Vallejo, CALIFORNIA

Dec 1, 2006 - Vincent Dollarhide, 46, Vallejo High School science teacher, was arrested on suspicion of sex charges involving a student. He is the second VHS employee arrested in less than a month on allegations of inappropriate contact with underaged students.

Controversy isn't new to the Vallejo City School District. The state had to bail out the school in 2004 with $60 million. Only Oakland has more school debt. Still, the school district that is selling off land has new headquarters despite their $50 million debt.

The newspaper that originated the Dollarhide did not think to connect the Dollarhide story with this one in the same issue.

The superintendent of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School district is under fire for having displayed to 85 district administrators an image of a 'ladies Swiss Army knife' containing attachments including a tampon and a phallus-like vibrator.

Superintendent Carter said in an e-mail that he displayed on a slide an image of the knife during a Monday administrative council meeting in order "to capture the spirit of holiday shopping." In their defense they state that the image had been shown to a group of [85]administrators, not parents or students.

I did not see anything offensive about it, nor did 95 percent of the people in the room," he said. "But two people did. They brought it to me, and within five minutes I had issued an apology."

Really says something about the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School district, doesn't it?

UPDATE: (Dec 9) Dollarhide pleaded not guilty. Next court: Jan 11.

UPDATE: (Apr 29) The victim testified at a preliminary hearing. It was a "consensual relationship" [TT - a 16-year-old cannot legally consent to sex.] The "alleged affair" [TT - read sordid sex between a 46 year-old-man and a teenager.] lasted two months before she went to police.

Defense attorney Dan Russo said outside court Friday his client feels "completely horrible" over the situation.

"It's an unfortunate situation. This guy has lost his job, teaching credential, marriage, house, there's not a lot left to take from this guy," Russo said, adding Dollarhide also has a child. "It's just tragic. There's something wrong with the law that makes it non-criminal four months later."

Russo referred to the fact the alleged victim became of legal age only four months after the reported affair began.

A readiness conference is scheduled for May 18.

TT - A check of his credentials show they are suspended.