Wayzata, MINNESOTA

August 3, 2007 - Todd W. Grams, 41, a Wayzata High School math teacher, was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting his former girlfriend last August. Grams gave up his right to a jury trial and had the judge determine the case.

Grams has been on paid leave from his job since the incident last August.

It's unlikely that Grams will face prison time, but he will have to register as a predatory offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept 12.

Austin, TEXAS

June 1, 2007 - Todd McDowell, 57, a teacher at Zavala Elementary School, pleaded guilty to charges of indecency with a child for allegedly touching a former student during a school camping trip and for groping her in a classroom after school, according to court documents.

He was arrested September 2006. The acts took place in 1996. No age of the victim at the time of the crime given. No sentencing date given.

KVUE: He will be required to register as a sex offender. He was originally charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first degree felony.

SENTENCED: August 3 - McDowell was sentenced to 100 days in jail -not prison - and 10 years of probation.

McDowell pleaded guilty under a deferred adjudication agreement. In addition to the jail time and 200 hours of community service, McDowell will serve 10 years of probation. If he violates probation, he could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison. If he stays out of trouble, the charge against him could be removed from his record.

There was no mention of sex offender registration. Age of child was given as 13 at the time of the incident.

White, Christian Cracker

The New York Times is still flagging the "race" card.

In an emotionally charged case that has touched on differences in race, class and religion, a music teacher who regularly let elementary school girls sit on his lap while the class watched movies in a darkened classroom was convicted Thursday of sexually abusing one of them.

The teacher was white; the students were native American Indians. The school was an Onondaga Nation school near Syracuse, New York.

Albert Scerbo was found guilty.

"Bristling racial tensions" amounted to a small girl calling Scerbo a “white Christian cracker” in class the day before she accused him last December. The investigator for the prosecutor was a Mohawk and grew up on the Onondaga reservation.

The jury found Scerbo GUILTY of first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, and child endangerment, a misdemeanor. The girl, who had just turned 7 when she testified last week, told the court that Mr. Scerbo “put his hands on my stomach and then went down to my private parts.”

She had trouble recalling the dates of the abuse, as did many of the girls, but said, “It made me mad.”

TT - If she was the one who called Scerbo a white Christian cracker, good for her.

As for the New York Times, those are some REAL white crackers. Moose huggers, too.

Scerbo LINK Moose huggers LINK

Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

ARRESTED: May 25, 2007 -
Daniel Velasco, 33, a a teacher at one of the College-Ready Academy High schools (charter school) was arrested on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student.

The student left her cellphone in a restroom and another student took it to the principal's office. While checking the phone to try to find out who it belonged to, the principal recognized a number for a teacher at the school and found "disturbing images and sexually explicit text messages involving the teacher and the girl."

From the Los Angeles Police Department Press Release:
Detectives' follow up investigation revealed the teacher and the student have been sexually involved for approximately 2 months. On May 21, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed seven counts of Lewd Acts with a Child Under 16. Velasco's bail was set at $250,000.
From LASD Inmate Information: Next court date is June 1.

PLEA AND SENTENCED: August 2 - Velasco pleaded no contest ("You can probably prove it in a court of law, but I dont' want to take a chance.") to committing a lewd act involving a 15-year-old female student. He was sentenced to 180 days in county jail and five years' probation.

Six other charges against him were dismissed as a result of the plea.

He must also undergo a year of sexual offender counseling and register as a sex offender for life.

Bargaining with Devils

RANT OF THE DAY

If your child is sexually abused by a teacher, you can be sure he'll be in a better position than any other man or woman accused of the crime. That's because the near impossibility of firing teachers gives them a bargaining chip - their teaching licenses.

The very people who prosecute teachers who sexually abuse students also work for the state that licenses those teachers. Since revoking a license is long, brutish and costly, the volunteer surrender of the license means time and money saved. For the victim, it's another victimization.

Shawn Feeney was sentenced to four years for sex with two female students. He pleaded to two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and a single count of official misconduct. As part of his plea agreement, Feeney surrendered his teaching license. (New Jersey)

As part of a plea agreement, Scott Fazekas agreed to resign from his teaching position, surrender his state teaching license and register as a sex offender for sexual contact with a 16-year-old female student. He has yet to be sentenced. (Ohio)

Mark Taylor got a really hard slap of 60 days in jail for "intimidating his fiance," was released immediately for time served and ordered to leave Houston county. The agreement included a stipulation that Taylor would drop his appeal of his termination from the Houston County school system, the prosecutor said. Charges of stalking, simple battery, making harassing phone calls and false imprisonment were dismissed (Georgia)

A Michigan assistant principal, James Lighthizer, was sentenced to one year in the county jail -- not prison -- five years' probation and must register with the Sex Offender Registry, for sexually abusing a 15-year-old male student. The District attorney bragged. "He will surrender his teaching certificate," [District Attorney Bill] Whitesell said. "I have it in my possession." (Michigan)

See our rant about Lance Diefenderfer's sentencing. LINK
As a condition of the plea agreement, Diefenderfer’s teaching license was permanently revoked last week. One year home confinement, three years' probation for sex with an 11th grade student. (South Carolina)

Trenton, New Jersey teacher Slyvester Jones was allowed to enter Pretrial Intervention Program in lieu of a guilty plea. This, for sex with a student that started when she was 16-years-old. He is required "to never teach or coach again and surrender his New Jersey teaching license." He's 56-years-old.

