Sneads, FLORIDA

May 12, 2007 - Tommy Stoutamire, a Sneads High School teacher, who was being investigated in a case involving students has been charged with sexual battery and child abuse in the case.

Stoutamire is charged with one count of sexual battery on a child under the age of 16, four counts of child abuse, and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 16.

Stoutamire submitted his resignation to the Jackson County School Board shortly after the investigation began in May 1. Superintendent Danny Sims says the allegations came from four female students after one reported the inappropriate behavior.

Nov 14 - Stoutamire was mentioned in a news story about the online teacher disciplinary records database in Florida. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing this month on multiple counts that include lewd and lascivious molestation and child abuse.
Full Name: Thomas Bowen Stoutamire

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING July 22, 2008 - Stoutamire pleaded guilty Tuesday to to four counts of child abuse, two counts of false imprisonment, one count of battery, and three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. Stoutamire was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail - not prison. He will be on probation for an additional 14 years. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he will be required to give up his teaching certificate/license, and never seek employment in the field again.

APOLOGY (kinda) As part of the deal, Stoutamire also wrote a letter of apology to his victims.

“I want to express my sincere apologies to CM, KB, MY and LH,” his letter reads. “Each of these young ladies have suffered this past year in school and in the community and have done nothing to deserve the treatment.

I accept responsibility for my actions and for the hurt the actions have caused not only to these four ladies but the Sneads community as well. I urge all involved to allow these girls to attend school in peace and understand they have done nothing wrong.

It is with great regret I move forward with my life today. I understand and accept the punishment of the Court and I will work to earn the trust of my family, friends, loved ones yet again.”

TT - You could have respected him if he had written that letter, say, a year ago and allowed the girls and their families to get on with their lives.

The mother wrote a letter to the court. [Emphasis ours.]

“It is so hard for me to stand here and be calm after what you did to my daughter,” she said. “There are no words to express what we have suffered this past year because of your actions. You know, this letter of apology you are giving my daughter today could have been written a year ago and even though it would not have taken away what you did, maybe it would have stopped some of the harassment she has had to endure this past school year from not only classmates, but from teachers as well.

All because she stood up and told the truth. But when I become overwhelmed by the anger and hurt, I remember that my Lord will always have the last word, he is the Beginning and the End. Even though I do not have the resources to get myself out of this problem, I know He will deliver me. I pray that you can make peace with God for your actions.”

A single poster at the story understood.

These four girls have been mistreated, shunned and talked about for over a year since this incident happened. What most people don’t understand is that these young ladies should be considered hero’s to this county. In our current society it is so easy to tell a lie and not face the truth, these four stood up for what is right.

As people look at this situation and try to understand what has happened and make sense of this. you should thank these 4 hero’s for there courage to make a stand. If you have a daughter in our school system and you think about what would have happened if these four had not of done this and what the headlines could have read this year or next year you should pray for these girls and thank them for being honest people.

Court documents related to the case. (8.58MB)

Colonia, NEW JERSEY

Young enough to be his daughter. The former World Natural Body Building Federation professional body builder was "sorry for his lack in judgment."

Jan 29, 2008 - Craig Yarnall, 37, a physical education teacher at Colonia Middle School and a coach at Colonia High School, was arrested on charges he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. He faces charges of two second-degree charges of official misconduct and sexual assault.

Police found Yarnall in a parked car in a park with the 17-year-old girl. Investigators later determined Yarnall had a sexual relationship with the girl that began in April - when the girl was 16. He was suspended with pay.

Woodbridge middle-school gym teacher charged with sexual assault (Home News Tribune)

Authorities are urging anyone with information on Yarnall to contact Detectives Michael Dacrosta or Michael Ng of the Woodbridge Township Police Department at (732) 634-7700, or Investigator James Mullin of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Sex Crimes Unit at (732) 745-3600.

ARRAIGNMENT Jan 31 - At his arraignment, Yarnall appeared without an attorney and said that he hadn't been been able to get a phone call since his arrest on Tuesday. He was due to use the phone at Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick yesterday before being taken to court, he said. DeVesa said he would arrange for access to a phone.

Yarnall is married. Bail was set for $150,000 with no 10% cash option. Next court date is Feb 8.

Two Colonia High School teachers are mentioned: Michael Petak and Karen Binder. (Links are to TT entries.)

GUILTY May 23 - Yarnall pleaded guilty Thursday morning to official misconduct for having sex with a teenage girl and "agreed to a three-year prison term" in exchange for his guilty plea.

He stands a chance, however, of being accepted into an intensive parole supervision program, making it possible he will only serve a few months in prison.Yarnall also must give up his teacher's license and can never hold a public job in New Jersey.

He is scheduled to be sentenced July 18.

TT - We call it Bargains when a teacher "agrees to give up" their license in plea negotiations because it demonstrates how difficult it is to revoke a license when the license itself becomes a bargaining tool that gives the educator an advantage that no other citizen is given. Revocation should be automatic and guaranteed for sex offenders. That it is not is shameful.

