecutor] Bode said school officials had not immediately taken the federal investigation seriously.

Bode, head of the child exploitation unit in the Eastern District, said that when agents of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently approached school authorities about contents of the Web site, they were told investigators "didn't understand the defendant's sense of humor ... and called customs officers 'ignorant.'"

Reiner's attorney questioned whether the government was in a position to criticize the actions of school officials -- "a school that certainly has a number of experts on its staff." Uh yeah.

Nov 18- A federal judge overturned a magistrate's recommendation that would have released Reiner to his family.

Mar 21, 2006 - Reiner pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he possessed child pornography. Reiner's home was searched after he aroused suspicion while crossing into Canada with a collection of photos showing boys as young as 4 posing in their underwear and bathing suits, prosecutors said. At his home at the time of his arrest, they found he possessed at least 70 still images and 42 video clips on his computer depicting children engaged in sexually explicit activities, they said.

Sentencing is Aug 10.

Shreveport, LOUISIANA

Mar 20 - Jimmy Yates, 36, a vocational instructor at Rutherford House, was arrested on charges of indecent behavior with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl.

The sexually explicit conversation turned out to be with a member of the task force looking for internet predators.

Rutherford House helps troubled youth who are going through the juvenile court system.
He was suspended without pay.

May 4 - Yates has been booked on a charge of possession of child pornography. Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies said the local cyber crimes unit found sexual images of children on computer hard drives seized from Yates' residence as part of the earlier investigation.

Yates is scheduled for arraignment on the original charges next week.

CONVICTED April 2, 2008 - Yates was convicted for sending lewd messages to a teen girl online. [No information on the pornography charges.]

Fresno, CALIFORNIA

Updated to include sentencing on the weapon possession charges.

Feb 21, 2007 - Donna Hubbard, 46, a health teacher at Duncan Polytechnic School, pleaded no contest to battery and possessing an assault weapon.

She and her husband were arrested last year after authorities said they found several rifles, Ku Klux Klan clothing and photographs of cross burnings at their home following an event called "Aryan Unity Fest '06" held over Memorial Day weekend.

She was arrested on weapons charges at school, and was later accused of attacking a Jewish woman in an Oakhurst parking lot in 2005. The "hate crime" charge and enhancements that alleged she was associated with a criminal gang - the KKK - were dropped in the plea agreement. She said she made the plea deal to avoid losing her teaching credential.

Her husband remained in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail because he allegedly violated his probation. Sentencing will be March 20. She has been on paid administrative leave since her arrest.
Full Name: Donna Jean Hubbard

Mar 20 - Hubbard was sentenced to three years of formal probation and 400 hours of community service on the gun charges.

We nearly forgot that the judge previously suspended the battery sentencing for a year on the condition that the defendant undergo anger management counseling.

Comstock, NEW YORK

Updated to show sentencing. Check out the URL. About explains it all.

Jan 9, 2007 - Cassandra Jones, 42, third grade teacher [school unknown at present], was arrested while trying to smuggle drugs and and a scalpel hidden in a tampon at Great Meadow state prison. She was visiting her 30-year-old husband who is serving time for a New York City murder.
Full name: Cassandra D. Jones

Mar 20 - Jones pleaded guilty in January to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony. She will be formally sentenced later this month. It's expected to be three years with two years probation. The tampon contained a scapel, .5 grams of heroin and some prescription pills

"She'd been doing this for a while and we believe she'd been doing it at other prisons," Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright said.

TT - It'll be a while till the couple is reunited. He's serving 25 years to life for convictions in 2000 for second-degree murder, and weapons and drug charges. Kortright said Jones will be able to use her training as a teacher in the prison system."She can teach in the prison system now," Kortright said.

TT - What a happy thought. You cannot make this stuff up.

Houston, TEXAS

Some schools just might require the intervention of the National Guard. They seem to be stuck on stupid.

Mar 20, 2007 - Deanna Woollen, 45, [scarey picture unavailable] a Sharpstown Middle School teacher, was arrested in Colorado while on a trip with 30 students from the Houston Independent School District. The students ranged in age from 11 to 15. She called the police to settle a student dispute.

From the Incident Narrative posted at MyFoxHouston: The police discovered they had two statewide traffic warrants out for Woollen and two other warrants wich were good in Denver. Her driving privileges were cancelled or denied in both Texas and Colorado. In talking to the officer, Woollen suggested that might be because she had back surgery a few years ago and developed an addiction to oxycodine.

She expressed concern with the officer about leaving the students with the two remaining adults, as one was her elderly mother and the other had problems with alcohol.

For this trip, the parents paid $450. The parents and students had a lot to say to the FoxNews reporter. Woollen is on paid administrative leave.
Full Name: Deanna Kay Woollen

TT - Greatschools Overall Rating for this school is 3. The school was rated "Academically Unacceptable" by the Texas Education Agency. We won't go into the how the parents score safety and discipline.

Someday, those students can look forward to the Sharpstown Hiigh School that Greatschools gives an Overall Rating of 2. That school , too, is rated "Academically Unacceptable."

REFORMING the SYSTEM

Mar 21 - The Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune final in their series, "Broken Trust"

In Teacher repeats behavior; new school unaware of past
A teacher talks with the Herald-Tribune. A case study in how the system failed abjectly.

Melissa Green pleaded no contest to lewd and lascivious behavior with a student, 15, at Tate High School in Escambia County. She came there from Satsuma High School in Alabama, where she had an affair with a student, 16. That school let her resign with no investigation.

Two teachers to whom she confessed gave her references for another school district - where she had a sexual relationship with another student. As a mother, she says she regularly checks it to see if there are any offenders in her neighborhood. But within two miles of her house, she's the only one.

Key Players
Names and salaries for those whose job it is to "track teacher misconduct."

How area districts handle complaints
Background checks. Who investigates? Code of Conduct. Reporting Rules. Educator training.
[Compare the Reporting Rules from the three counties.]

FIXING FLORIDA'S FAILED SYSTEM
What the Herald-Tribune found. Among the findings,

The system relies on educators to police themselves instead of using trained investigators to gather evidence. As a result, problem teachers can stay in school for years until someone is able to collect enough proof to fire them and take their teaching license.

Well-thought out recommendations.

[TT - Our two cents: Better than NASDTEC, the U.S. Department of Education should maintain a database of disciplined teachers. For the best reasons: 1) Women marry and can change names. 2) A Social Security number is a constant. 4) Teachers travel from state-to-state to work. 5) The U.S. Dept. of Education can act as impartially as NASDTEC. 6) Their system would be transparent. 7) Their findings would be public information and their records would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. 8) NO MORE EXCUSES THAT IT'S A PERSONNEL ISSUE.

It will never happen. The various states, county school systems, local school systems, school administrators, unions or teachers would work against a real database that would mean a system that would track their non-performance as well.]

Bruni, TEXAS

ACQUITTED BY JURY

Mar 21 - Robert Muñoz, a Bruni High School Coach, took the stand in his own defense. He is accused of indency with a child.

The trial is in it's 12th day. When asked if there were inconsistencies between the statements he had given to school officials and police, and his testimony in court. Muñoz replied he may have made mistakes in the statement to school officials.

Muñoz also testified that he looked at parts of the alleged victim’s statement to school officials before he made his own statement. But he said he only saw parts of the statement and was not aware of everything she said.

Mar 22 - The jury acquitted Munoz of all charges. (Bottom right) Story continues.

KANSAS

Mar 21 - 49 ABC news: "An area teacher charged with sexual misconduct with a student has local teachers speaking out"

8th grade teacher Lucinda Evans has taught in the USD 501 School District for 16 years and during that time, Evans says she's never experienced a situation where a teacher was accused of being sexually involved with a student.

But, now that it's happened just 20 miles away, she's horrified. In Lawrence, a 24-year-old female teacher was arrested for inappropriate sexual conduct with a 15 year old. The incidents happened three times last August and once last week.

"I don't know that she's guilty of anything at all but just to even say it is horrifying to me," Evans said. She says teacher-student sexual relationships not only damage the integrity of teachers, but violates parent trust.

Video at site.

TT - The Lawrence Journal World has the story but maintains that it does not name people charged with sex crimes unless there is a conviction. And it's true. In another story in the paper, an unnamed Kansas University student was arrested for attempted rape. But doesn't it make you wonder if there are other victims unaware of an arrest who might come forward with other information? In any case, her name is Meredith Kane.

Hempstead, NEW YORK

Mar 21 - Dubner Saintilus, 37, Hempstead High School math teacher, was arrested for allegedly fondling a student.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesay. He was a volunteer police office. He was suspended from the Suffolk Auxiliary Police, Nassau police said.

Mar 22 - Saintilus pleaded not guilty

Harrodsburg, KENTUCKY

Some days when we update stories, we shake our heads in disbelief.

West Melbourne, FLORIDA

We are following this story for, well, the entertainment value.

FINDING A SOLUTION

Mar 20 - The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is continuing their series, called "Broken Trust" that is the result of a two-year investigation into 14,000 cases going back to 1997.

"Who are the Investigators?"
Every state has an agency that is charged with investigating complaints against teachers. In your own mind, do you expect them to be a cake decorator or a former secretary? And do you expect them to be trained?

"What are you doing, Julia?"
A student who was seduced by her teacher tells her story.

Day 3 thumbnail Cases
Settlement Agreements. We don't ask; you don't tell. Quiet suspensions.

Ineffective Investigations
An untrained assistant principal pulls on rubber gloves to examine a 5-year-old girl and then sent the girl home to where the abuse occurred. It's worse when they investigate themselves.

MURDER

While sexual misconduct is the most common reason for dismissal and drugs are No. 2, murder is probably the best guarantee of losing any credential appeal.


BAKERSFIELD, California
We are not following the trial of vice-principal Vincent Brothers with the same dedication as the local media. But we keep updated on the delays.

Accused of killing his wife, their three children and his mother-in-law, the theatrics and grandstanding in the courtroom would have made Johnny Cochrane proud. Certainly the 150 motions made by the attorneys would have pleased the heck out of him.

The murders happened on July 8, 2003. Brothers was arrested in April 2004. Local coverage has been extensive. There was a sidebar on how really hard it was to photograph him. And then there's a "who's who in the Vincent Brothers murder trial." And drawings of the layout of the house.
------------------------------------------------
LAS VEGAS, Nevada
It's hard to tell when John Watson will go to trial. They are predicting January. He was arrested for the death of his wife. The body was never found, but prosecutors think they can convince a jury.

The retired Ontario, California math teacher has a colorful history, only just recently uncovered, but it really casts doubt on the usefulness of those background checks. Now that he's got spare time, he is writing to the newspaper.