Adam Albrecht was sentenced to one year in jail - not prison - for sex with a student. He pleaded no contest to one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, one felony count of oral copulation with a minor, and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for providing the girl with alcohol and marijuana. The judge confirmed that Albrecht has requested to have his teaching credentials permanently revoked."I am certain you will not teach again," Grandsaert offered, to which Albrecht nodded in agreement. The fact that he resigned his teaching position was also in his favor.

Newton, CONNECTICUT

Jan 11, 2007 - Jillian Gehrkens, 28, a guidance intern at Newtown High School, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault after a yearlong sexual relationship 15-year-old student. She also pleaded guilty to contacting the victim despite having been ordered not to do so.

Initially free on a $25,000 bond, Gehrkens was placed under house arrest after she violated a no-contact order by meeting with the victim twice.

The plea bargain includes a nine-month sentence in state prison, 7 years in prison to be suspended after she serves the mandatory nine months, followed by 10 years of supervised probation. She will receive counseling for sex offender, and she will be placed on the state's sexual offender registry for 10 years.

She also is required to submit a DNA blood sample to serve as a reference substance for state investigations into sex crimes. HIV testing also would be done.

Gehrken has an 8-month-old daughter. Ms Gehrkens' husband and her parents attended court.
She will be sentenced March 12. (Sentencing delayed while she gave birth to a child.)

See Judge Relaxes House Arrest Rules In Sexual Assault Case
See archive coverage

SENTENCED August 2 -

A sobbing Jillian Gehrkens, with her wrists handcuffed behind her back, was led from a courtroom by several judicial marshals on Thursday, July 26, to a serve a nine-month prison term for her conviction on a second-degree sexual assault charge.

Her husband sat with other family members in the courtroom.

A nine-month prison sentence for Ms Gehrkens for the violation of conditions of release conviction will run concurrently. After prison, she will be required to register as a sex offender for ten years.

Judge Alexander warned that that if such student-teacher relationships do not stop in the broader society, the state legislature would take action to increase the minimum mandatory prison terms for convictions in such second-degree sexual assault cases.

San Bruno, CALIFORNIA

ARRESTED: June 29, 2007 -
Adam Albrecht, 29, was arrested on on 35 felony charges of oral sex and unlawful sexual intercourse with one of his students and four misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. (Age and sex not given.)

Albrecht is a band and choir teacher at Capuchino High School. No other information.
Full Name: Adam Glen Albrecht

NOT GUILTY PLEA: July 2 - Albrecht pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of oral copulation with a minor and 16 felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, as well as additional charges of witness dissuasion, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Albrecht will only be charged with conduct that allegedly occurred shortly before the student turned 18 years old.

July 5 - Bail was reduced from $500,000 to $100,000. Albrecht resigned. The girl's mother reported their relationship to police. The next court date is scheduled for July 12.

NO CONTEST PLEA: July 12 - Albrecht pleaded no contest to one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, one felony count of oral copulation with a minor, and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for providing the girl with alcohol and marijuana. He will be sentenced August 2.

SENTENCED August 2 - Albrecht was sentenced to one year in jail - not prison.

The girl's mother spoke in court this morning, saying that though her daughter, a drum major in the school's marching band, took responsibility for the relationship being her own idea, she was victimized by "her favorite teacher," a man in a position of authority who should have known better.

"She was driving the boat, but Mr. Albrecht was the adult," she said.

As for the lack of prison,

Judge John Grandsaert declined to sentence Albrecht to state prison, noting that he has "no prior record whatsoever," that he resigned his teaching position as soon as the relationship was discovered, and that he has requested to have his teaching credentials permanently revoked.

"I am certain you will not teach again," Grandsaert offered, to which Albrecht nodded in agreement.

Albrecht will be on probation three years.

Morrisville, PENNSYLVANIA

Assistant DA says, the girl, now 17, pursued the 56-years-old teacher.

June 1, 2007 -
Sylvester L. Jones, 56, facing criminal charges in one county for sex with a 17-year-old girl and despite a court order to stay away from her, was arrested when they were found were having sex in his car.

Jones was charged with corruption of minors, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure and trespassing for driving onto park property.

The gym teacher was already reassigned by the school to an administrative office. After this arrest, the judge jailed him on $100,000 bail. His wife posted $10,000 cash bond a day later.
He teaches at Trenton Central High School.

UPDATE June 19 - A preliminary hearing was continued for Jones as he claimed illness. No new date has been set. The girl was 16 when their sexual encounters began.

UPDATE June 22 - Jones was freed on $25,000 bail so he could attend his daughter's wedding. His wife and daughter requested the release. The prosecutor predicts Jones will get probation.

UPDATE July 11 - A judge dismissed the charge of indecent exposure against Jones but left charges of corruption of a minor, disorderly conduct and trespass to remain.

The sexual assault charge that Jones faces in New Jersey stems from his relationship with the victim as a teacher, not her age, said Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Robin Scheiner. That charge pending indictment, she said.

SENTENCED (SORTA) in New Jersey: August 2 - Sylvester Jones was allowed to enter the Pretrial Intervention Program which is for first-time, non-violent offenders and does not require a guilty plea.