SENTENCED July 18 - Yarnall was sentenced to three years in prison.

Craig Yarnall, 38, of Woodbridge apologized and said the entire episode had been hardship for his wife and their infant twin sons.

In exchange for the guilty plea, the count of official misconduct was downgraded from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree misdemeanor and the count of sexual assault was dismissed.

By pleading guilty, Yarnall avoided trial, a maximum prison term of 10 years, and being placed on the Megan's Law list of sexual offenders.

UPPERCASE Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa agreed with the state that the aggravating factors of the inappropriate sexual relationship between a teacher, who is supposed to exhibit moral, ethical behavior, and a teenage student, outweighed the mitigating factors that Yarnall has a previously clean record and is at low risk to commit another offense.
----------------------
TT - Not mentioned in any article are the other Colonia High School teachers in the news.
Michael Petak, 31, sentenced to probation for witness tampering (no explanation). Entry
Karen Binder, 42, Entry arrested for official misconduct related to sexually explicit text messages sent to a pair of students. No resolution to her case online.

Lisbon, NEW YORK

The judge cited “clear and convincing evidence” that she was not a risk to be a repeat offender, as she has been undergoing drug counseling and psychiatric treatment since the case came to light.


Dec 10, 2007 - Christel C. Gravlin, 33, a Lisbon High School 10th grade teacher, was arrested and arraigned on charges of rape 3rd degree, criminal sex act 3rd degree and endangering the welfare of a child for allegations of sexual contact, including sexual intercourse, with a 15-year-old male student.

Allegations became known after an incident at a high school basketball game on November 30th when an intoxicated Gravlin made statements about the sexual relationship to a group of students and others who were sitting near her. Students notified the police. Investigators contacted the parents of the teen.

Gravlin, a married mother of two is a former beauty queen, having been chosen Miss St. Lawrence County Teenager in 1990 at the age of 15 and was voted St. Lawrence County Dairy Princess the following year.

She graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Potsdam in 2003 with a degree in literature, writing, and secondary education. [TT - her children have got to be about the same age as the student.]

Lisbon is a small town near the Canadian border in upstate (way upstate) New York. The population was 4,047 at the 2000 census. Wikipedia entry.

PLEA DEAL OFFERRED Feb 21, 2008 - WWTI - Gravlin's case will nto be going to the grand jury. She has agreed to plead guilty to the charges. A guilty plea to a felony means automatic loss of her state teacher's license. Gravlin told police the sex was consensual and she felt the teenager manipulated her into having the sexual relationship.

District Attorney Nicole Duve says the anticipated plea will not include any state prison time but "there may be a probationary sentence or possibly some county jail time. Her court date is scheduled for March 3rd.

GUILTY PLEA March 3, 2008 - Gravlin confirmed the affair in a three-page signed statement to police, attributing the affair to depression, alcohol, prescription drugs and pressure from the boy.

Gravlin pleaded guilty today to one count of 3rd degree rape in a deal that will see her sentenced to no more than six months in jail followed by ten years probation. A guilty plea to a felony means automatic loss of her state teacher's license. She will be sentenced May 5th.

SENTENCING POSTPONED May 5 - Gravlin's sentencing was postponed until May 19 because she has a new lawyer. According to Fox28 WNYF, she will receive a split sentence of no more than six months in the St. Lawrence County Jail and then ten years probation. As a felon, Gravlin will have to surrender her New York state teaching license.

SENTENCED June 23, 2008 - Gravlin is serving a six month jail - not prison - sentence and 10 years probation on a felony rape conviction for having sex with the student at her home. She will have to register as a level I sex offender for the next 20 years.***

Gravlin’s classification was lowered to a Level 1 sex offender because she has surrendered her teaching license, resigned her teaching job and is seeking treatment.

*** From the story: Convicted rapist Christal Gravlin was found to be at low risk of ever sexually re-offending, but only after Judge Jerry Richards departed from a points formula that would have classified her as a Level 2 offender.

(In the same story: another woman, Kathryn Brauch, 22, was sentenced to three years in prison for sex with a 13-year-old Potsdam teenager she first met on the Internet. See her sentencing story.)
----------
BIPOLAR, TOO June 24 - County Judge Jerome J. Richards designated Gravlin a Level 1 offender, or at a low risk to commit another sex crime, despite the recommendation to classify her as a Level 2 offender. The judge cited her ongoing treatment for bipolar disorder, alcohol and substance abuse and having resigned her teaching position as the reasons for the classification, said St. Lawrence County Assistant District Attorney Rosemary R. Phillips.

Marion Center, PENNSYLVANIA

"We wanted to make sure he doesn't teach and that's the reason we entered the deal with him."

June 6, 2008 - William Menk, 35, a music teacher at McCreery Middle School, was sentenced to three years of restrictive-intermediate punishment (probation) including four months of electronic-monitored house arrest at a sentencing hearing April 4.