Did we mention that he confessed to raping and killing a hitchhiker in 1967 and had threatened Richard Nixon?
------------------------------------------------
LANSING, Michigan
One of the saddest cases is Anthony Dixon, an assistant principal at a middle school. He shot and killed his ex-wife's boyfriend, the boyfriend's brother and another man. Then he took his own life. He was 34 years old. Eight children lost their fathers.
------------------------------------------------
AUGUSTA, Georgia
Tracey Harley will spend the rest of her life in jail afer pleading guilty to the murder of her husband last April. She was sentenced Mar 16. She was a third-grade teacher. We could find little information about the trial. She apparently had help in the murder.
------------------------------------------------
KILGORE, Texas
Eight months after her conviction for killing her husband, Sharon Daniels was sentenced to 10 years. The jury convicted her but they deadlocked on the sentence. We aren't sure who sentenced her.
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JACKSON, Mississipi
Elicia Hughes was convicted of the murder of her husband who was insured for $250,000 and was philandering which led her lawyer to speculate that someone- not his client - had reason to shoot him. Six times. A month later, a circuit judge ordered a retrial. The jury was not "race neutral."
She has her own cheering section. We get e-mails from her supporters: You, Go, Girl!
No date for the retrial yet that we know of.
------------------------------------------------
LEXINGTON, Kentucky
Arraigned on murder charges, Courtney Bishop, is accused in the death of her 1-month old son. Bishop is 24-years-old. She looks like the neighbor girl down the street.
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The point of this is, that these teachers, obviously, are not representative of teachers as a whole. Murder isn't something we encounter often with a teacher as the perpetrator. But this is how a site would be if we really wanted to go for sensationalism instead of just dealing with facts.

The public has a right to know and newspapers are not as eager to follow up as they are to cut and paste a press release from the police department or the arrest report from the County Sheriff. Rather than the lurid story, we try to follow up and with the help of some very nice readers who send us links, we inform those who want to know the disposition of a case.

It manages to anger some posters who start out with the, "He didn't do it; but if he did, she deserved it. She was a slut who ...." Those posters usually end up being as hurt and as confused as the student. So if you think we enjoy this, you would be dead wrong. No one does.

For all the Miss Plunkett's in the world - teaching can still be an honored and noble and decent profession where children are safe from predators and horn dog teachers, drug addicts and drug sellers. No one wants that more than decent teachers.
We just have to weed out the bad ones. Information is the best tool.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Mar 18 - The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is continuing their series called "Broken Trust" that is the result of a two-year investigation. Their interactive online presentation shows what a newspaper can do in the Information Age to connect with readers and convey a vast amount of information.

In addition to the interactive presentation, you can choose the text-only version of the stories.

Today's stories include "'Pass the trash': Problems move with quiet deals."

When principals and district administrators want to get rid of a teacher accused of abuse but don't want to risk a messy legal fight, they have another option.

They can offer a choice -- quit or get fired.

Sometimes they go a step further. They agree to cover up their investigation, and they don't report the allegations to a higher authority, increasing the chances a questionable teacher will be hired by another school district.

Educators know it as "pass the trash," and many speak of it as little more than an old scar on a much-improved education system.

TT - the term "teacher trash" was coined by Education Week in a three-part series called "A Trust Betrayal " written in -- are you ready? In 1998. They were alarmed even then at the scale of the problem. The series is still available at Education Week - search archives - date: anytime. You can take out a one-month subscription to access all their articles.

Logan, UTAH

Mar 17 - Tilak Dhiman, 49, a professor at Utah State University, was arrested on federal charges for enticement of a minor. The fourteen-year-old girl he was talking to and arranged to meet was an undercover officer.

According to the federal paperwork he used the screen names "Lucky Sharma" and "(FunnyO2)" and he may have had contact with other young people.

Lafayette, LOUSIANA

Mar 18 - Jessica Theall, a Comeaux High School Spanish teacher, was suspended with pay on Feb 6 and the district is recommending that she be fired. The school board will decide on Wednesday.

She is accused of "inappropriate behavior" but "it's a personnel matter and the school can't comment." A mother of a 15-year-old said she became concerned when he reported that other male students in the class had received handwritten notes, e-mails and text messages from the teacher.

Bernard said the school board office became aware of the allegations Feb. 6.
"We gathered statements from students and parents and then met with her and her attorney and suspended her with pay until we could bring it to the board," Bernard said.

Update Mar 24 - Interested Participant reported that she was fired.

Reportedly, the police investigating her case ran into significant lack of cooperation so they closed the file. Theall, therefore, retains her teaching certification despite the fact that she was fired.

TT- see how responsive a school can be when the teacher isn't tenured?

Venice, FLORIDA

The real question is - if he hadn't resigned, would they have fired him?

Mar 18 - Eugene Sklar, 68, a teacher at Manatee Community College, resigned in February after one colleague and two students accused him of sexual harassment. Turns out it wasn't the first time.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune found out that the college never ran a background check on him. If they had they would have found what the Herald-Tribune did:

Michigan state records show that Sklar not only received a jail sentence for criminal sexual misconduct but later lost his dentistry license after 11 female patients reported acts of sexual misconduct spanning 12 years, a Herald-Tribune analysis found.

The 1978 sentence came after seven female patients reported separate incidents that occurred while he was alone with each of them in his office between 1975 and 1977. Accusations ranged from Sklar's rubbing their breasts to his placing their hands on his crotch while he masturbated. Most occurred, the women said, while they were under partial sedation from oral surgery.

In 1978, Sklar pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal sexual conduct, receiving a sentence of 90 days in jail, two years of probation and a $1,000 fine, records show.
In 1990 there were more complaints against him in Michigan.

Appleton, WISCONSIN

Mar 18 - A convicted teacher, Stephen Sherman, 30, wants a sentence reduction. Sherman pleaded no contest to assaulting two teen girls, then 14 and 16, both of whom were students in the Wrightstown School District where Sherman worked.

He was sentenced in June 2006 to 15 years in prison and 15 years of extended supervision on five felony and one misdemeanor sexual abuse charges.
He will appear Mar 27 in court with his post-conviction motion.

Mar 27 - Sherman failed to convince the judge that he should be resentenced. Dyer said the use of sentencing guidelines was not necessary and noted the circumstances of repeated sexual assault on the same victims.

Sherman is an inmate at the Redgranite Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison. He can appeal his sentence to the State Appeals Court.

May 7 - Wrightstown Post-Gazette:

Sherman was arrested by the Brown County Sheriff’s Department for repeated sexual assault of a student that began when she was in middle school.

The first victim was a freshman at Wrightstown High School at the time. She withdrew from school after Sherman’s arrest and has not attended school since.

Investigators said Sherman recruited the girl for sex after befriending her family.

Kaukauna police joined the investigation and found a videotape of Sherman engaged in sexual activity with the girl. The tape was found in a Dumpster at the Bicentennial Court apartments where Sherman lived in Kaukauna.

Circuit court records of the case are to be delivered to the appeals court by May 29.

APPEALS DENIED April 3, 2008 - The state's 3rd District Court of Appeals has turned down all appeals filed by former Wrightstown Middle School teacher Stephen Sherman.

FLORIDA

Mar 18 - The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, (Sarasota, Florida), is running a four-part series on their two-year investigation of how school districts and the state Department of Education handle teachers who sexually harass and abuse or physically attack students.

To find out, the Herald-Tribune reviewed the results of more 14,000 teacher investigations going back as far as 1997. [Bolding ours.]

The actual number of questionable teachers in Florida schools is likely much larger because more than 70 percent of cases reported to the state are dismissed after a review by investigators who have little or no formal training.

Of the cases that don't get dropped, state officials close nine in 10 with settlement deals that allow teachers to avoid admitting guilt. Those agreements keep cases moving through the system, and also result in lighter penalties.

A few of the deals include a teacher who had sex with two boys, still teaching. Another female teacher sent love letters to one of her students. Still teaching. A male teacher was accused of raping a 15-year-old handicapped girl. He got a pre-trial intervention program. He's still teaching.

The system is so flawed that just deciphering what constitutes teacher misconduct is difficult.

[TT - More on the series on www.tt-resources.blogspot.com We will follow it through the week. Link ]

Stockton, CALIFORNIA

Mar 17 - Darren Yee, 40, who taught in Stockton Unified schools from 1999 until 2005, when he stopped working for health-related reasons, was arrested and arraigned on charges of making criminal threats and threats against a school official.

Yee, who once taught second grade at the school, allegedly told an investigator from the State Teachers’ Retirement System that he would go to the Fillmore Elementary School campus and shoot. The school was put into lockdown for much of the day on March 9. Yee was arrested later that afternoon.

His next court date is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on April 4.
Mar 10 story. [Tammie is probably a flamer.]

Salisbury, MARYLAND

Updated to include sentencing. And... well, you judge.

Dec 6, 2006 - Robert Allen Borello was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree sex offense, one count of fourth-degree sex offense and one count of perverted sex practice.
The Wicomico High School special education teacher and coach is accused of having sexual relations with a 16-year-old female student.
Update Mar 17 - Borello was sentenced to 18 months for having sex with a 16-year-old player. The judge sentenced him on three charges of fourth-degree sex offense.

The defendant filled an emptiness in her life," [Wicomico County Assistant State's Attorney Jamie ] Ms. Dykes told The (Salisbury) Daily Times.

Borello will not have to register as a sex offender, according to the judge's sentence.

TT - hmmm. Story beneath may illustrate why Borello received 18 months.

A Rising Sun man who shook his infant son to death last May has been sentenced to two years on work release.

Bryan Sebold, 20, was found guilty in December of child abuse resulting in death, after the death of 5-month-old Kristian Sebold on May 29.

"Nobody is more hurt about this than I am," Sebold said, standing beside his lawyer, C. Thomas Brown.

The judge in the case said Sebold wasn't a bad man or a bad father; the judge said he just allowed his frustration over the child's behavior to overcome his judgment.

Sebold is a welder and the court has ordered him to serve as a work-release inmate and to serve five years of probation.

WBAL tv: Borello pleaded guilty and that Borello was named Bayside South Conference volleyball coach of the year, but since he was charged he has resigned from his job as coach and speech therapist at the Wicomico County Board of Education.

WMDT tv - Quotes Dr. Kathy Seifert, a psychologist: "This is not about sex. It has to do with maturity and boundaries, ethics, morals, and power. She says it's normal for a teacher to feel flattered by a students attention, but she says an adult needs to draw the line.
"I think along with a background check, a psychological test. Something more than everyone who has a teaching license can teach."
[ she has her own website]

Salem, NEW JERSEY

Mar 17 - Kevin Beebe, 44, a teacher for the Salem County Special Services District*, was arrested and charged with harassment, two counts of criminal sexual contact, four counts of official misconduct and two counts of lewdness. The victim is an 18-year-old student.

* The prosecutor's office said that Beebe worked for the district for six or seven years, but Superintendent Dr. Robert Andrews refused to confirm that. He also declined to comment on what Beebe's job was with the district, citing it as a personnel matter.
Full Name: Kevin M. Beebe

UPDATE May 5 - Beebe was indicted for official misconduct and sexual misconduct, according to court records. Beebe allegedly did so by using physical force or coercion for the purpose of sexually gratifying himself or to humiliate or degrade the victim, according to court records.

Beebe was suspended with pay after the incident.

UPDATE May 7 - Weird details emerge. The incidents allegedly began in December when Beebe pulled his pants down and exposed himself to the victim at the Campbell Center in Salem City. She also alleged there was an incident in January that occurred when Beebe used force to kiss her, according to the court papers.