Jones, of West State Street, was required to submit to a psychiatric exam, to never teach or coach again and surrender his New Jersey teaching license. Jones, who was a physcial [sic] education teacher at Trenton Central High School, submitted his papers for retirement after a 27-year teaching career.

Assistant Prosecutor Robin Scheiner said the lenient outcome for the case was due to the victim's refusal to cooperate in the prosecution.

The girl, now 17, had pursued Jones, Scheiner said.

TT - Because he was irresistible , right?

Trenton schools are being carefully watched by the state. The state already controls several New Jersey school districts, including Jersey City (1989), Camden (2002), Newark (1995) and Paterson (1991). They oversee a number of other schools, including Trenton.

A state evaluation, called Q-SAC, gave [Trenton schools] the school district near rock bottom scores in crucial areas of education and management. One issue cited by the report was the lack of proper certification among some teachers for the subjects they teach.

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy said state authorities might come in and make decisions for the district's 28 schools when it comes to instruction and personnel.

-- From cache Channel 12 New Jersey, dated 7/26/07.

There is a reason why New Jersey schools are so bad. See TT - Education Cash Cow LINK

Sacred Responsibility

RANT OF THE DAY

"I'm startled that a school district would support a woman who assisted in covering up a sex crime against a child."

August 2, 2007 - The above was attributed to Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, to describe the action of West Islip school district officials who wrote letters of support for a teacher who lied on the witness stand to cover up rape of a student by her husband - another teacher..

West Islip school district officials are under fire for using district letterhead to write a judge in support of a teacher who was later convicted of trying to cover up the rape by her husband of a North Babylon High School student.

Included in a packet of letters of support sent to Suffolk County Court Judge Barbara Kahn were letters from the school's principal, Anne Shierant, the assistant principal, Dawn Morrison, and the district's director of special education services, Deborah Vertovez.

John Collins, chief trial prosecutor for the Suffolk district attorney's office, called the letters "striking" in their unseemliness."I think it's inappropriate for individuals to purport to speak on behalf of a district and its constituents in support of a person who has been convicted of intentionally perjuring herself in an effort to protect a child molester," Collins said.

Although none of the letters addressed the charges, Morrison wrote that she has "the utmost respect and admiration" for Melissa Cuesta, while Shierant in her correspondence to the court called it "a letter of support."

Melissa Cuesta pleaded guilty to third-degree perjury for lying on the witness stand during the trial of her husband. She was sentenced to three years' probation. Danny Cuesta was sentenced to a paltry 15 month's in jail - not prison - for a two-year sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. They dropped pending investigations into allegations that he had sex with two other girls. TT -LINK

TT - Two teachers testified on behalf of the David Constanza, (LINK) recently sentenced to months to two years in county jail for sex with a 15-year-old girl. The school Superintendent expressed outrage that two teachers testified on his behalf. "How you diminished these actions and testified to his positive contributions, while this girl, the victim, with her family, sat in the courtroom, is beyond my understanding." He wrote that teachers have a "sacred responsibility to protect children" and that his confidence in the two "as guardians of our children has been diminished." TT- LINK

David Costanza is the son of school board president Charles Costanza.

We have seen the same thing over and over. Teachers who attend the trial in support of the teacher, flaunting their partisan support for the accused.

A Maryland principal wrote a letter in support of a drug dealer. A school teacher asked that his son, teacher Nathan Cox, not be sent to jail for sex with a 13-year-old student. Three teachers wrote to support Garland Eary who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. A North Carolina school superintendent wrote a letter to the court asking the judge to allow a local anchorman who while driving drunk killed a pedestrian to speak to the school's driver education classes.

It's their right to write such letters or testify in support; it's our right to ask "Do you have no decency?"

Oak Ridge, TENNESSEE

Paid time off for bad behavior.

August 1, 2007 - The Superintendent has recommended to the Board of Education that they fire a kindergarten teacher. The teacher has been on paid administrative leave since May pending an investigation into allegations she yelled at students or treated them harshly, despite "reasonable requests" harsh treatment and/or yelling at students be an acceptable means of interaction.

Even if they should fire her, it's not the end of it.

According to state education law, if the Board of Education hears Bailey’s recomendation and decides the charges warrant termination, Fellner will receive written notification of the decision. She will then have 30 days to request a hearing with a special judge, School Board attorney Chuck Cagle said Wednesday.

TT - They would have the same difficulties if she slept with a kindergarten student. It's called tenure.

Stamford, CONNECTICUT

Story dated July 31, 2007 - A former two-term school board member and one of the Women of the Year for 2001 by the state African-American Affairs Commission, claims police falsely accused" her son to get back at her for pressuring them about rising gang violence in Stamford during her years on the school board.

"This is a backlash," she said after learning of her son's plea deal yesterday afternoon.

Larry Stephenson, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts each of robbery and assault. He was on probation when he committed the robberies. Police charged Stephenson with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault of an austistic teen in May 2006. Two months later, Stephenson and two other city teens attacked another teenager as he left a store.

Stephenson pleaded guilty on the day his trial was scheduled to begin.

Port Clinton, OHIO

August 1, 2007 - Gail Browning, 49, a Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools speech pathologist, and her husband were charged with allowing an underage party that led to a car theft and crash last fall.