Menk pleaded guilty to a corruption of minors charge on Dec. 10. In a plea bargain with Indiana County prosecutors, Menk agreed to surrender his teaching certificate. In exchange, the district attorney’s office withdrew one count of unlawful contact with a minor.

Dec 21, 2007 - Teacher reaches plea deal in child pornography case

Court records show state police opened an investigation Oct. 25, 2006, to look into allegations that Menk had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl.

A woman in Seattle told police she had frequent online conversations with Menk and said he claimed to have developed relationships with several underage girls in Internet chat rooms and on MySpace.com.

Troopers found a modified X-box in his home contained nude images of girls under age 18. The prosecutor amended the charges in January to add a felony count of sexual abuse of children. In March, police withdrew the original counts and Menk waived his right to a hearing for unlawful contact with a minor.
---------------
TT - We call it "Bargains" when a teacher "agrees to give up" their license in plea negotiations because it demonstrates how difficult it is to revoke a license when the license itself becomes a bargaining tool that gives the educator an advantage that no other citizen is given. Revocation should be automatic and guaranteed for sex offenders. That it is not is shameful.

Amsterdam, NEW YORK

Munn sought psychological counseling even before her arrest, prosecutors said, explaining why they agreed to a light sentence. (We love the pity picture.)

Sept 13, 2007 - Elizabeth Munn, 32, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Broadalbin-Perth Middle School, was arrested and charged with third-degree rape for sex with a 15-year-old male student.

Munn is married and has two children.

The Leader-Herald has extensive coverage.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING (Sorta) June 4, 2008 - Munn pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree rape. She was sentenced to six months in jail and 10 years’ post-release supervision, but she has already served two-thirds of the six-month sentence and is expected to be freed shortly with credit for good behavior.

The married mother of two will be classified as a Level 1 sex offender, the least dangerous type.

Munn has surrendered her teaching license and resigned from the school district as part of the agreement, according to the Albany Times-Union. [TT - Which makes it a "Bargain."]

Foxburg, PENNSYLVANIA

Nov 21, 2007 - Chad N. Stover, 30, principal at Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School, is accused of having inappropriate communications with a female student between 2004 and 2006 while he was employed as an English teacher at Cranberry High School. He waived a preliminary hearing.

The girl was 16 at the time.

According to a criminal complaint prepared by state police in Franklin, Stover developed a relationship with the girl and the two would communicate via telephone, computers and cell phone text messaging.

During these communications, Stover would allegedly ask the girl to perform a number of sexual acts such as pose naked in front of her bedroom window while he drove by the house. He would also tell her he wanted to have sex with her and would describe sex acts to her, police said.

Police said they interviewed other female students who said Stover spoke with them via telephone and/or computer for long periods of time during the night or early morning hours while they were students at Cranberry High School, police said. The conversations the other female students reported having with Stover supported the victim’s statement, police said.

Stover was placed on unpaid leave in September.

We found an August story about parents who were outraged when they heard about the investigation. They demanded, but did not get, any answers from the school board.

GUILTY PLEA April 1, 2008 - Stover pleaded guilty Monday. Under a plea agreement, Stover will be sentenced to probation and cannot coach, teach or volunteer with minors.

Police say Stover communicated by phone, computer and cell phone text message with the girl. Among other things, he asked her to pose naked in front of her bedroom window while he drove past her house. Stover was appointed high school principal in October 2006. He is currently unemployed.

From The Derrick: (Apr 1) Stover was previously employed as an English teacher in the Cranberry Area School District.

Under the plea agreement, the prosecution agreed to a probationary sentence with the understanding that Stover will never coach, teach, be involved in educational administration or have contact, including participating in volunteer work, with people under the age of 18.

He will be sentenced May 22.

SENTENCED (Sorta) May 28 - Stover was sentenced Thursday to serve five years probation on a corruption of minors charge for sending inappropriate messages to a student while he was employed as a softball coach in another school district. At the sentencing, District Judge Robert Boyer ordered Stover to surrender his teaching and administrator licenses and to pay $1,325.50 in fines, costs and restitution.

TT - There's an inherent conflict of interest when the prosecution knows it can cost the state - despite a guilty plea - $200,000 to $400,000 to revoke an educator's license. It is troubling that there is a possibility that the desire to remove the educator is more important than justice for the victim or the unfairness to someone else who doesn't have such a bargaining tool during plea negotiations. Licenses should be automatically revoked for educators guilty of any sex crime. That they aren't is why it is necessary to bargain with the bastards.

Skaneateles, NEW YORK

Sept 25, 2007 - William A. Milham, 36, a social studies (or history, depending on the news story) teacher at Skaneateles High School, was arrested for having sexual contact with a student at the school five years ago. He was charged with three felony counts of criminal sex act. The student was 15 at the time.