Beebe allegedly exposed himself to the girl again March 9, which is the day she reported it.

There were also multiple incidents that week when Beebe allegedly showed up at Applebee's Restaurant, where the victim works, and parked his car outside in an area where he could watch her.

Beebe worked for the district for six or seven years, but Superintendent Dr. Robert Andrews refused to confirm that.

Andrews also declined to comment on what Beebe's job was with the district, citing it as a personnel matter.

TT - Has the newspaper even asked again about his job or are they just reworking the same first story over and over?

Augusta, GEORGIA

Mar 16 - Entire story: A former third grade teacher will spend the rest of her life in prison. Tracey Harley and Rico Walker were accused of killing Harley's husband, Steven last April.

Friday, Harley pleaded guilty to murder in the case. She was sentenced to life in prison. Rico Walker is still scheduled to stand trial for the murder,

From Google cache story from The Millen News: Mr. Harley was found slain inside the couple's Hiltonia Road residence April 26, 2006. Mrs. Harley was arrested May 16, 2006 for her husband's murder, five days after the arrest of Walker at his Hartwell residence. Both entered pleas of "not guilty" to all charges against them June 29, 2006.

[We are guessing Augusta, Georgia. No school is given and few papers picked up the story.]

Mar 21 - Link to Mar 7 story at the Millen News provided by poster.

From 5/17/07 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this account of her arrest.

The wife of a popular coach who was beaten to death in the couple’s home last month has been charged with murder in his death.

Tracey Harley, 29, was arrested Tuesday in the death of Steven Harley, authorities said.
Her arrest comes just days after Rico Orlando Walker was also charged with murder in the April 25 killing.

Jenkins County Sheriff Timothy Fields said he could not discuss what led authorities to Walker, but said Walker had a relationship with Tracey Harley.

Steven Harley was a popular youth baseball and football coach with the Burke County Recreation Department, south of Augusta.

On the night of the killing, Tracey Harley called 911 and described her husband’s beating death as a home invasion, police said. Although she said she was inside the mobile home with her two children during the attack, she told authorities she slept through it all.

Tracey Harley is a third-grade teacher at Blakeney Elementary School in Waynesboro, Fields said.

Helena-West Helena, ARKANSAS

A lounge singer? Was that before or after her gig as a school Superintendent?

Mar 16 - Shirley "T.J." Graham, Superintendent of the Helena-West Helena School District, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to 20 separate charges that were handed down by a special grand jury.

The charges against Graham include nine Class B felony counts of theft, nine Class B misdemeanor counts of abuse of office, a Class C felony theft charge and a Class C misdemeanor charge of violation of the Arkansas School Bid Law.

Background: The state took over the the school district in 2005 and almost immediately began criminal investigations. Graham was was the eighth person indicted in last year's Phillips County grand jury investigation into public corruption.

From a Feb 10 news story on KAIT:

Graham, an educational consultant and lounge singer, was interim superintendent at Helena-West Helena from June 14, 2005, through September 8, 2005.

She lost her job when the Arkansas Department of Education took control of the district because of money problems. After the indictment, a warrant was issued for her arrest, but Memphis authorities weren't able to find her until January 31.

No date was given for further court appearances.

Edinburg, TEXAS

Dec 7, 2006 - A teacher and a coach and boy scout leader, Genaro Vela, 58, was sentenced to 14 years for possession of child pornography. He faces further charges of molestation of former boy scouts. Federal agents say he had a paid subscription to a child porn website.

UPDATE: (Dec 18, 2006) His trial on charges of indecency with a child, sexual assault of a child, and attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child has been postponed until January 17th.

Update Mar 16, 2007 - Vela pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one of his former scouts and inappropriately touching several others.

Under the plea deal, Vela will be released from prison after serving his 14-year child pornography sentence.

The pornography case stems from a search of Vela's home this summer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Mission police. Authorities found a hidden staircase that led to a room where they recovered disks containing thousands of images of child pornography.

[TT - the logical explanation for the agreement of no additional prison time is that the child pornography charges are Federal and there is no time off for good behavior. Vela will be imprisoned for 14 years. The boys who were molested will at least have the satisfaction of having the confession now.]

Mar 19 - WBGT4 following up on the guilty plea and sentencing and community reaction.

Woolwich, MAINE

No reason given for the delay in reporting the story but it was dated Mar 23.

Mar 23 - Douglas Evans, 44, teacher at Chop Point School, pleaded guilty to on Feb 23 to to the charge of unlawful sexual contact. The charge results from incidents involving two juvenile females. He was sentenced to 3 months in jail, two years' probation and he will have to register as a convicted sex offender. The Maine State Sex Offender Registry will determine whether if he will be listed for 10 years or for life.

Evans resigned immediately after allegations about a crime surfaced last year. He was charged with unlawful sexual contact on April 27, 2006.
Full Name: Douglas Glenn Evans

Professionals

RANT OF THE DAY

Mar 15 - Just once it would be nice if a school called in someone other than the parasitic counselors who race in to assuage student concerns when something happens. You know, maybe someone with morals who can put the ugliness into a context where the child isn't a victim, but a target. Where the abuser is an evil sod who isn't sick, but evil.

By next week, another professional - a lawyer - will be calculating how to make it look like the 6-year-olds seduced the teacher. Or the 16-year-old was a l m o s t of age. Or the 14-year-old boy was a vcitim of his hormones.

Claymont, DELAWARE

Holt was sentenced to 10 years -- the minimum allowed by law. There's also six months of home confinement after release. Then there was a horrifying two years of probation. Oh yeah, and registration as a sex offender. (See Jan 24 - minimum mandatory was applicable.)

Jan 22, 2007 - Rachel Holt, 35, a Claymont Elementary School teacher, accused of having sex with one of her pupils nearly 30 times last year pleaded guilty today to a single count of second-degree rape.

Holt was arrested in April after the father of a 13-year-old boy reported overhearing telephone calls between Holt and his son. Sentencing is set for March 16.

Full name: Rachael L. Holt

Jan 24 - The Journal Register reports: Following her appearance in court Monday, Holt was returned to the custody of the state Department of Corrections, as is the procedure when a defendant pleads guilty and a minimum mandatory sentence is applicable.

Just how despicable she was:

According to documents, Holt knew the boy’s father would disapprove of his son spending the night at her residence. She told authorities she telephoned the father’s girlfriend and facilitated the sleepover by pretending to be the mother of another youth.

Records also state that Holt told investigators that on one occasion, another student watched as she and the teen victim had sex.

Mar 16 - Holt was sentenced to 10 years, followed by 60 days of home confinement and two years of probation. She will also have to register as a sex offender.

Newport, RHODE ISLAND

Mar 16, 2007 - John Miller, 29, pleaded innocent to a third-degree sexual assault charge involving a 15-year-old girl.

Miller taught English classes, as well as an Advanced Placement English class at Rogers High School. He was placed on administrative leave last May when the school learned police were investigating him.

The investigation began when a police detective heard reports last spring about an allegedly inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student. Within weeks a local woman showed up at the police station with her 15-year-old daughter to file a complaint.

The charge of third-degree sexual assault is otherwise known as statutory rape. The charge refers to a person 18 or older engaging in sexual penetration with a person between the ages of 14 and 16,

Police obtained online chats between the teacher and the girl.
Full Name: John W. Miller

ILLINOIS

Mar 15, 2007 - Entitled, "Bad Teachers" starts out bad. He means to say "three" central Illinois teachers have been arrested in the last six weeks on charges of sexual misconduct. But then it goes downhill.

These recent arrests are starting to paint all teachers with the same brush. Administrators insist they're trying to hire the person with both the best credentials -- and character.

He quotes a teacher who is alarmed by "these few but high profile criminal cases because 'It gives our profession, as a whole, a black eye like that happens a lot 'cause it doesn't happen. I've never personally been around it or witnessed any of that.'"
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It isn't exactly few and most are, sadly, so low profile they barely register a blip on public consciousness. Just counting Illinois teachers sentenced since the end of October found on this blog, there were 12 Illinois teachers sentenced.

Jarod Shumaker - sentenced 4 months, 30 days in jail and registration as a sex offender.
Robert Mueller - sentenced 32 years.
Sarah Dickerson - sentenced to 180 days in jail and registration as a sex offender.
James R. Lobitz - sentenced to five years and registration as a sex offender for life
Ronald Suitts - sentenced to 24 months, probation and sex offender counseling.
Mark Roller - sentenced to 30 months’ sex-offender probation, registered sex offender.
Robert Kerrigan - sentenced two years probation.
Edward Bell - sentenced to nine years.
Jason Krigas - sentenced to three years and faces additional charges.
Thomas J. Gallagher - 180 days in jail and 4 yr probation.
Kourney Mullen - sentenced to 2 years probation and a psychological evaluation.
Robert Sperlik - sentenced to 20 years.

In addition there were 17 arrested on charges varying from battery to attempted murder.

We do not usually link to stories of arrests charging teachers with battery against a student as so many of those accusations seem to be overblown.

Weymouth, MASSACHUSETTS

Dec 20, 2006 - A 56-year old described as "a popular Weymouth High School physical education teacher and coach," was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and possession of an open container when he was arrested in November.

It was his fifth arrest for drunk driving over the past 25 years.

[His] employment as a teacher is not in jeopardy under the school department’s behavior codes because the alleged actions did not endanger any students or co-workers and the incident reportedly occurred outside the scope of his professional duties.

The December school play, ironically, was "Anything Goes!".

Mar 15, 2007 - He pleaded guilty to third-offense drunken driving, reduced from a fifth-offense charge. Judge Patrick Hurley sentenced the teacher to a year in jail, with six months suspended, 150 days to be served and two years of probation.

He will begin serving the sentence April 2. School Superintendent Joseph Rull said he placed the teacher on administrative leave with pay today pending further review of his situation. He did not know when the review would be completed.

TT - This teacher has been a health teacher since 1982 despite arrests in 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1996. N-4

Austin, TEXAS

Answering the question of, "Whatever happened to Miss Hardwick?"

Mar 15, 2007 - Niquella Hardwick, 27, a third-grade teacher at at Simms Elementary School, was sentenced to two years for harassing former and potential boyfriends.

U.S. District Judge Sean Cox, who imposed the sentence called it one of the worst cases of stalking he had ever encountered.

Court records said Hardwick made hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls to former dates, their girlfriends, fiancées and other family members in 2005-06.

She canceled their credit cards, cell phone and cable service, airline reservations and, in one case, a wedding ceremony and reception. She also broke into their online checking accounts to make large, unscheduled payments on their bills, according to court records. She pleaded guilty in November.

Hardwick was a subject of a frantic search by her Texas colleagues when she was reported missing in April 2006 only to turn up in federal custody. She was in jail on a warrant from the FBI on a charge of federal telephone harassment.

McKenzie Bridge, OREGON

Updated to include guilty plea and sentencing.

Dec 1, 2006 - Brandye Noelle Sauvajon, 37, English teacher at McKenzie High School, was arrested by on charges of delivering marijuana, applying a controlled substance to a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor.