She faces three misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

RESIGNATION: August 17 - Browning resigned. Gail Browning has worked for B-C-S since 1980, according to her personnel file. During the 2006-2007 school year, she earned $63,862, her file shows.

NOT GUILTY PLEA: August 23 - Browning entered a not guilty plea through her attorney. She resigned last week.
Pre-trial is scheduled for November 2.

Nov 3 - The Brownings have second pretrials on charges of hosting an underage party last year. The pre-trials are scheduled for Jan 23.

The couple had a pretrial Friday on three misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to minors. They are charged with allowing a party in their home where a Graytown teen who had been drinking there stole common pleas court Magistrate Bruce Winters car and rolled it later that night.

PRE-TRIAL Jan 23, 2008 - The Brownings had a pre-trial Wednesday in Ottawa County Municipal Court. Their next hearing date has not been set

Stevens Point, WISCONSIN

August 1, 2007 - Katie Buettner, 23, a kindegarten teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School, charged with stealing more than six thousand dollars worth of gift cards and merchandise from the school.

She resigned.

Maryland

August 1, 2007 - A Maryland senator is planning to introduce a bill that would require School systems throughout the state to be informed when teachers face allegations of sexual or violent crimes, The teacher's license would be flagged.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Only one of the 25 members of the state Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board voted for the regulation when it came up.

“The large number, the majority of these cases result in no finding, so they were concerned with identifying and tarnishing [suspects’] professional reputation, or causing an adverse reaction, when they are innocent,” [assistant state superintendent for certification and accreditation John] Smeallie said.

Timothy Gounaris was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexual crimes this month, only after being forced to resign from Harford and Baltimore county school systems because of criminal sexual allegations.

TT - County school officials asked the Maryland State Department of Education to revoke Gounaris’ teaching certificate, and it did — but not before he was hired to teach eighth grade at Chinquapin Middle School in Baltimore. TT - LINK for Gounaris.

Shame on the Maryland Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. Tarnishing a reputation is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than protecting children.

Also see Don't Move to Maryland TT - Link
See teacher hired despite drug convictions TT - Link
See student forced to confront teacher TT - Link
See volunteer coach coerced girl to commit prostitution TT - Link

Two-thirds of Baltimore students do not graduate. About 4,000 students in Baltimore are educated in charter schools, while more than 80,000 students attend traditional public schools. In order to handicap the charter schools, Baltimore City Public Schools paid the charter schools less than what they give traditional public schools. The Maryland Supreme Court ruled 7-2 school boards must give charter schools the same amount of money as traditional public schools.

North Babylon, NEW YORK

Jan 4, 2007 - Danny Cuesta, a North Babylon High School teacher, was sentenced to 15 months in jail for a two-year relationship with a 15-year-old girl. His first trial ended in a mistrial after a jury was unable to reach a verdict on the charges. A week later, he pleaded guilty.

From a Nov 2, 2006 story, also from Newsday:

Prosecutors also said that as part of the plea deal, they would drop a pending investigation into charges by two other girls that Cuesta had sex with them.

[TT - Newsday and other publications frequently reported during the trial that the girl claimed Cuesta "raped her" despite the fact that the girl acknowledged the relationship was voluntary, and the charges were statutory rape.]

[TT- Overlawyered blogged on "Mom tells of Daughter's 'Rape' Scheme" (Problem with links.) However, the mother, a defense witness, "had a hard time keeping her story straight," Newsday, Oct 19. The mother and father are in the middle of a messy divorce. The mother's attorney was reported to be worried about charges that might be brought against his client.]
NEW NEW NEW Update: Jan 23, 2007 - Melissa Cuesta, a special education teacher, wife of Danny Cuesta was arrested and charged with perjury. Prosecutors believe she lied on the stand when she provided an alibi for her husband. She pleaded not guilty.

Update June 6 - Melissa Cuesta pleaded guilty to perjury. She will be sentenced Aug 1.

SENTENCED: August 1 - Melissa Cuesta, 26, was sentenced to three years' probation.

Melissa Cuesta was supported in court by her mother and two fellow teachers. Her attorney, Joseph Cozzo, said she faces a 3-year suspension from her teaching job at Beach Street Middle School, although school officials wrote letters of support to the court for her.

Huntsville, ALABAMA

Talk about top secret.

August 1, 2007 - A soccer coach (whose name was given), no age given, described as "a valley teacher and coach," (school unspecified) will be going to trial next week on unexplained harassment charges. He was arrested a year after an argument on campus. He was charged with misdemeanor harassment.

The potential witness list tops 40. The news story quoted the lawyer two times. And the news station says, "Whatever the allegation, a jury will ultimately judge what happened on campus. "

Thank you for that news story.

TT - One of the reasons we don't report on coach stories that involve non-sexual harassment or minor charges of abuse is that so often they are unfounded. Most sports involve contact of some sort and conditioning the player for contact is part of coaching. But the vagueness of this story was unique.

Ambridge, PENNSYLVANIA

July 31, 2007 -

Ambridge Area School Board President Dr. Bernard Logan chastised two high school teachers in a letter for testifying in Beaver County Court on behalf of a former teacher convicted of having a sexual relationship with a student.