State police Investigator Dave Longo asked anyone with information about the incident to call him at 315-689-3353

Oct 2 - Student reaction.

GUILTY PLEA March 27 - Milham pleaded guilty to a charge of 3rd degree Criminal Sex Act. The relations between Milham and the student lasted for about three years. He will be sentenced May 22.

Action News discovered that Milham was nominated for our Educator of the Week just six months before the allegations started.

From WSYR 9 : Milham "agreed" to give up his license.

Emil Rossi, William Milham's attorney, said his client had “enjoyed a splendid career as a teacher and as a result of this he has been forced to give all of that up. He has agreed to resign his position and between now and the time of sentencing has agreed to give up his license.”

TT - Whenever we hear that a teacher surrenders their license, we wonder what the prosecution gave up in exchange for it. That's why we call it "Bargains" like Bargaining with the Devil.

Teachers guilty of sex with students should AUTOMATICALLY lose their licenses. The fact that prosecutors have to bargain with the guilty to get that license shows just how hard it is to revoke a teacher's license. And it gives guilty teachers a bargaining tool no other citizen has.

SENTENCED May 23 - Milham was sentenced to six months in jail - not prison - followed by 10 years' probation. As part of a plea deal, Milham is also surrendering his state teaching certificate. He has been suspended with pay since his arrest.

WSYR: "He avoids further jail time because he agreed to give up his teaching license."

Phoenix, ARIZONA

“The victim is not a lucky guy,” the prosecutor said. “He was manipulated by a teacher he should have been able to trust.”

“You’re 16 years old. I could go to (expletive) jail,” Mally said in a police-recorded telephone call to the 16-year-old student. Actually, she's going to prison.

May 2, 2007 - Jennifer Mally, 26, an English teacher and cheerleading coach at Paradise Valley High School, was arrested on 29 counts of sexual conduct with a minor.

The parents of a 16-year-old male student contacted the school and school officials then called police. Police were told that it had been an ongoing situation that began in October.

TT - Not only do these teachers betray the trust of their students, they pit the students against parents, and count on the students taking their side.It's the silence those sexually exploiting children count on.

May 4 - During a worried and confrontational telephone call with a 16-year-old boy, Paradise Valley High School English teacher Jennifer Mally expressed concern she might be arrested and asked him to promise not to reveal the nature of their relationship to anyone, court documents revealed Thursday. Police recorded the phone call.

PREVIOUS LETTER OF REPRIMAND May 8 - A letter of reprimand was placed in Mally's file last year, said Judi Willis, public relations officer for the Paradise Valley Unified School District, where the high school is located."It was about inappropriate communications," said Willis, who added that the communications were not of a sexual nature.

Violating district policy, Mally was reprimanded for sending text messages to a student regarding a homework assignment and phoning the same student regarding attendance at a dance recital. Willis said the district restricts the ways a teacher may communicate with a student to prevent inappropriate conversations. Teachers must notify parents in writing of the types of communication they expect to share with students, and the form of communication.

Mally is due in court on Friday.

INDICTED May 11 - Mally was indicted, charged with 17 counts of sexual conduct with a minor. Between October 2006 and April 2007, Mally allegedly persistently engaged in a relationship with a male student at her home, the victim's home and in her car. Mally will be arraigned on May 21.

NEW LAWYER May 19 - Mally has a new attorney who was a former U.S. Attorney for Arizona in the Reagan administration. TT - Google search reveals he was also a judge.

NOT GUILTY PLEA May 22 - Mally pleaded not guilty. Her next court date will be July 12.

[TT - Fashion conscious reporter revealed his acute sensitivity.

Tall, thin and blue-eyed, Mally was dressed in black slacks and a black, short-sleeved blouse decorated with red and white lipsticks. She wore a watch on her left wrist, a wedding ring, two other rings on her right hand, and a bracelet.

What? No earrings??!!!

SECOND STUDENT May 29 - The Arizona Republic got a copy of the police report and is reporting that a second student alleges he had sex with Mally. The second student was 18, above the age of consent. Other details emerged.

Police were notified by the assistant principal. Detectives interviewed the teenager and took him downtown for more questioning. Investigating Detective Duane Armitage decided to have the 16-year-old call her in what he calls a "confrontation call," which was taped. The boy told Mally that he was worried about questions the school was asking him about her. She attempted to persuade him to lie about the situation.

TRIAL SCHEDULED July 16 - Mally's trial is scheduled for Oct. 16. Mally earlier had been suspended by the high school because of rumors circulating about her sexual activities with students. AZ Central reports that she had been reprimanded previously for text-messaging students, which violates policy of the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

TRIAL DELAYED Oct 5 - The trial has been rescheduled to April. The delay was caused by an overloaded prosecution schedule.

MOVING TO TRIAL Nov 9 - Malley and her legal team attended a settlement conference. Mally's attorney told 12 News that the defense is moving forward with her trial. The former English teacher is charged with 17 counts of sexual conduct with a minor. At the time, she was 25 years old. The student was 15 years old.