It is alleged that "she crashed a student birthday party and gave marijuana to the teens, at least one of whom, according to parents, took incriminating photographs of the activities with a cellular phone."

Update Dec 7 - She has been formally charged. "McKenzie School District would not discuss the case, but said Sauvajon is not currently working in any district schools." Which doesn't mean they fired her either. Or even suspended her.

Mar 15 - Sauvajon pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a minor and furnishing alcohol to minors, both misdemeanor crimes. She was sentenced to to probation and community service. She must also forfeit her license to teach in Oregon. She was "incredibily remorseful."

Newberry, SOUTH CAROLINA

Mar 14, 2007 - John Clark, an assistant principal at Newberry High School, and his wife, Mary Clark, a teacher at the the same school, were arrested charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The charges are in connection with a party where it is alleged that the couple sold beer to underage kids.

They are due in court in May.

Mar 16 - The Clark's were hosting a keg party for their son's graduation. Police initiated an investigation after several students went home drunk that night.

Sheriff Lee Foster of the Newberry County Sherriff's Office says their offense is especially inexcusable because of their jobs.

Saddest note of all, WCSH wryly remarks, "For some, two more allegations against educators in South Carolina schools isn't exactly a surprise."

[TT - click South Carolina label at the side. Three of the 12 who were either arrested or charged, indicted or sentenced are principals.]

Dalton, GEORGIA

Updated to include guilty plea and sentencing. Five years in prison, she must serve a minimum of three and will be on parole 15 years.

Dec 17, 2006 - Frances Cook, 42, a math teacher at the Whitfield County Career Academy, "a charter school", was arrested and charged with aggravated child molestation, sexual battery and enticing a child for indecent purposes, for her relationship with 15-year-old male student.

The two were found sitting in a car at New Hope Elementary school shortly after midnight December 9th. Judge Jack Partain agreed to allow Cook supervised visits with her children after an agreement was reached between the District Attorney’s office and Cook's attorneys. She is out on bond.
Full Name: Frances Bonner Cook

Mar 14, 2007 - Cook pleaded guilty. A judge sentenced her to five years in prison and 15 years probation. Under Georgia law she must serve at least a little more than 3 years in prison. (By law, 65% of her sentence.) She also must pay a 5-thousand dollar fine.

Cook told the judge she was abandoned and sexually abused as a child which supposedly distorted her view of sex.

She voluntarily surrendered her teaching license. Sheriff's deputies took Cook to jail immediately after her hearing.

Mentor, OHIO

Jan 4, 2007 - Michael Dodge, 23, a Lake Catholic High School social studies and gym teacher and assistant basketball coach, was indicted on charges of importuning. He is accused of soliciting sex on the internet from what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.

The school suspended Dodge and Police arrested Dodge as soon as they discovered that he worked with children.
Full name: Michael J. Dodge

Jan 5, 2007 - Dodge pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended and the school is in the process of terminating his one-year contract. Link A pre-trial is scheduled for Jan 19.

GUILTY PLEA Mar 13 - Dodge pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced on April 17. His sexual predator status will also be determined at that time.

SENTENCED Apr 17 - Dodge was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 75 days house arrest and five years of probation. He must register as a sex offender.

Nov 28 - Found at the Ohio Teacher Conduct Disciplinary Action database:
Basis for Discipline: Conviction for 2 felony counts of importuning
Discipline Action: Permanent Revocation
Date of Action: July, 2007

Spartanburg, SOUTH CAROLINA

Mar 13, 2007 - Stacey Watson, 34, was indicted on on one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He was arrested on Feb 22 and released on the same day.

According to an indictment, Watson is alleged to have molested the girl, who is age 14 or 15, on July 17. Watson was employed with the Spartanburg County School District 6 for about eight years until resigning at the end of the school year last year.

Watson was an intervention specialist at the Spartanburg County Alternative School. An intervention specialist makes decisions on whether students displaying behavior problems should be sent to a counselor or principal.
Full Name: Stacey Terrell Watson

From article: Watson is the fourth current or former District 6 employee to face prosecution on sex-related charges since February. The other defendants are a school custodian, a band teacher and a bus driver.

Central Islip, NEW YORK

We're thinking about an oddball - crackpot - shameless category for some of our recent entries.

Mar 13, 2007 - Long Island teacher Lauren Berrios, 37, claimed she was fired in 2001 for being a witch. The media frenzy surrounding this story collapsed when the jury rejected her claim. And her $2 million lawsuit.

The school district lawyer who defended them in the lawsuit said she was a bizarre "storyteller" who fabricated tales that her husband was involved in a plane crash, and that her 2-year-old son lost his fingers in a VCR accident.

Berrios now works as a teacher in Georgia.

Suwanee, GEORGIA

Mar 13, 2007 - Michael Pegram, 31, a substitute teacher in Cobb County, was charged with five counts of sexual battery after incidents at Riverside Elementary School.

Pelgram also taught at the District's after-school program at Bryant and Austell elementary schools. Pegram was fired on Feb. 26 after an internal investigation.

He had been a substitute within the Cobb County system since April 2006. He's currently in jail with a $100,000 bond set for his release.

(Photo courtesey of Cobb County Police Department.)

Mar 17 - Parents at four schools where Pegram taught were alerted to the arrest of a substitute teacher on charges of inappropriately touching five students. The schools parents in a letter to call police if their children experienced any unwanted attention from Pegram, said Jay Dillon, spokesman for the Cobb County schools.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call Cobb County police at 770-801-3470.

St. Ignace, MICHIGAN

Mar 13, 2007 - School trustees have elminated the position of reading teacher. The superintendent explained that "the federally funded program has changed criteria for determining local poverty levels, effectively cutting the amount of funding St. Ignace receives. " Oh, and....

The fomer reading teacher, Patricia Paquin, formally resigned her position. "Paquin has, for several months, faced felony charges for embezzlement of the school PTO group. In late February, she pleaded guilty to the charge and awaits sentencing in Circuit Court. The school board later accepted her resignation."

From a local newspaper archive search: Patriia Paquin, an Early Fives teacher at St. Ignace Area Schools and three-year treasurer of the St. Ignace Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of PTO funds in 11th Circuit Court Friday, February 23. Sentencing will be Friday, April 20, by Judge Charles Stark.

Englewood, FLORIDA

You can't fire him. The guys at Fark love him.

Mar 13, 2007 - Quoting from googlejuice and photometric at fark, a Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist makes the case for a a part-time music teacher at Lemon Bay High School who's doing the not-quite full monty in a little theatre's production of "The Full Monty."

He worries that the world will see them as backwater hicks because the school has suspended the teacher. The bigger worry, however, seems to be the precedent.

Although Brenner is not a member of the teachers union, and therefore not subject to its protection, this is a potentially bad precedent for his peers.

The teacher contract states, "The private and personal life of an employee is not the appropriate concern of the (School) Board except to the extent it may interfere with his/her responsibilities and effectiveness with students, parents, and/or a school."

The administration has left a big loophole for butting in, but it's one that should not be invoked lightly. If teachers cannot, in their private lives, do anything that would make anyone else feel uncomfortable, then we'd better prepare ourselves for a greater teacher shortage than we've already acknowledged.

[TT - how many journos do you know who can quote from a teacher contract? Did he find a copy of that contract in the newspaper files? Or maybe on the internet?]

[Sarasota Herald-Times is owned by the New York Times.]

Clinton, MICHIGAN

Why disciplining tenured teachers is nasty, longish, and expensive. And nearly impossible.

While the taxpayer foots the bill for the teacher's salary ( 1-2 years ) in a dispute, the substitute's salary (same period of time) and legal fees, the union will get their dues every month, the teacher gets free union lawyers and a paid suspension. And the child is the very last concern.

Mar 7, 2007 - Steve Walters, an English teacher at Clinton High School, was fired for refusing to wear an identification badge. Walters received two written reprimands and one-day and two-day suspensions without pay leading up to the decision to file dismissal charges.

On January 29 the district implemented new security measures, including mandatory wearing of ID badges by staff and visitors to the schools.

Jim Berryman, Walters’ union representative, said the appeal of the charges to the Michigan State teacher Tenure Commission would be heard before an administrative law judge in Lansing. During that time Walters will continue to be suspended with pay.

The union could also file grievances regarding the two unpaid suspensions and over a part of the contract that allows teachers to refuse orders that are “professionally demeaning.” He said the union will not file an unfair labor practice complaint so long as the district continues to discuss the badge policy.

Walters is currently suspended with pay and the firing is on hold as he appeals the action. The appeal will take from two to nine months.

Walters has been on medical leave since January when he left school after refusing to wear the badge.

Update Apr 11 - Rather than appeal his dismissal, Walters resigned.

Jim Berryman, Uniserv director for the Michigan Education Association, said Tuesday that Walters submitted a resignation letter to the school district on March 27 and on April 5 withdrew his appeal of the dismissal charges to the Michigan State teacher Tenure Commission.

----------------------
The same teacher union is representing another teacher who resigned and now wants his investigative file destroyed.

The teacher agreed to resign in January. At the time he resigned, the teacher was, according to the newspaper, suspected of misusing school computers, his personnel file shows. They reported that the file also shows the teacher and the district entered into a separation agreement that said the teacher needed counseling. He was to "continue his participation in counseling and agree to complete any prescribed treatment or therapy," which sparked a Freedom of Information request by the press.

The union claims that as part of the agreement, "In consideration for his resignation, among other benefits, (Zeeland schools) agreed to destroy the investigative file," the MEA lawsuit said. A full hearing will be held Apr 9.
Update Apr 10 - A judge ordered the files destroyed.

Vallejo, CALIFORNIA

Mar 13 - James Wu, 57, a Hogan High School math teacher, "died after witnesses reported seeing him jump off the Golden Gate Bridge at noon Sunday, March 4, according to the Marin County Coroner's Office."

Wu's apparent suicide occurred two days after Vallejo police arrested him on campus on suspicion of engaging in three or more sexual acts with a 15-year-old child.

New York

Feb 26 - The headline reads: "Spitzer administration, teachers' union take on teacher sex cases".

The calls for action echo statements by the state School Boards Association and state Education Commissioner Richard Mills following a state study first reported Feb. 18.

The study found the number of accusations against teachers doubled in five years. In 2005, 134 cases of "moral misconduct" by teachers and other school employees and some seeking teaching certificates were reported. That compares to 70 cases in 2001, according to the report obtained by The Associated Press through the state Freedom of Information Law.

Almost three in four of the "moral conduct" cases involved sex between a teacher and student.

There is this odd note: [Emphasis mine.] "The union's support is important. It has substantial lobbying strength in the Legislature as well as influence with the 225,000 teachers it represents statewide, some of whom have been reluctant to report rumors or evidence about colleagues." [A damning admission.]

By law, the union must defend its members accused of acts that could lead to discipline, according to the article.

Thornton, ILLINOIS

There's something so singularly inappropriate about a 27-year-old man wanting 13-year-olds to read aloud about anal and oral sex, masturbation, and how to have an orgasm. Makes you wonder if he ought to be psychologically tested. And THEN fired.