In a letter dated July 12, Logan expressed concern that math teacher Jennifer Grabski and social studies teacher Christina Trombetta had stepped forward as teachers, and "de facto representatives" of the district, to speak on behalf of David M. Costanza.

"I believe you lost sight of the bigger picture," Logan wrote. "Mr. Costanza preyed on a 15-year-old girl. She slept at his house. The relationship went on for weeks. ... How you diminished these actions and testified to his positive contributions, while this girl, the victim, with her family, sat in the courtroom, is beyond my understanding."

And,

Logan wrote that teachers have a "sacred responsibility to protect children" and that his confidence in the two "as guardians of our children has been diminished."

Logan said he wrote the letter on his personal stationery and wasn't acting in his capacity as board president when he composed it, although he refers to himself as a school board director and signs the letter as board president.

A copy of the letter was delivered to the Times, but they didn't print it.

TT - LINK for Costanza.

Orlando, FLORIDA

July 31, 2007 -
Michael Reichert, 37, a University of Central Florida political science professor, was charged with 138 counts of possessing child pornography on his work and home computers.

Computer technicians found the images when he turned the laptop in for virus check.

Reichert's attorney, Hugh McDonnell, said his client has no explanation for how the pornography got there, but said his client is the one who discovered it and reported it to UCF.

Reichert has been on administrative leave since his arrest two weeks ago.
Full Name: Michael Shawn Reichert

See Sun-Sentinel coverage.

Floyd, VIRGINIA

Oct 12, 2006 - Daniel Farmer, 36, media specialist teacher at Floyd Elementary School and assistant girls' softball coach at Floyd County High School, was arrested for contributing to the deliquency of a minor for having sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. An additional charge of sodomy was added.

Oct 27 - Thirty-six-year-old Daniel Farmer pleaded not guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The judge found him guilty and sentenced him to six months in jail, but he appealed it.

His felony charge of sodomy will be held over to the December grand jury.
Farmer resigned after his arrest.

Mar 21, 2007 - No further info in search engines.

GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCE: July 31 - Farmer pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a 15-year-old, which is a misdemeanor. Prosecutors dropped charges of oral sodomy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Farmer must also register as a sex offender.

Farmer was sentenced to two years probation, and 400 hours of community. He must also register as a sex offender.

Queens, NEW YORK

CONVICTED: June 13, 2007 -
Khemwatie Bedessie, 38,, a teacher's aide was convicted of sexually abusing a 4-year-old boy. A jury convicted Bedessie of sexually abusing the boy on three occasions.

Bedessie, who is from Guyana, was an aide at a Queens day care center.

She will be sentenced next month. (Although newspapers quickly lose interest in stories like this and it is unlikely they will carry a story about the sentencing.

SENTENCED: July 31 - Bedessie was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Virginia Beach, VIRGINIA

July 30, 2007 - Veta B. Faison, 59, recently retired assistant principal at Tallwood Elementary, and her husband, Louis Faison, 62, a retired school teacher, were both sentenced for income tax evasion. Faison retired in March, but for seven years, from 1998 and 2004, the couple claimed zero taxable income and submitted tax protest literature with their returns.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Seidel Jr., who prosecuted the case, noted that the couple lived lavishly during the years they paid no taxes. He said they drove Mercedes-Benz cars, were members of a country club, paid for a $100,000 retirement fund and paid for their children's college education.

Veta was sentenced to eight months; Louis was sentenced to 15 months. The couple paid the IRS about $148,000 for back taxes.

Veta Faison's attorney, Franklin A. Swartz, asked the judge to sentence his client to home detention. He called the federal sentencing rules in this case "harsh, rigid and severe," and said that she should be given credit for her 35 years as an educator, her volunteer work and other successes.

The judge was not impressed.

Paso Robles, CALIFORNIA

"She's not a sexual deviant."

ARRESTED Mar 15, 2007 -
Cora Solorio, 24, a bilingual aide at Flamson Middle School, was arrested, charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy.

Solorio had been warned about discussing sex acts with students in the past. Investigators found several spiral notebooks in Solorio's school office that contained questions about the students sexual experiences and their answers, according to a police report released this week.

She was arrested Feb 26 and pleaded not guilty. A court hearing is scheduled for Mar 26.
Full Name: Cora Marie Solorio
-----------------
A California assemblyman has introduced bills to mandate screening for volunteers and another bill to strengthen the definitions of professional misconduct and make investigations of questionable behavior move more quickly. The bills are in response to several incidents in Central Coast schools. [Link at the site to e-mails between a 39-year-old teacher and a 14-year-old student.]

TT - The bills will, of course, never pass or even be considered in the California legislature that is dominated by teachers, former teachers, teacher union-backed representatives and funded by teacher-union contributions. Because, after all, these are just students we are talking about.
-----------------
Mar 27 - Solario pleaded not guilty five felony counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 years old and five felony counts of orally copulating a child under 14 years old earlier this month. A pre-preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23, followed by a preliminary hearing April 25.

PLEADED NO CONTEST June 13 - Solorio pleaded no contest to committing a lewd act on a child under age 14 and to two charges of having oral sex with a child under age 14. She will be sentenced July 18.

Her stepfather, Joe Quiroz, is a member of the board of education. Solario is the mother of three children. She maintained a MySpace page.

SENTENCED July 30 - Solario was sentenced to 270 days in jail and five years probation. Solorio must register as a sex offender for life.