CHEERLEADER MAY TESTIFY Nov 30 - A cheerleader who may be a possible witness says she doesn't know if Mally and the boy had sex. But she says the teenager should also face criminal charges for threatening and harassing Mally.

RELEASE CONDITIONS MODIFIED Dec 3 - A judge modified the release conditions for Mally. One of the new conditions will allow Mally go to a shopping mall, movie theater or other entertainment location where youths may be present, as long as she is accompanied by a responsible adult.

It prompted a reader response at the news site: "So would someone please do me a favor and remind us exactly what a "Responsible Adult" is? Oh wait. It's probably not going to be a teacher that sleeps with her students! Sheesh. Why is she not in jail?"

TRIAL SCHEDULED Dec 16 - Mally's trial is scheduled for April, 2008. (Source: East Valley Tribune database)

GUILTY PLEA March 14, 2008 - Mally pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual conduct with a minor. She will have to register as a sex offender She appeared in court with her husband. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9.

Her attorney said she changed her plea because "she needs to go on with her life." Mally surrendered her teaching certificate in February. [ TT -See Smiling picture of her at the story.]

PLEA AGREEMENT DETAILS March 25 - The Arizona Republic states that part of the plea agreement is that Mally gave up her teaching certificate permanently. She will have to register as a sex offender. She also is required to pay $1,650 restitution for the victim's counseling costs and could be ordered to pay fines up to $150,000 per count. [TT - that's something we would dearly love to see.]

SENTENCED May 9 - Mally was sentenced to six months in prison (for each count, to run concurrently) in "acourtroom packed with media and about two dozen students, three of whom spoke in favor of the former cheer coach." Her husband also testified on her behalf.

Her husband, Andrew Mally, spoke in support of his wife, saying he’s been punished himself. He described his wife as the most selfless person he has ever known.

“Knowing your wife has been arrested for having sex with a minor is a hard pill to swallow,” he said. “And comforting someone who has just broken your heart is tough.”

Mally apologized - to her supporters. "I’m very, very sorry. I hurt all of these people in this room.” Neither the victim nor his family attended.
Mally will be a registered sex offender.
-------------------------
CERTIFICATE(S) REVOKED August 25, 2008 - The Arizona State Board of Education voted to revoke the teaching certificates of Jennifer Mally. (pg 3)

Queens, NEW YORIK

Feb 25, 2008 -
Bradley Dieffenbacher, 32, a math teacher at M.S. 190Q, has been arrested and charged with allegedly having inappropriate online relationships with eight of his 12 and 13-year-old male students.

The Queens district attorney charges the 32-year-old had sexually explicit conversations with the boys over instant messenger several times since April. He is also alleged to have directed them to pornographic websites and used a webcam to watch one of the boys masturbate.

Dieffenbacher resigned on February 14 after being questioned by investigators. He had been an employee of the Department of Education since 2000.

ARRAIGNED He was arraigned on charges of one count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, three counts of Attempted Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, one count of Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, three counts of Attempted Promoting of a Sexual Performance by a Child and eight counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

District Attorney Queens Office Press Release (dated Feb 25, 2008)

Times-Ledger (Feb 28) - According to comments left on Dieffenbacher's MySpace page by some of his students asking where he was, why he was not in school and when he would be coming back, the children were not told the reason for his absence or that he would not be returning to school.

ONLINE COMMENTS Daily-News (Mar 4) - The newspaper is still following online comments about Dieffenbacher who also had Web profiles on Facebook and Xanga.

Online conversations months earlier seemed to fit the claims by law enforcement officials. In one 90-minute chat with a student still available online, Dieffenbacher alludes to masturbation. The conversations that landed Dieffenbacher in trouble occurred between April 1, 2007, and Feb. 20, and were directed at eighth-graders, authorities said.

GUILTY PLEA April 7 - Dieffenbacher pleaded guilty to attempted use of a child in a sexual performance. Prosecutors say that as part of a plea agreement, 32-year-old Bradley Dieffenbacher will give up his teaching license and register as a sex offender.

He is expected to be sentenced June 16 to six months in jail - not prison - and 4 1/2 years of probation.

Fort Worth, TEXAS

Registered sex offender for the rest of his life.
Sentence? Deferred adjudication. - Meaning that after seven years, there will be no finding of guilt, the case will be dismissed, and he will not have a conviction on his record.

March 29, 2008 - Philip Walker, 59, a music teacher at Westpark Elementary School, who touched a student's breast in an apparent "moment of weakness" has been sentenced to seven years' deferred adjudication probation.