Trust Us With Your Children. Mar 12, 2007 - The school board will be discussing whether to suspend Scott Groff, 27, the health teacher who asked eighth graders to read aloud questions and answers about oral and anal sex, masturbation, sex positions and a few other questions and answers he took from a British AIDS charity web site. It was, as one parent put it, a "how-to manual."

Parents were angry at the material presented at the Wolcott School that was so offensive the district asked kids to return the material and not show it to younger children.

Blogger Texas Hold 'em calls it Porn 101 with good reason. The questions came directly from a British AIDS charity [read: gay sex advocates.] Here are the questions. [Sample: How do you masturbate? How do you have sex?]

In Massachusetts, they were teaching fisting to children. In Mount Pleasant, Missouri, it's teaching 7th graders about children killing other children and sodomy. TT - entry.

Mar 14 - Groff was fired, as CBS news put it. He was placed on administrative leave for the rest of the year and his contract will not be renewed.

TEXAS

Trust Us With Your Children

Mar 12, 2007 - It's news when the woman having sex with the teen isn't a teacher. KHOU looks at women in the news recently who have sex with teenage boys - several are teachers.

“There is definitely a trend towards the sexualization of children,” said Dr. Richard Pesikoff, the director of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine.

A subtle trend he believes started perhaps 25-years ago about the time many of the women, including this latest case, were children.

“And this woman who is coming out of having been raised in this increasingly sexualized society is now looking at him not as a 14-year-old. The issue is we expose our children now to sexual issues much earlier,” said Pesikoff.

TT - we also allow adults to mature at a much later agel If at all.

NEW YORK

Mar 12, 2007 - The New York State School Boards Association wants swifter discipline for bad teachers.

Based on state Education Department data and a survey of school boards, the association said an average case will cost a district nearly $129,000 and take 520 days to resolve.

That includes $60,0160 paid to the accused teacher, who is suspended during the state disciplinary process; $26,800 for a substitute teacher; and $23,040 for legal costs.

There is also a cost is in morale of the faculty and the tarnished reputation of the vast majority of teachers, the association said. [TT - Not to mention the fact that the ultimate price is paid by children who have had to deal with the incompetent or sexually abusive teacher and the taxpayer has to pay his or her salary until conviction -- paying a teacher and a substitute sometimes for years. We know. We chronicle it every day.]

TT - The New York State School Boards Association has a web site with their report and their five recommendations.
Press release here.

Riverside, CALIFORNIA

Mar 9, 2007 - "Jim" Cook, **62, was charged with sexually assaulting a minor. Authorities issued a $50,000 arrest warrant. He was a teacher at Butterfield Elementary School.

The charges come from an Oct complaint in Riverside from a minor who accused Cook of molesting her, The victim reported the incident shortly after it occurred, and "Riverside police recently discovered an earlier complaint in Moreno Valley last year." The charges and the complaint are unrelated to an April 2006 complaint at Butterfield Elementary in Moreno Valley.

During that incident, several parents accused Cook of fondling and molesting students in his classroom during the school day. Four parents have filed a lawsuit against Cook and the school district alleging negligence. The 2006 criminal complaint is still under review by the district attorney's office. [Still reviewing since April 2006? No links to any prior stories.]
** Full Name: Ursulo "Jim" Vaughn Cook, James Vaughn Cook, Ursulo James Cook, Jim Vaughn Cook
-----------------------------
UPDATE (June 24, 2008) - A Preliminary Hearing was held on April 18, 2008 where the court found sufficient cause to hold the defendant to answer on all charges. He was arraigned on May 8, 2008 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. A Jury Trial is scheduled for 09/15/2008.
Case RIF135372 Defendant 1460843

Pleasant Hope, MISSOURI

Score one for parents.

Mar 10, 2007 - When a 7th grader came home asking his mother what sodomy was, a parent found out that the social studies teacher assigned seventh-graders to read — and then write about — articles that detailed cases where children murdered preschoolers.

One article came from a true crime Web site, the other from the CBS News show "48 Hours," and touched on possible reasons children might become murderers, the impact murders had on families and consequences for the murderers.

Both articles described how young children were battered or strangled to death and included references to sexual assault and sodomy. Their murderers were ages 10 and 13.

Parents were incensed. The teacher was son of the school Superintendent. Nevertheless, the school board voted not to renew his contract and put him on administrative leave until the end of the school year. [They don't say if it is with pay or not.]

As a commenter wrote at the news site, "A person with such immature judgment should not have the "pulpit" of a classroom teacher."

Union City, CALIFORNIA

Updated and bumped to include credentialing hearing for Malcolm who admitted having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. But he wants to move on. In fairness to her, we hope not.

Jan 1, 2007 - More end-of-the-year news retrospective that included two Union City teachers involved with students.

In August - "A James Logan High School teacher, Michael Malcolm, 51, accused of having sex with a minor 16 years ago — including at least once in the shower of the campus's weight room — was placed on administrative leave."

In September, a Cesar Chavez Middle School teacher. "Paul T. Silva appeared shocked when a judge at the Hayward Hall of Justice sentenced him to a year in county jail for having an intimate relationship with a 13-year-old female student."
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Update Mar 12 - Malcolm "acknowledged in sworn testimony before the [California Commission on Teacher Credentialing ] committee in 2005 that he had a sexual relationship with a teen from 1990 to 1992. The Southern California girl was 16 and Malcolm was 34 when the relationship began." They recommended revoking his teaching and administrative credentials.

The commission informed the district of its recommendation in March 2005, but Malcolm was not placed on leave until August 2006 — two weeks after The Argus first wrote about the situation. "When criminal authorities decline to prosecute, it's tough for us to take action," district spokesman Rick La Plante said. [They declined to prosecute because the statute of limitations passed.]

Logan High School Principal Don Montoya wrote in a reference letter dated November 2004 — about three months after Malcolm lost his position as an assistant principal because of the allegations.

Now Malcolm wants to keep his credentials and is scheduled to return to the Office of Administrative Hearings in Oakland today to challenge the recommendation by a committee of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing that his teaching and administrative credentials be revoked.

The girl was 16 and Malcolm was 34 at the time of the relationship. He was program director of a summer camp in San Bernardino County. The camp hired a lawyer and Malcolm agreed to pay her $40,000 to help cover some therapy and legal expenses, he testified.

"I was ready to move on with my life ... (and) out of fairness to her, she deserved some compensation," he said, according to a transcript of his testimony before a Commission on Teacher Credentialing committee.

Mar 12 - Malcolm has (nearly) given up the fight to save his credentials. (Almost.)
He has agreed to drop his appeal of a California Commission on Teacher Credentialing committee's recommendation that his administrative and teaching credentials be stripped.

He agreed to drop the case and never to apply for another license in California if the commission doesn't revoke his credentials until after June 30.

"Because of the media attention, the outcome of the hearing wouldn't matter. At this point, I don't have the financial or emotional resources to fight this any longer," Malcolm said after the hearing.

Now it will be up to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing whether to accept Malcolm's proposal. If it accepts the offer, Malcolm will have 30 days upon receiving notice of the decision to change his mind and challenge the ruling, said Susan King, a deputy attorney general representing the commission.

Mercury News notes that the police did not pursue the case because the statute of limitations had passed. But they notified the school "which stripped Malcolm of his position as an assistant principal and reassigned him to the classroom."
[So why should they accept his proposal??]

Lapeer, MICHIGAN

Mar 12, 2007 - Two Lapeer county teachers were were charged with possession of child sexually abusive material. The two allegedly purchased passwords from a site that supplies images of child pornography.

North Branch High School teacher and varsity football coach Eric Hyde, 33, and Lapeer Community High School teacher Scott Beyer, 39, are both on paid administrative leave.

The case was years in the making and the sheer volume of cases caused a backlog that led to the delay. They will be back in court on Friday. No other information available.

Mar 14 - Both were arraigned and released on bond. Press conference supplied background on the case.

"The initial investigation began in 1999 when a Federal Task force from Dallas identified thousands of subject utilizing credit cards to purchase images of child pornography from a Web site called Landslide Inc.," said Lt. Patrick McGreevy.

Landslide acted as the gatekeeper between one Russian and two Indonesian Web masters who supplied customers with pornographic images of children in exchange for money. It included access to disturbing sites that have since been shut down.

Over 1200 suspected Michigan cases were sent to the Michigan Attorney General's office in 2001. Two years later, search warrants were issed that allowed police to sieze computers from both teachers. The forensic analysis was also time-consuming.

BOTH teachers are on paid leaves of absence from their schools. Hyde is married with one child. He, apparently, viewed the material. Beyer is married and his wife is pregnant. He faces additional charges for downloading the material.

BEYER PLEADS GUILTY: May 26 - Beyer pleaded guilty two misdemeanor possession of child sexually abusive material charges and agreed to voluntarily end his teaching career. He faces a maximum one-year jail sentence, counseling and registration as a sex offender. He will be sentenced June 8.

Hyde faces felony charges and a preliminary is scheduled for June 29.
"Tenure rules require that the school continue to keep Hyde on paid leave until the case is resolved."

BEYER SENTENCED: Sept 17 - Beyer accepted a plea bargain. He was sentenced to one year probation and $4,100 in fines, must turn in his teacher certificate, register as a sex offender, complete sex offender treatment, not use the Internet during probation, and must resign his position in the Lapeer Community Schools.

[Judge Laura] Barnard told Beyer she received several letters of support from friends, teachers and Beyer's spouse. She said the correspondence indicated he had a lot of positive impact on his students and was known as an excellent teacher.

Beyer told Barnard he was surfing the Internet and came across the child pornography sites and signed up twice as a customer.

HYDE PRELIMINARY DATE: Sept 17 - The date for the preliminary for Hyde is now Oct 4. Hyde is married with one child. Hyde is on paid leave pending the outcome of the case.

Prior Lake, MINNESOTA

How those sexual escapades just seem to follow you around forever.

Feb 28, 2007 - A teacher convicted of sex in 1998 with a 15-year-old student has been arrested and jailed for violating his supervised release from prison.

The newspaper doesn't name him because charges haven't been filed. He was arrested after he allegedly baptized a 14-year-old boy as part of his own ministry. As part of his parole, he is not to be around children.

He was in violation of his parole before for not finding adequate housing after being released from prison.

Update Mar 12 - A revocation hearing was held for Robert Andrew Pannier. His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve the remainder of his 1998 sentence, which expires in November 2007, in prison.

Pannier was convicted in 1998 for having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old student in his Prior Lake home while he was a biology teacher at Central High School in Norwood Young America. He had served two-thirds of his sentence.

See TT entry for Vonderohe.

Kingman, ARIZONA

Mar 12, 2007 - The editor of the Kingman Daily Miner is perplexed why readers didn't innundate the paper with e-mails and phone calls on their revelation that a basketball coach at the high school was coach of a team where 'sexual abuse' took place in the "Winslow Hazing." They don't link to their original story, but we saw this particular story and chose not to link to it.
TT - We can tell you why we did not link to the original story. It seemed then, and still does, like an hysterical attempt to reprise a story that was probably an overreaction at the time. The coach pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, was sentenced to three years probation that was terminated less than six months later. The boys were convicted of the more serious offenses and several served jail time for -- hazing. If you want to read it, you can find it here.