Quiroz is a Paso Robles Public Schools board member.
“She’s a good kid,” Quiroz said. “She’ll survive. She’s getting stronger and has made herself stronger because of all this. …I just want people to know that she’s not a pedophile. She’s not a sexual deviant.”

Deputy District Attorney Andy Cadena criticized a county probation department report that he said portrayed Solorio as the victim rather than the boy.

Elkins, WEST VIRGINIA

July 30, 2007 - James Beatty, 28, an Elkins High School teacher, is facing charges for Sexual Abuse by a Guardian after being accused by a 16-year old girl. She told police that Beatty tried to kiss her numerous times and then inappropriately touched her.

The criminal complaint states that Beatty tried to deny the charges, but eventually admitted to kissing and touching the girl. Beatty says he did try to kiss the girl about six times in the Future Farmers of America Office. Beatty states "he knew it was wrong but did not stop."

The school board reported the incident to the Department of Health and Human Resources.

---

ONLINE RESOURCE: West Virginia criminalizes sexual contact by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust to a child even when such child is sixteen years of age or older, and even when the child may have suffered no apparent physical injury or mental or emotional injury as a result of such conduct. WC61- 8D - 5

Hoquiam, WASHINGTON

July 28, 2007 - Four of five members of the Hoquiam School Board won't be coming back for another term. There are three candidates for the position of board president vacated by Eileen Sterling.

All three candidates view the crisis of confidence within the Hoquiam School District in the wake of allegations involving two male High School teachers and female students as one of the most important challenges facing the district.

Coach Todd Hoiness has pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor in the second degree, charges stemming from a relationship he had with a female wrestler he coached. He’ll be sentenced in August.

Plus, there were earlier allegations against former choir director Matt Hirschfelder, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. A trial is set for next month.

In the Hoiness case, despite several warnings from bus drivers and others that something was going on between Hoiness and the female wrestler, the parents were never contacted. Not every candidate for the school board thinks they should have been.

TT - LINK for Hoiness
TT - LINK for Hirschfelder
TT - LINK for more on the School District

July 27 -

The Hoquiam School Board directed the superintendent to create a new “ombudsman” system so that citizens, district employees or anyone who has concerns about teachers, staff or administrators can offer feedback “without feeling threatened,” as School Board member Dave Smith puts it.

The Education Cash Cow

The National Urban League held its 97th conference this month. Described as "the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African-Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream," they heard from a number of presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama.

They also heard from Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York, who spoke on education issues. (See TT - LINK)

It was decidedly odd having Bloomberg and others address education issues in a city where the state recently took over the schools. ( See TT - LINK ) St. Louis isn't the only school district in the country where the state has replaced elected school boards.

In New Jersey, there are a number of districts currently under state control or being closely watched. Jersey City has been run by the state since 1989. Newark has been under state control since 1995. Paterson was taken over by the state in 1991. Salem is classified as a Level II district. The Level II districts were subject to an external review from the Montclair State University School of Education. Six other districts are being closely monitored.

And then there is Camden. Camden has been controlled since 2002.

About a dozen teachers at a troubled Newark elementary school were removed, and the district's longtime union boss, Joseph Del Grosso, supported their ouster.

That's the kind of teacher and union support Camden needs to turn around its struggling schools. A good education starts with teachers. If teachers don't commit to improving the education Camden students receive, nothing will change.

It's not coincidence that the same districts also suffer from political corruption in local government.

The former mayor of Newark (mayor from 1986-2006) Sharpe James has pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. He retains his Senate seat while awaiting trial.

Paterson mayor Martin G. Barnes (mayor from 1997 - 2002) pleaded guilty in 2002 to mail fraud, and tax evasion, admitting that he took free trips, home improvements, a swimming pool and more from city vendors or prospective vendors. He was sentenced to 37 months. Two Paterson officials were indicted last month for taking bribes.

Former Jersey City mayor Gerald McCann wants taxpayers to pick up the tab for his legal difficulties associated with his narrow election to the school board. Jersey city has a long history of political corruption.

A Camden councilman, Ali Sloan El, was sentenced to 20 months for bribery. Former Camden fixture Sen. Wayne Bryant, a member of the education committee, is also being investigated for corruption.

Annette Knox, the controversial school board superintendent, is now gone amid a test-score scandal and at least two investigations in the district. Board president Philip E. Freeman stepped down after a change in state ethics laws barred him from holding public offices while in his current job as assistant director of the New Jersey Office of Civil Rights.

Another education figure no longer in the forefront is Paul Mehne, the popular and much-admired dean of the Camden campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Mehne stepped down because of a federal probe into financial irregularities and abuses.

A self-serving comment considering the rate of politicians elected in N.J. that are union-backed. A recent report on Camden schools cited more than 500 district personnel with questionable certification.

States don't take over schools because of low academic standards. They take them over because rampant corruption in state and local politics allow incompetence, bribery and political patronage to thrive in schools. They are, after all, cash cows.

Children are the VERY last concern in the political swamps of New Jersey or St. Louis.

Green, OHIO

Could I drown your two daughters?

July 28, 2007 - Jeff Doland, 45, director of technology for an Ohio school district in suburban Akron, was arrested in Florida where he traveled to meet a mother to pay her $500 to let him nearly drown her two daughters for his sexual pleasure. Fortunately, he was talking to a Secret Service agent.