Walker reached a plea-bargain agreement Thursday and pleaded guilty to indecency-fondling in exchange for the sentence. Walker's attorney, said his client voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificate

Walker must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can never teach children again.
Full Name: Philip Lee Walker

Mansfield, OHIO

Jan 2, 2008 - Benjamin Williams, 23, a Madison Comprehensive High School math teacher, is accused of showing pornography to students in his apartment last October. He resigned in November. He faces two counts of disseminating matter considered harmful to a juvenile, along with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to Madison Local School District Superintendent Dr. David Williamson, students returned to school after the weekend and complained about seeing the material while visiting the teacher's home. Williams was suspended immediately.

"(Williams said) that students had seen pornography," Williamson said. "It was from his home computer; that they had been invited to his apartment - and he did admit to sending a text message to one of our students."

He'll be in court on Jan 10.

GUILTY PLEA Jan 30 - Williams waived his right to a trial on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating matter to harmful to a juvenile. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child. He will be sentenced in March. He will most likely have to register as a sexual offender.

SENTENCED March 12 - Williams also pleaded guilty to two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was sentenced to three years' probation and a lecture by the judge.

Williams apologized in court on Wednesday, but Judge James Henson still questioned his decision to show students porn.

"You had teenagers in your home. You were a teacher," Henson said. "Where did you get off thinking that was proper?"

Williams surrendered his teaching license.

From the News Journal: (Mar 13)

Richland County Common Pleas Judge James Henson told Benjamin Williams he used to keep a list of the 10 stupidest people to come through his court. "You'd probably jump pretty close to the top," he said.

Henson also ordered Williams to make restitution for one of the victim's current and future counseling expenses and ordered him to have no contact with juveniles "until you prove you know how to act around them."

"You're just stupid," the judge said. "I almost wonder what they taught you at that college of education about dealing with teenagers.

"Where did you get off thinking that was proper? I don't understand it. I just do not understand it."

AND, " This is life in real time," Judge Henson said. "You can't act like a kid anymore.
"Wise up. Become a man. The reason you're here is you were trying to be a boy."

Osage Beach, MISSOURI

We call it "Bargains" when a teacher agrees to give up their teaching license in negotated plea agreements because no other class of citizens is given such a bargaining tool. Revocation of a license should be automatic, not negotiated.

Mar 8, 2007 - Nick Leier, 31, a teacher and high school football head coach who recently resigned from his position at School of the Osage, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child molestation.

The allegations did not include any type of sexual intercourse. He was placed on administrative leave in January. Leier is free on bond. He resigned Feb 20.

Mar 12 - Leier had been placed on administrative leave in January. He's married. His wife is a former teacher for the district.

Jan 30, 2008 - Leier pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge. A condition of the plea agreement will force Leier to give up his teaching license.

Leier was arrested in March 2007 after allegations of misconduct involving two female students led to an investigation by the Camden County Sheriff's Department.

The allegations stemmed from incidents that reportedly occurred at Leier's home while the students were babysitting. The allegations were brought to the attention of school officials in January by a parent. One allegation dated back to 2005, the other to 2006.

Leier was placed on administrative leave when the allegations first surfaced. He resigned after weeks of speculation and scrutiny of the school board and administration over how the issue was handled.The agreement reached with the school included a provision that allowed the district to share information with possible future employers seeking a reference that Leier resigned after being charged with immoral conduct.

Leier had been with the district for four years since coming from Houston, Mo., where he previously taught.

He will be sentenced March 5.

March 7 - Leier was sentenced to 15-days in jail. Besides his "shock" time in the county jail, a judge gave Leier two years of probation. He also must surrender his teaching license.

Bargain Favors

The cost of teacher misconduct gives you a clue why districts desperately want resignations rather than pursue criminal charges, and why teachers are often given plea bargain favors not extended to any other class of citizens accused of the same crime.

Feb 28, 2008 - West Boylston (MA) is reeling over budget woes that include the salary expenses following the arrest and paid administrative leave of high school teacher Scott Simoncini.

At the School Department, Superintendent Thomas Kane said he was hoping that Mr. Simoncini’s situation would be resolved soon so that they would continue to pay for two teachers.

Mr. Simoncini has been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 22, following his arrest for allegedly giving obscene material to a minor. A retired teacher has been hired as a half-time teacher to cover Mr. Simoncini’s two U.S. history classes.

The School Department is also responsible for the $3,500 cost for a substitute to cover Mr. Simoncini’s virtual high school class.

“We’re looking for a resignation from Scott, but one has not been tendered as of yet,” Mr. Kane said. “When I spoke with the assistant district attorney, he said they were trying to work out a plea bargain, and I anticipate that a resignation would be a part of the plea.”

Mr. Kane said the district attorney’s office would likely pursue an indictment if a plea bargain cannot be worked out. “At that point, we could suspend him without pay,” he said.

The school is having difficulty paying maintence expenses with a maintenance budget freeze. TT entry for Simoncini.

Gowanda, NEW YORK

Dec 15, 2007 - Lawrence Gill, 60, a Gowanda Central School teacher, now admits he stole more than $100,000 from his students. [No other news stories so we assume he pleaded guilty.]