When a newspaper cheers because teenage boys do hard jail time when no serious injury resulted, when they will carry criminal records for the rest of their lives, it smacks of smarmy anti-establishment 1960s mentality that a lot of us associate with a Peter Pan Press that never seems to grow up.

Edwardsville, ILLINOIS

Mar 12, 2007 - Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office has requested a hearing to revoke the probation of Michael Vonderohem, 29, for failing to seek sex offender counseling.

Vonderohe, a teacher at Metro East Lutheran High School, was charged in November 2003 with aggravated criminal sexual abuse after a female student alleged Vonderohe fondled her breasts and vaginal area. Court records also indicated that the victim claimed to have been physically threatened and was afraid of Vonderohe.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced March 18, 2004, to three years of probation. As conditions of his probation, Vonderohe was required to give up his teaching certificate, have no contact with the alleged victim or her family and comply with sex offender treatment.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Mar 13 -Belleview News-Democrat: Vonderobe filed a clemency petition in 2004 with the governor, asking that his record be cleared.

"I do not wish to receive any more sex offender therapy, considering the fact that I do not see the so-called therapy given by this treatment," Vonderohe wrote in the petition. "This type of treatment or any sexual treatment is irrelevant to me. I do not need it, nor will the treatment benefit me in any way."

Vonderohe has not been granted clemency. He also is facing a pending lawsuit filed against him by the former student.

Mar 14 - At a court appearance, Vonderohe was given a week to find a lawyer. The case is continued.

Mar 21 - The A probation revocation hearing will be delayed for 30 days.

August 16 - Former Edwardsville schoolteacher and convicted sex offender Michael Vonderohe has been released from probation and his case closed after the defense and prosecution agreed he has participated in sexual offender counseling. SEE St. Louis Post-Dispatch story.

Las Vegas, NEVADA

Updated to include news about his background that a background check never revealed. Or if it did, we are in worse shape than we thought.

Dec 19, 2006 - John Watson, 67, a retired Ontario, California math teacher, was charged with killing his wife of 20 years, Everilda Watson, 50.

She disappeared in Las Vegas in July. Her body has never been found. When he was arrested in August, police found a wig, a bus ticket to El Paso, Texas, several thousand dollars and a fake ID.

Authorities say they also found blood inside the couple's Jeep Cherokee and say they have evidence Watson bought an electric saw and other items. Watson used to teach at Ontario High School.

Update Feb 2 - A grand jury has indicted Watson on charges he kidnapped, robbed and murdered his wife. A preliminary hearing had been set for March. The indictment, however, means Watson no longer gets a preliminary hearing. Instead, his case can move straight to trial.

Prosecuting attorney Marc DiGiacomo said Thursday a trial date could be set when Watson appears in court next week to be arraigned on the indictment.
See related articles to the right at news site for complete coverage.
Full name: John Matthias Watson III

Update Mar 12 - Newspaper uncovers a colorful history. July 12, 1967, Watson confessed that he raped and killed a hitchhiker that matched the description of a missing woman. Police were unable to find a body. The story said Oklahoma authorities were preparing to send Watson back to Texas, where he had pending charges of kidnapping his 3-year-old son and demanding money from his in-laws to return the child. (Details of the Texas case could not be determined last week.)

In 1989 he was charged with threatening the life of Richard Nixon. The resolution of that is unknown.

He was convicted of arson for trying to burn down his home in June 1967 and placed on probation in 1968. His probation was revoked in the arson case in May 1968 and he was sentenced to two years in state prison.

Mar 16 - He's sent a note to the newspaper. Watson is scheduled to return to court in June. His trial is set for January.

TRIAL POSTPONED - Jan 12, 2008 - The trial is now scheduled for Apr 21.

Evidence suggests he may have dismembered her with an electric saw he bought at a Las Vegas home improvement store, according to court records.
Detectives found blood inside the couple's hotel room and car. They also found a plastic tarp with the woman's blood on it in a remote area of Tulare County, according to court records.
Watson initially told police his wife left him in Las Vegas. He later told one of his sons that the woman shot herself, and that he disposed of her body because he feared police would blame him for the killing.

Prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty.

INTERVIEW April 10, 2008 - In a jailhouse interview, Watson said that he was dying of cancer. He also said he fears his trial may be delayed because, as he puts it, his privately retained lawyers have "abandoned" him by not honoring their promises to see him in jail.

Watson is due back in court April 17 for a pretrial hearing.

Oklahoma

Mar 11, 2007 - A list of teachers dismissed in Oklahoma since 1986 was listed at FreeRepublic. Published Jan 1, 2001. The list was provided by the state Education Department in response to an Open Records Act request. The details were compiled based on court transcripts and newspaper articles.

Cynthia Alexander, December 2000, Broken Arrow: The middle school teacher pleaded guilty to molestation after she was accused of molesting an eighth-grade cheerleader. Alexander's certificate was the ninth revoked in 2000.

Loren F. Beckmann, July 1998, Woodward: Pleaded no contest to a felony charge of indecent exposure in March 1987. His certificate was revoked after he tried to obtain another teaching job.

Jacqueline Bennett, August 2000, Oklahoma City: The home economics teacher pleaded guilty in 1995 to obtaining property under false pretenses. On her 1996 application to renew her teaching certificate, she said had not been convicted of felony. Her certificate was revoked for committing fraud.

Michael D. Blair, February 1989, Moore: Pleaded guilty in January 1988 to indecent or lewd acts with a child under age 16 and forcible oral sodomy.

Joseph W. Boley, May 1997, Oklahoma City: In September 1996, the former U.S. Grant High School basketball coach pleaded no contest to indecent or lewd acts with a child under age 16.

John M. Bouquot, February 1987, Mooreland: In September 1986, the third-grade teacher pleaded no contest to lewd molestation after he was accused placing his hands in the pants of a third-grade boy.

Diana L. Buchanan, August 2000, Gunter, Texas: Pleaded guilty to public lewdness in Texas, and did not mark that she had been convicted of a felony on her Oklahoma application. She was accused of having sex with a student.

Johnny G. Burns, March 1998, Healdton: Pleaded guilty in March 1996 to a felony charge of driving under the influence.

Jami E. Davis, June 1996, Liberty: Pleaded guilty in June 1994 to a felony charge of driving under the influence after a former conviction.

Arvis G. Estes, March 1994, McLoud: Pleaded no contest in July 1991 to rape.

Dale F. Fish, June 1994, Checotah: The high school counselor and pastor who also ran for state Senate in 1990 pleaded guilty in November 1993 to rape, lewd molestation of a child and sexual battery.

Dennis L. Fritz, February 1989, Noble: The junior high school teacher was convicted in May 1988 of killing an Ada waitress and bartender. He was given a life sentence, but was freed in 1999 after DNA evidence showed he was wrongly convicted. He no longer lives in Oklahoma, but state officials said if he met all certification requirements, he could teach again in Oklahoma.

Dana E. Greer, January 1999: Greer was convicted of felony drug charges.

Karl M. Hardy, February 1990, Velma-Alma: The former elementary school teacher pleaded guilty in September 1989 to molesting two girls.

Shelly Sue Henson, September 2000, Tulsa: Pleaded guilty in July 2000 to possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute after police found a methamphetamine lab in her home.

Matthew N. Kaubin, September 2000, Oklahoma City: Pleaded guilty to a third driving under the influence conviction in 1997, a felony. He also pleaded guilty to DUI and a felony charge of driving with a revoked driver's license in 1996, but it went unnoticed by the state board.

Ronald G. Lyons, January 1990, Broken Arrow: The high school teacher was convicted in September 1987 on drug and pornography charges. Prosecutors claimed he gave drugs to students and took nude and semi-nude photographs of former students.

Warren F. McEvoy, March 1989, Guthrie: Pleaded guilty in March 1998 to forcible oral sodomy.
Michael R. Payne, April 1986, Union: The physical education teacher and coach pleaded guilty in January 1986 to rape. Prosecutors said he had a two-year relationship with a 14-year-old student.

Mason E. Porterfield, February 1987, Moore: The coach and middle school civics teacher pleaded guilty in June 1986 to manslaughter for killing his wife with a baseball bat. He was paroled in 1989.

Todd Quinton, October 2000, McAlester: The coach pleaded guilty in September 2000 to six felony counts of owning obscene videos of minors.

John E. Roper Jr., September 1996, Oklahoma City: Convicted in December 1995 of molesting an 11-year-old girl.

Edwyna Royal-Butler, February 1989, Oklahoma City: The school counselor pleaded guilty in August 1986 to a felony drug charge.

Mary B. Sands, February 1998, Tulsa: Pleaded guilty in October 1995 to driving under the influence. It was her second offense, which constitutes a felony. Her certificate was revoked for the felony conviction and for lying on her application to renew her certificate in 1996. She said she had not been convicted of a felony in the last 10 years.

Timmy E. Simmons, June 1990, Wickliffe: Pleaded no contest in March 1990 to lewd molestation charges. The victims' mother reported the felony conviction to state education officials.

Charles T. Smithart, October 1996, Howe, Texas: Texas education officials revoked the teacher and coach's teaching certificate in 1995 after Smithart was accused of having sexual contact with a student. Because his Texas certificate was revoked, he was not entitled to an Oklahoma teaching certificate, which was awarded in March 1996. A national clearinghouse alerted Oklahoma officials to the problem.

Alan V. Sneed, May 1995, Hooker: The high school teacher pleaded guilty in January 1995 to sexually molesting one of his students over a three-month period.

Brian R. Strother, August 2000, Velma-Alma: Texas revoked Strother's license because he failed to reveal that he surrendered his license in Texas after he was accused of sexually abusing a student. He didn't surrender his license until after he had obtained an Oklahoma certificate.

Donald C. Sullivan, June 1998, Boise City: The elementary school teacher was convicted in August 1997 on 54 counts of sexual misconduct, including lewd molestation, sodomy and rape, involving a former fifth-grade student. He was sentenced to 670 years in prison.

Charles L. West, September 2000, Oklahoma City: The physical education teacher pleaded guilty to concealing stolen property and making a false declaration to a pawn broker in 1998. Police said West tried to pawn a computer and printer that was reported stolen from a school.

Bobby D. Wheeler, May 1987, Wilson: Pleaded guilty in May 1986 to drug and burglary charges.
Andrew Wilson Jr., August 2000, Tulsa: Pleaded guilty in 1999 to sexual battery of a student. The 16-year-old student said Wilson called her to his counseling office more than once and fondled her.

Buckley, WASHINGTON

Six months in jail. Prosecutor wanted to give her a month at home with an ankle bracelet.

Jan 2, 2007 - Rebekah Todd, 25, a high school teacher at White River School District, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted assault. "In charging papers filed earlier this year, prosecutors said they had evidence Todd performed oral sex on a 17-year-old boy in spring 2005, then kissed him at a graduation party later that year."

The plea charge is still a felony. [Pierce County deputy prosecutor Hugh] Birgenheier said he’s satisfied with the deal. “She loses her license to teach, which was our goal,” he said.