Florida Attorney General Press Release on the arrest. (Dated July 25, 2007)

Doland will initially be charged with selling or buying of minors, a first-degree felony, and promoting the sexual performance of a child, a second-degree felony. The first charge is described in Florida statute as offering to purchase a minor with the intent to promote acts requiring the rendering of assistance by the minor to any other person to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. The additional charge is described as producing, directing, manufacturing or promoting the sadomasochistic abuse or harm of a child through torture and/or physical restraint for the purpose of sexual gratification.

Doland's bond was raised to $1 million. He will have an August 15 court hearing.

Taylortown, NORTH CAROLINA

July 28, 2007 -
Lonnie Jones, 38, a Taylortown councilman and a substitute teacher with the Moore County schools, was arrested, along with his brother, after police found $3,600 worth of drugs in their home.

He was charged with seven felonies and two misdemeanors. The two men are accused of conspiracy, various charges related to the possession and sale of marijuana and cocaine, and maintaining a house to sell drugs.

The mayor was arrested in February and charged with fraud. The council has taken no action against him but are paying his legal expenses.

Jones has been elected councilman every year since 1997.

July 31 - Despite his arrest, Jones kept his seat on the all-black council. Only one councilman voted against Jones. An unidentified woman approached the board and told them her son wouldn’t understand why Jones, a substitute teacher for Moore County schools, still was on the board.

August 7 - The Pilot gives many details from the search warrant, including the three drug buys in the three-month investigation.

Lonnie Jones is a substitute teacher for the Moore County school system, according to Anita Alpenfels, the executive director of human resources for the schools. He was hired this year and "worked in a very limited capacity," she said.

The first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 16.

Aug 7 - The Pilot editorial, "Embarrassment for Taylortown"

How embarrassing.
On Tuesday of last week, three of the five men on the Town Council of Taylortown voted to keep alleged drug dealer Lonnie Jones on their board -- and members of the public present at the meeting laughed out loud.

When one of those members of the public accused the whole board of being corrupt, a single councilman, Jesse Fuller, took exception to being included in such an insulting description. There was an apology; the man said he hadn't meant to call Fuller corrupt -- just everybody else, apparently.

Fuller accepted the apology, and silence reigned -- none of the others present even deigned to object to being called corrupt.

UPDATE: Sept 13 - Additional drug charges were filed against Lonnie Jones and his brother for a drug buy by undercover officers before the arrest were filed.

Jones and Mayor Ulysses S. G. Barrett Jr. (who was arrested by the FBI in March) have both filed for reelection in November.

Churdan, IOWA

July 27, 2007 - Ashley Keller, 24, a physical education teacher and coach for the Payton-Churdan School District, is in jail again. She was arrested in June on charges of providing alcohol to two 15-year-old students. (AOL News said they had been invited to a party at her apartment. Story in cache.)

She was charged with two counts of providing alcohol to a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She pleaded not guilty.

She now faces now faces 986 charges of contempt of court for contacting one of the boys after a condition of her bail was not to do so. In two weeks Keller sent and received 986 text messages. The court documents also said that some of the messages were sexual in nature.

Her trial on the alcohol charges is scheduled for September.

NEW CHARGES: August 23 - Police have charged her with with harboring a runaway and contempt of court. Police said she violated a court order not to have contact with the 15-year-old by sending him 900 text messages.
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LICENSE INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED without possibility of reinstatement for five years by the state Board of Education. Case Number 07-22. Minutes
Found in June 2008 minutes (pg. 4)

Lafayette, LOUISIANA

July 26, 2007 - Joel Whitmore, 40, a Lafayette High School math teacher, was arrested for internet chat with what he thought was a minor.

He is charged with six counts of indecent behavior, four counts of computer-aided solicitation for sexual purposes and one count of obscenity. His bond is $165,000 dollars.

Source: KATC Ch 3

From the Daily Advertiser:

Whitmore's arrest is a painful case of déjà vu for the school. Last April, a boys track coach at the school, Arthur Goodly, was arrested after driving from Lafayette to Iowa, just outside of Lake Charles, to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl he met online. The "girl" was an undercover law enforcement investigator working an online sexual predator sting.

April 8, 2008 - Whitmore waived his right to a jury and will have his case decided by a judge. The trial is scheduled for June in Bossier City.

East Brunswick, NEW JERSEY

Dec 29, 2006 - Shawn M. Feeney, 31, an English teacher at East Brunswick High School has been arrested and charged with official misconduct, sexual assault and criminal sexual contact with regards to two female students. The two female victims were between the ages of 16 and 17 and were students at the when the alleged incidents occurred. Feeney has been suspended by the Board of Education.

Dec 30 - " His bail has been set at $305,000 with no option of paying 10 percent of it."

GUILTY PLEA Apr 18, 2007 - Feeney pleaded guilty today to charges of having sexual relationships with two girls who were his students.

He pleaded to two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and a single count of official misconduct. Under the plea agreement, Feeney faces of maximum sentence of four years in prison.

May 4 - Sentencing is scheduled for June 7. As a result of his crimes, Feeney will have to register under Megan's Law.