He took the money while teaching at the school. Gill faces up to six months in jail and five months probation when sentenced in February. He also had to surrender his teaching license and must give $10,000 back to the school.

STORY OF HIS ARREST Dec 6 -

Gill, who taught business at the school for nine years, has been charged with second-degree grand larceny for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 over five years.

Gill had left the state abruptly after school officials confronted him about three years ago with their allegations. On Tuesday, while Gill was back on what was supposed to be a brief visit to Western New York, he was arrested at his lawyer’s office in downtown Buffalo. Wednesday night, he remained in the Cattaraugus County Jail, unable to pay the $150,000 bond that was ordered by Persia Town Justice Arnold Andolsek.

The money had gone missing from the senior class fund, the varsity baseball team, the yearbook club and the school store. Gill was an advisor to several school student organizations.

When the school audited the books, Gill was ordered to appear at a disciplinary hearing. He failed to show up and, as a result, was fired from his job in April 2005. He soon left town for Omaha, Nebraska.

The school district was able to recoup $82,000 from insurance money. It cost the district $40,000 in legal advice.

Wikipedia entry for Gowanda, NY

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING Feb 28, 2008 - Gill pleaded guilty to a charge of fourth-degree grand larceny, a class E felony. The charge denotes Gill as stealing approximately more than $50,000 from Gowanda school sports teams and organizations’ funds while employed as a business teacher and adviser. He was sentenced to six months in prison -- to be served in jail -- followed by five years probation.

The Gowanda Central School District has said that the amount stolen was closer to $106,000 and the district received $82,000 of compensation through insurance.

Additionally, as a condition of his plea, he had to surrender his New York State teaching license to the State Education Department.

Englishtown, NEW JERSEY

A substitute teacher has admitted to drinking alcohol from a travel coffee mug during class, scaring a room full of fourth-grade students at a Manalapan elementary school with her "bizarre" behavior, authorities said today.

Feb 27, 2008 - Mary Kaminski, 54, a substitute teacher at Pine Brook Elementary School, pleaded guilty Monday to endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities learned of Kaminski's behavior from students who "became scared and concerned" as she taught the class in December, and later told the principal.

Kaminski brought the alcohol into the classroom in a travel coffee mug. She admitted she was intoxicated in the classroom, and "put the children at risk of harm by her actions," Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said in a statement.

In exchange for her plea, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is recommending she be sentenced to serve probation and forfeit her teaching certification. She will be sentenced May 23.
--------------------------------------------
POINT OF LAW: Under New Jersey law a defendant who has not been previously convicted of a crime and who is being sentenced for the third-degree crime of endangering the welfare of a child is entitled to a statutory presumption that a probationary sentence be imposed. Source
---------------------------------------------

West Seneca, NEW YORK

"For the second time this week, a teacher in West Seneca has been accused of inappropriate conduct with a minor." - WGRZ

August 10, 2007 - Brett Kyser, an automotive teacher at BOCE*, was arrested and charged in connection with "inappropriate interactions with minors," according to a letter sent to parents.

WGRZ 2 On Your Side found out about the arrest from a parent.

According to Erie 1 BOCES District Superintendent Donald Ogilvie, "This whole matter was brought to our attention by a courageous young woman backed up by her father and supported by her friends."

Ogilvie said Kyser was placed on leave the day after they received the complaints in May, but they didn't notify parents until late July, after Kyser had been arrested by West Seneca Police, and charged.Kyser faces ten counts of forcible touching and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Police said the case involves three children.

Kyser had been with the school nine years. and started prior to the state's requirement for federal background checks and fingerprinting. [tt - Why did they find it necessary to include this?]
Next court appearance is August 21.

* BOCES is an acronym for Board of Cooperative Educational Services, a regional public education service organization.

The second teacher is Anthony Harper, a French teacher at West Seneca East Middle School, was accused by authorities of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy.
TT - Link for Harper

August 22 - The case was adjourned until September.

GUILTY PLEA Feb 23, 2008 - Kyser pleaded guilty to two counts of “‘Endangering the Welfare of a Child” which is a misdemeanor. Kyser was facing 10-counts of Forcible Touching after being accused of groping three female students, but those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal that will see Kyser surrender his New York State Teaching Certificate.

Kyser is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13th.

West Palm Beach, FLORIDA

Prosecutors dropped two counts of child abuse.

Jan 16, 2008 - Janice Reynolds, 47, was sentenced to five years' probation Friday and ordered to undergo mental health and anger management evaluations. She was ordered not to act as a foster parent or babysitter or be the primary caregiver for any child unless it is her biological child.

Reynolds is a special education teacher at Forest Hill High School. The charges she pleaded guilty to child neglect.

Police began to investigate Reynolds after her adopted son was hospitalized at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach with a fractured skull, two broken toes and grease burns on his back and face.

The boy now lives with a family member. As part of the plea agreement, Reynolds agreed to permanently forfeit her teaching license.