The incident is not the first time Todd's conduct has been the subject of attention. She was suspended for allegedly drinking with students at an off-campus graduation party last June, but was reinstated because there was no proof the incident occurred.
She was suspended once again last December after showing a strip tease video to her female students.

In all, the school district suspended her three times, but "could not fire her without evidence of wrongdoing". Todd resigned (another article said she was fired.) She is due to be sentenced Jan. 26.

Mar 10, 2007 - The prosecutor had planned on a month of home detention with an ankle bracelet, but the judge thought otherwise. He sentenced Todd to six months in jail. Todd’s attorney announced in court that the woman was pregnant.

Mar 13 - In describing the sentencing,

Todd, reportedly pregnant, was visibly upset by ]Judge Bryan] Chushcoff's decision, [deputy prosecutor Hugh ] Birgenheier added.

Her attorney, Tyler Firkins of Auburn, asked Chushcoff to postpone her reporting date so she could get her affairs in order and at least tell her husband. [Reportedly waiting in the car for her.]

[Judge] Chushcoff, however, said she must start serving the sentence immediately, and corrections officers led her out of court and off to jail, Birgenheier said.

Washington judges are not bound to accept such plea recommendations.

Apr 27 - Back in court - Todd wants a sentence reduction because she is pregnant. The judge wasn't sympathetic.

Judge Bryan Chushcoff rejected Todd’s argument that her pregnancy was reason to set her free, saying Todd failed to understand that what she did was wrong.

“The evaluation of her suggested, and I don’t want to make this sound too simple, because it is not simple, was that she just didn’t get it,” Judge Chushcoff said.

TT - it's all about her, isn't it? This woman is a sociopath.

West Long Branch, NEW JERSEY

Updated to include sentencing.
Originally posted here Nov 23, 2006. The case has been ongoing since 2004.

INDICTED: Nov 21, 2006 - William O'Leary, 35, a Frank Antonides School math teacher and coach, was indicted on charges involving sexual contact with a student in a prom "incident." He had previously pleaded guilty of charges of endangering the welfare of a child for sexual contact with another student age 14. Charges include second degree official misconduct, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

"The female student involved in the prom incident was not the same Shore Regional student who O'Leary has admitted to having an "inappropriate relationship" with between August 2001 and December 2003, according to the ex-teacher's attorney, Cathy Waldor of Wall Township.

PLEADED GUILTY: Jan 6, 2007 - O'Leary pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering the welfare of a child. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to recommend a probationary sentence when he is sentenced on March 9. O'Leary admitted that the girl was 15 at the time and he was 34. The girl was a 4th grade student when he met her.

He admitted that he, "through his role as teacher, developed a controlling and manipulative relationship that eventually led to a sexual relationship with the girl, according to a prepared statement from the Prosecutor's Office."

This plea agreement was reached just days before he was scheduled to go to trial. The [2003 "Prom" case] will be dismissed at sentencing. (A previous plea agreement in that case had been thrown out by the judge in June.) Both victims agreed with the plea arrangement. He was fired from the school in 2004.

TT - All of which suggests that the agreement will include registration on a sex offender registry. But do prosecutors and judges think sex offender registration should be in lieu of incarceration? Six months for sex with a 15-year-old girl that he groomed for years? In New Jersey, in particular, sex offenders are unlikely to be registered despite being qualified for it. See "Megan's Law registries all over the map in N.J." and the Megan's Law Implementation Report.

PLEA AGREEMENT: Jan 11 - [Plea agreement revealed.] In addition to registering as a sex offender under Megan's Law, O'Leary must fulfill the following conditions as a result of the guilty plea: A term of probation; permanently forfeit his teaching certificate and or license; serve a special sentence of Community Supervision For Life and obtain a psychological evaluation at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center.

EDITORIAL: Jan 10, 2007 - The Asbury Park Press ran an editorial urging the judge to reject a plea bargain that would allow Shore Regional High School teacher William O'Leary to avoid jail time. They urge the judge to reject the agreement at O'Leary's March 9 sentencing. "Probation is far too lenient a sentence for a teacher who was indicted on charges of having sexual contact with two students, and who at first denied any such relationships."

TT - We had much the same reaction and questions when we heard about the plea bargain. Especially since he groomed the girl from 4th grade. [His blog entry at "same reaction"]

SENTENCED: Mar 10 - O'Leary was sentenced to five years probation. In addition, O'Leary, a former teacher at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch, must forfeit his teaching certificate and/or license, comply with Megan's Law requirements and be subject to community supervision for life.

He must pay a $15,000 fine within one year, continue psychological counseling and not teach at any public or parochial school. O'Leary had also faced a second indictment in which he was accused of committing an act of sexual contact with another student. That indictment was dismissed, and agreed to by the victim.

El Paso, TEXAS

Mar 10, 2007 - Ronald Comanche, a Socorro High School coach, was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance — crack cocaine, a fourth degree felony. [He was a buyer, not a seller.]

He will be on supervised probation for three years. His probation will include a drug assessment and any treatment recommended by that assessment. He will also be subject to random drug testing.

Unable to complete his statement in court, his attorney finished for him. "He wanted to let the court know that he knows he should have been an example to the students to stay away from drugs, not a participant in the problem," said Deschamps.

Lebanon, MISSOURI

Mar 10, 2007 - Waylon Kaus, 27, a teacher at Ozark Children’s Academy, and a scoutmaster for a local troop, was sentenced to 20 years. Without parole.

Kaus also worked for an area Head Start program and for the public school district in Buffalo, Mo. He pleaded guilty on May 4 to coercing a boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, possession of child pornography, and distribution of child pornography.

Full Name: Waylon J. Kaus

Indictment document.

DoJ News release on guilty plea.

Tampa, FLORIDA

Feb 20, 2007 - Kevin Jefferson, 38, who teaches children with emotional disabilities at Cypress Creek Elementary, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a domestic disturbance.

Jefferson was hired as a teacher in 2004. When he applied for his teaching certificate, the state's Education Practices Commission questioned it because he had been arrested three times in Virginia in 1995 and 1997 on drug and assault charges, Cobbe said. All charges were dismissed, she said.

No updates available at news site or through search engines.
Full Name: Kevin L. Jefferson

VERMONT

Mar 9, 2007 - Vermont is considering a bill that would make teacher-student sex a crime regardless of age. Naturally, the teachers union is opposed. Vermont's teachers union says they support a bill that would protect children against predators, but not if educators are the only ones who are singled out.

The bill -- H. 471 -- was introduced last week.
The age of consent in Vermont is 16.

Recent court decisions have upheld laws that criminalize teacher-student sex. See TT link.

Apr 28 - as of this date, the bill has languished in the Education Committee.

Franklyn, TENNESEE

Earlier stories said that a teacher resigned because a gun was found in his car during a zero-tolerance drug search at school.

Mar 9, 2007 - Jermaine Waters, 34, a special education teacher assistant at Franklin High School, was arrested for bringing a gun and marijuana onto school property.

The small-caliber semiautomatic handgun, baggies containing a leafy green substance and drug scales were found during a random drug search of his car. "We had the drug dogs out in the parking lot, and they hit on (Waters') car."

Waters resigned. He was charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of a weapon on school property. Arraignment is scheduled for Mar 15.

TT - Waters is the second teacher found in a drug search at a school where the teacher was the ONLY one found with drugs. link

Granite Falls, NORTH CAROLINA

Mar 8, 2008 - Julie Swayngims, 36, a substitute teacher, pleaded guilty to sexual activity by a substitute parent and to indecent liberties with a child. The victim was 14 years old at the time of the sexual encounters and Swayngims and her huband were providing foster care for the boy and two siblings.

She was sentenced to 23 months - 28 months for the charge of sexual activity by a substitute parent and 15 months - 18 months for the indecent liberties charge. The sentences were suspended, and Swayngims was given supervised intensive probation for 60 months.

The judge was severe: “Let me be clear,” [Superior Court Judge] Beal said. “You are not to engage in any sexual behavior with children under the age of 18.”

The mother of three is also required to register as a sex offender.
Full Name: Julie Smith Swayngims

Muncie, INDIANA

Mar 9, 2007 - Mark Huxhold, 52, a Burris Laboratory School music teacher, was charged with possession of child pornography. He was arrested last May at the school.

According to police, the investigation started when Huxhold took his personal computer to an Indianapolis business to have it serviced. A technician discovered what he believed was child pornography on Huxhold's hard drive and notified authorities.

After Huxhold's arrest, Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney told reporters that the teacher's computer contained three commercially produced videos and two homemade videos of girls having sex with adults.

Newspaper: "It was unclear this week where the homemade videos came from. It also remained unclear why there was an eight-month delay between Huxhold's arrest and formal charges being filed in court."
Full Name: Mark W. Huxhold

TT - at a guess, the commercial videos and the homemade videos were sent to an FBI lab for comparison to known videos and victims and to try to identify any unknown victims. Then, too, we suppose they want to find out any known associations with others who collect and/or distribute child porn.

Oak Harbor, WASHINGTON

It would help to know his name. But then, that wouldn't be like a game of Clue.

Mar 9, 2007 - Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or other incidents to call. The middle gym school teacher [from an unnamed school] has been arrested after a student alleged she was fondled. Police arrested him two weeks after the complaint. No charges have been filed. He's on paid administrative leave.

The teacher has worked for the district for 24 years. He was the choir director at the high school before coming to the middle school three years ago.

It took too long, the school district admits, to act on the complaint. "We were not ignoring it though or trying to sweep it under the rug." The teacher has about 30 complaints from students over the past three years, a school district spokesman said. The majority of the complaints came from students who said they felt uncomfortable around the teacher.

But call if you know anything.

Mirimar, FLORIDA

Mar 9, 2007 - Alain Cupas, 28, an Everglades High School's wrestling coach and school security guard, was arrested and charged Tuesday with molesting a sophomore while escorting her through school.

District officials say while Tuesday's arrest concerns them, there will be no changes in hiring practices or security. There is a screening process for volunteer and job applicants that works, officials say.

"It's unfortunate that we have two in a row, but 200 or 300 people go through the screening in a day," said Joe Melita, executive director of the district's special-investigative unit. "The key point is we do have a process, and I'm very confident that the process works."

The district hired Cupas, 28, in October 2005, more than three years after he was acquitted of date rape in North Dakota. A 19-year-old woman said she passed out and woke up to Cupas having sex with her.

Update Mar 15 - Cupas was arrested again Wednesday on similar charges after two other students said he touched them as well.

Mililani, HAWAII

Teacher enters no contest plea. (See definition)

Dec 5, 2006 - Two teachers were arrested after a parent reported the two were smoking smoking marijuana in a truck at the Mililani Park and Ride before school. After searching the truck, school officials called police, and the two were arrested around noon. Lisa Luhrsen, 36, and Benjamin Ayson, 32, have been place on paid leave pending investigation.
Full Name: Lisa Kay Luhrsen
Full Name: Benjamin Albert Ayson

This is the second case involving teachers and alleged drug offenses in recent months. Lee N. Anzai was charged with selling crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent on five occasions beginning Sept. 8.

Update Dec 6, 2006 - Parents react. And this predictable union reaction. [Emphasis mine.]

Some parents and students said mandatory random drug testing should be implemented for teachers, but Roger Takabayashi, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said that is not a solution.

Drugs are a societal problem, not a teacher problem, Takabayashi said, adding that the teachers' union does not support mandatory random drug testing for teachers.

Police are routinely tested because of their positions of trust.

Dec 6 - Random drug testing debated in newspaper. Predictable union reaction.

Feb 9, 2007 - Luhrsen pleaded no contest. The granted Luhrsen's request to defer accepting the plea and finding her guilty. Pacarro ruled that if she stays out of trouble for six months and pays a $400 fine, the case will be dropped.
He also ordered Luhrsen to undergo a substance abuse assessment to determine if she should receive treatment.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Prosecutors opposed the deferral, which would enable Luhrsen to request that her record be erased if she stays out of trouble for six months and complies with all the terms of her deferral. She was also fined $400 and required to undergo a substance abuse assessment.

Luhrsen, who has been teaching for eight years, remains on administrative leave while the school conducts its own investigation. She also has filed a grievance with the teachers union.

Ayson's case has been continued until April.

Update Mar 12 - Lisa Luhrsen remains on paid leave.

Seagraves, TEXAS

Mar 8, 2007 - Candra Peyton, 31, an 8th grade teacher, was indicted on March 1st on charges related to having sex with a 16-year old male student. The grand jury indicted her on charges of indecency with a child, improper relationship between an educator and student and tampering with physical evidence.

Her bail was initially set at $600,000 but was reduced to $250,000.

Edgewater, COLORADO

Mar 8, 2007 -
John Dios Saiz, 42, an Edgewater Elementary School teacher, was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting two young children. He was given an indeterminate prison sentence of 20 years to life.

Saiz was convicted in January of sexually assaulting two children, ages 7 and 9 over a period of two to three years. They were not students, but the children of a woman he was acquainted with.

Trona, CALIFORNIA

Mar 6, 2007 - A Trona 6th grade teacher, is being investigated after allegations arose of sexual abuse of a student from 1999 to 2002. The student was age 13 to 17 at the time of the alleged incidents.

Detective Robin Real of the Crimes Against Children Unit is working the investigation and asks that anyone with any pertinent information contact her at (909) 387-3615.

The teacher is on administrative leave. No charges have been filed. If you have any information, contact authorities.

Mar 29 - No online information available.
N-8

Vienna, ILLINOIS

Updated to include sentencing.

SENTENCED

DUE IN COURT: Jan 22, 2007 - Jarod Shumaker, 28, a band teacher at Vienna High School, was due in court for a hearing on the criminal sexual assault case initiated against him in November 2005. He is alleged to have had an ongoing improper relationship with a 17-year-old student.

The defense initially argued that no crime had been committed because the alleged victim had attained the age of consent, being 17 years old when the incidents are said to have occurred. However, because Shumaker was a teacher and the girl a student at the same high school - though not necessarily his student - he was in a position of authority over her, rendering the alleged relationship improper and criminal according to statute.

He was arrested on April 7, 2006 and released on bond.

PLEADED GUILTY: Update Feb 6 - Shumaker pleaded guilty today to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor. The plea deal is contingent on Shumaker being cleared in a sex-offender evaluation. The findings of the evaluation will be heard in court March 8th.
Article in the Cairo Association of Teachers newsletter.

SENTENCED: Mar 8 - Shumaker sentenced to four months probation. The judge honored a plea deal Jarod Shumaker entered last month. The judge says a sex-offender evaluation Shumaker took shows he's not a threat to the community.

In addition to the probation, Shumaker will spend 30 days in jail, pay a three-thousand dollar court fine, and register as a sex offender. Because he will register as a sex offender in Illinois Shumaker will not be able to teach again.

He'll begin serving his time in June, with one day credit for the one day he spent in custody when he was arrested.

Miami, FLORIDA

Mar 8, 2007 - Russell Hoyt, 56, a former gym teacher is on probation for molesting young boys in 1997. After being released from prison in May 2002, he is on a list of state sexual offenders.

The mother of one of his victims discovered his travel to various baseball and football games and his plans to attend one in Florida. She protested and a judge ruled against Hoyt's travel and plans to stay at a campground that includes a lot of children.

Hoyt taught gym at Cutler Ridge Christian Academy and was accused of fondling boys over the course of seven years. He accepted a deal for five years in prison and 10 years of probation.
Full Name: Russell Clyde Hoyt

[TT - Our view is that one of the consequences of conviction and a sentence that includes probation is that the perpetrator's life is public record. He or she isn't free to travel at will.

Before online Sexual Offender Registries it was solely the responsibility of the probation officer to track and judge the appropriateness of the movements of the ex-convict. Sadly, they didn't do a very good job. Which is why we have Sex Offender Registries - so someone can check.]

Oak Harbor, WASHINGTON

Charge dismissed in plea agreement that requires he retire.

Mar 8, 2007 - James Pruss, 52, was arrested last month on suspicion of touching a 12-year-old girl inappropriately during gym class. Investigators are looking into whether there might be more victims.

The mother of the girl said she found a stack of complaints against Pruss, accusing him of looking down girls' shirts and touching them in inappropriate places. The school district acknowledged that there have been dozens of complaints against the teacher.

Pruss has been placed on indefinite administrative leave.

PLEA AGREEMENT: Sept 8, 2007 -

The Oak Harbor city prosecutor dismissed a charge last week against a 53-year-old North Whidbey Middle School teacher accused of assaulting a student.

Under the plea bargain, Jim Pruss agreed to retire from the school district, Prosecuting Attorney AnhKiet Ngo said.

“It got him out of the Oak Harbor School District,” he said. “It got him away from the children. That was our foremost consideration.”

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is currently investigating Pruss for possible action against his teaching license in connection with the alleged “inappropriate touching,” according to Charlie Schreck, director of the Office of Professional Practices.

But the Oak Harbor Education Association filed a complaint against the school district in Island County Superior Court Thursday over the way in which Pruss was fired last May. In fact, Peter Szalai, president of the association, said Pruss may ultimately be able to “unretire” and clear his name through an arbitration process.

Pruss’ attorney, Michael Andrews of Everett, said the charges against his clients were completely false. He pointed out that the charge, a single count of assault in the fourth degree with sexual motivation, was dismissed with prejudice — which means it can’t be re-filed.

Wethersfield, CONNECTICUT

Mar 7, 2007 - Jodi Kress, 31, [yet another] special education teacher, was arrested on a charge of first-degree larceny after a months-long investigation revealed she had stolen hundreds of books from town elementary schools and was selling them on the Internet.

Kress has worked as a special education teacher at Hanmer Elementary School since 1999. This school year, Kress was splitting her time between Hanmer and Charles Wright elementary schools.

Kress was released on $10,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on March 16.

Plainsfield, NEW JERSEY

May 7, 2007 - Karen Esposito-Faigenbaum was the Bridgewater-Raritan High School teacher who was arrested, along with 44 others, in a drug sweep.

She is a language literature teacher. She was charged with possession and conspiring to possess controlled substances.

[TT - Along with a lawyer, a resident doctor and others who fund illegal narcotics by buying from drug dealers -- who then go on to terrorize neighborhoods and hook thousands more into lives full of drugs, violence and death -- Esposit-Faigenbaum will do less time than she deserves. These people might tell themselves they are users, but they're the ones who keep dealers in business.]

Mar 9 - Esposito-Faigenbaum was suspended with pay.

Sioux Falls, SOUTH DAKOTA

Nov 15, 2006 -
Steven M. Smith, 55,
Lincoln High School woodworking and welding teacher, pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. His trial is scheduled for Feb 13th.

He was arrested in September. "Authorities said he had images on his computer, along with four floppy disks containing 55 images downloaded from the Internet in a file cabinet in his living room. "A federal grand jury indicted him Sept. 19.

Update KELOLAND TV report on "Recognizing Addiction" reveals that Smith's wife went to district officials after their divorce when he had confessed his addiction to tell them about the problem. District officials claim nothing was found on his school computer. Later she gained custody of their two children but not before they had contact with the material that he had transferred to his home computer. Despite that, the District did not inform another district that hired him of the wife's revelations.

He is scheduled to appear in Federal court in February.

Update Dec 12, 2006 - Smith pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of child pornography possession. He will be sentenced March 2.

Update Mar 7 - Smith apologized to his family, his children and his students. But one month last year, court records state Smith accessed 15,500 images. He admits he spent more than a thousand dollars in subscriptions to illegal websites and spent at least an hour a day viewing the material

Smith was sentenced to 6 and a half years. Once he's released from prison, Smith will not be allowed to have contact with a child under the age of 18 and will have to register as a sex offender.

Colonia, NEW JERSEY

Mar 7, 2007 - Michael Petak, 31, a Colonia High School teacher, was indicted on Dec 13th on three charges that stemmed from an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student.

He was arrested Sep 1, 2006 after an investigation between the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Woodbridge Township Police.

Petak, who is married and a father of a 9-month-old child, was released on $75,000 bail with no 10 percent option.

Another Colonia High School teacher, Karen Binder, was arrested Mar 6, 2007.
TT entry for Binder.

August 19 - From an article about Middlesex County teachers at Home News Tribune:

Petak was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to witness tampering, not to official misconduct or any type of sexual misconduct.

Teneno, WASHINGTON

Mar 7, 2007 - An unnamed Tenino High School teacher has been placed on leave while police investigate allegations that the 38-year-old woman was involved with a 16-year-old female student.

She has not been arrested or charged with a crime. She was placed on leave Mar 1.

Pierson, FLORIDA

What do you have to do to get fired???

Mar 7, 2007 - George Woodfin resigned Feb 8, "in lieu of termination," for inappropriate conduct. The Dec 4, 2006, complaint filed by a parent was the latest in a long string of complaints and reprimands against the physical education teacher dating back to 1987.

Wooden started with the school district in 1975, has received five letters of reprimand and two letters of concern since 1987.

He was the subject of eight separate complaints of making inappropriate comments, touching or disciplining students. Two complaints also involved claims of inappropriate comments to female staff members.

Just one claim resulted in a finding of "no probable cause." After a state investigation in 1994, Woodfin was put on three years' probation by the state Education Practice Commission and ordered to take a course on sexual harassment. Again in 1999, he was warned that similar comments would result in his termination, but in 2000, he received another letter of reprimand after a female student complained that he told her, "You better stop running or your boobs will bounce off."

Woodfin taught at New Smyrna Beach Junior High and Holly Hill Junior High before moving to Taylor in 2000.

Pittsburg, PENNSLVANIA

It's YOUR fault, but the teacher was ours.

Mar 7, 2007 - Christine Kosik, a former English teacher at South Fayette High School, and her husband were charged with 11 counts of corruption of minors after a December incident at their home. The charges were reduced to summary disorderly conduct last week. She pleaded guilty.

Thirty minors were cited for purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of liquor or malt or brewed beverages at the Kosik residence on Dec. 30. Ten of those cited are students at South Fayette High School.

Following the incident, Dr. Linda Hippert, superintendent, sent a letter to e