She worked for the school district for 19 years and currently works in the food department.

---

We label plea agreements that include forfeiture of a teaching license as "bargains" because it's hard to imagine that without a license to bargain with the defendant would get that kind of generous consideration.

Dropping two charges of child abuse for injuries that included a fractured skull, broken bones and grease burns on a five-year-old child and calling it "child neglect" qualifies as a deal.

No one but the parties involved knows what goes on in plea bargain negotiations, but imagine the outcome if the defendant was a unemployed single parent who had to depend upon a public defender instead of a union-supplied attorney. The perception for most people is that an "educated" person would not do such a thing. If anything, this woman was trained to deal with the most difficult children.

Without a trial to air the facts, we can't know either whether the child actually suffered the injuries that are alleged. We have to depend upon prosecutors who are privy to medical records and medical personnel. And we have to trust that the prosecutor's foremost consideration is for the child. But it would make all of us more comfortable if we had a system that automatically stripped a teacher's licenses when children are the victims. And that just isn't happening.

Teachers shouldn't "agree to forfeit their licenses." It should be a given.

Sewell, NEW JERSEY

Jan 4, 2008 - Kris Bodnar, 38, an English teacher at Bunker Hill Middle School, was sentenced to one year's probation after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a minor.

He had been charged with possessing child pornography, trying to lure two boys into his car, and taking a 17-year-old former student to his home and asking the teen to disrobe. He was arrested Oct 2006. He pleaded guilty in October to a single accusation of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

He must also surrender his New Jersey teacher's licence and have no unsupervised contact with minors. He must register as a sex offender and submit to an evaluation at the state Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center.

If it weren't for sex registration laws, most sexual offenders would serve no time at all. In New Jersey, even if they do serve time, if it's a first offense, it's practically a freebie. And sex registration is haphazard, at best, as a New Jersey newspaper reporter found.

Columbus, GEORGIA

Dec 1 - Cypert pleaded guilty. Sentenced to one year in prison, followed by probation, and sex offender registration.

May 2, 2007 - TWO Muscogee County teachers have been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with their students. In separate incidents.

Jim Cypert, 37, (left)an English teacher at Columbus High School, was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault. Cypert is accused of having non-coerced** sex with one of his students in 2005.

May 4 - Cypert, a Columbus high school teacher and substitute, was charged with four counts of sexual assault against a person in custody. [Teacher-student sex is illegal in Ohio even if the student is a legal adult.]

Cypert allegedly had a sexual relationship with one of his female students that began in 2005. The student was an 18-year old senior at Columbus High.

INDICTED Sept 18 - Cybert indicted on sexual assault charges.

Sept 19 - Cybert is still on the school payroll. He was transferred to an area where he has no contact with students. "He is working within the transportation department in an adminstrative capacity, at this time we know this is a legal matter and requires due process and it has to go through the court system,"says Director of Communications, Valerie Fuller.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING Dec 1 - Cybert pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault against a person in custody and followed a plea agreement. He was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by five years' probation. As part of his sentence, Cypert must forfeit his teaching certificate and register as a sex offender.
------------------------------
Roderick Branscomb, 32, (right) a substitute teacher at Carver High School, was charged with sexually assaulting a student.

** TT - we use the term "non-coerced" as sex with a minor is never legally consensual.

Dec 1 - No online updates for Branscomb.

Massillon, OHIO

FIRED June 28, 2007 -
Frank D. Page, 32, a middle-school health teacher, was fired after being accused of improper interaction with a student for allowing a 14-year-old girl to skip classes to stay with him alone in his classroom.

According to the board’s resolution, Page was warned multiple times to stay away from the student and not be alone with her.

He “allowed this same student to remain in seclusion with him, even after being warned against it, despite the existence of and being advised of pervasive rumors of this student’s sexual promiscuity,” the resolution reads.

Page also lied to school administrators and “called this same student out of academic classes so that she could be together with him privately during his conference period,” the resolution said.

Page faces a criminal charge of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor.

NO CONTEST PLEA & SENTENCING Oct 5 - Page pleaded no contest to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to the maximum jail-term of six months and a $1,000 fine. During the court hearing, Page permanently surrendered his teaching license.

RELEASED Jan 15, 2008 - Stark County Family Court Judge David Stucki on Monday suspended the remaining 68 days of the sentence, pending Page’s birthday. Page is to report to the Stark County Jail on Feb. 27 and is to be released May 4.

LAWSUIT April 11 - The family of the girl is suing the Massillon City School District, saying the district failed to protect her. School districts are usually immune to lawsuits, but an exception exists when violating a law incurs a penalty. School officials had a duty to report child abuse, but failed to do so, thw lawyer for the family said. They did no further investigation after talking to the teacher, did not contact family services or the police. The district also prevented the girl from reporting the abuse, by having her talk to school officials instead of outside investigators. "It's exactly why you want to get other entities involved," she said.