SENTENCED July 26 - Feeney was sentenced to four years in state prison. With no minimum sentence given, Feeney is eligible for parole at any time. No mention of registration as a sex offender. As part of his plea agreement, Feeney surrendered his teaching license.

School Reform

July 25, 2007 - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to the National Urban League in St. Louis about education reform. He spoke at a private luncheon. For two days they will hear from several presidential candidates at the four-day national conference.

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The text of his speech can be found on his website.

He spoke about reform in NYC schools and the abolition of the Board of Education. And about tenure, the taboo topic in politics.

Focusing on how well students are actually learning will also allow us to take two other critical steps: reforming the tenure process, which right now is almost automatic. And reforming the process by which teachers can be fired, which right now is almost impossible.

When a teacher is up for tenure, too often the questions are: Did he come to work every day? Did he cover the curriculum? Do people like him? But the one question that really matters isn’t asked: Are his students learning as much as they should? Most times, the answer is ‘yes.’ But if the answer is no, that teacher should not receive tenure.

And when a tenured teacher’s students are not learning, principals, after a reasonable appeals process, should have the authority to let that teacher go. Right now, that appeals process is anything but reasonable. It’s a nightmare. That’s why many principals don’t even bother with it – and once again, it’s our children who suffer.

In New York City, we’ve begun taking the first steps toward tenure reform by requiring principals to evaluate each tenure-track teacher, so that tenure is earned by those who deserve it, and not granted as a right to those who don’t. But to inject some sanity into the process of firing bad teachers. And to pay bonuses to highly effective teachers, we need buy-in from the unions. That hasn’t been easy in New York – or anywhere else. And I’ll be honest: I’m not sure we’re going to get there without support from the federal government.

RETENTION AND PERFORMANCE

Many of you in this room work or have worked in the private sector. You know how to attract and retain the best people. Make them feel respected. And get the most out of them. You pay them more. You give them incentives to take on the toughest challenges and succeed. And you hold them accountable for results. And those who don’t perform up to standard – you let go. That’s Management 101, and it’s the way we treat all professionals – except in our schools.

In most school systems, teachers experience low pay, lockstep pay scales, no recognition of talent, no incentives for success and no accountability for failure. This kind of employment system didn’t work in the Soviet Union, and it’s time for us to recognize that it’s not working in our schools.

TT - Under his school "reforms," NYC teacher salaries have increased 43%, and senior teachers in the New York City school system will make more than $100,000. That's good for retention, provided the teacher provides value for the money and with the ability to "let go" of the non-performing teacher. Something they can't do under tenure. So what is the point of paying all teachers 43% more? Tenure is locked in the Legislature.

There's something ironic about speaking about education reform in a city that has just had their schools taken over by the state for colossal mismanagement and corruption.

See Bloomberg's, ah, reforms. TT entry

New Milford, CONNECTICUT

July 26, 2007 - Keir Hansen, 33, a fifth-grade teacher at Sarah Noble Intermediate School, is alleged to have made fraudulent purchases and charged them to a fire department. A warrant charged him with third-degree larceny, a class D felony related to thefts of amounts more than $1,000.

He was released on bond. Next court date is August 6.

TT - It's always a debate whether to post a news story or not. It sounds like a petty case that involved poor judgement, one of the main reasons we ignore most PTA and school fund thefts, even by teachers. One of the comments at the news site, however, tipped the balance.

I dont have anger towards him. i said i liked him and he was a great teacher. BUT when my son found out about his arrest, he was SHOCKED! do you know what he said...he said wow, i looked up to him. the kids in sarah noble have had enough issues this year. do they need more??

It's the very reason why the arrest and prosecution of a teacher is a tragedy. Not for the teacher, but for students whose first interaction with authority is with a school teacher. How school authorities respond constitutes a life lesson. Not just for the one student, but the chain of students in the teacher's current classes and every class he or she ever taught.

SENTENCED: Hansen must pay off the debt he incurred, write letters of apology to his victims, and perform 20 hours of community service. In exchange, if he doesn't violate any laws over the next year, his criminal record will be erased as a first-time offender. He's still on paid leave.

Oct 2 - Hansen resigned effective Sept. 14. With his resignation, Hansen retains his state teacher certification.

Fallon, NEVADA

It's why we elect school boards - to establish policy for our schools. Uh, wait, -- Reality check.




July 26, 2007 - Last year, the Churchill County School District Board of Trustees approved a policy to test district employees who are suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the workplace. The result was a 23-page draft of administrative regulations.

Board President Greg Koenig said Monday that teacher union representative Margie Villanueva wants the administrative regulations condensed from its current 23 pages to eight pages.

The draft document that came before the board at a recent meeting outlines the process for testing a school district employee and the consequences if an employee is found to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while working. It also includes forms for district employees that give permission for testing and acknowledge they have read and understand the policy.

"The association is going to look at the eight pages and if they agree on it, it's going to come before the board," Koenig said.

TT - And if they don't agree?

Be sure to read how a teacher who arrived for school was drunk, given a preliminary breath test and then was driven home by the police officer without ever administering any other tests required to prosecute.

In May, a board trustee was told to shut down his blog when he confirmed the incident.
TT - LINK

Beech Grove, INDIANA

July 26, 2007 - From the Indianapolis Star:

A Marion Superior Court judge on Wednesday set a new trial date for a former Beech Grove teacher facing new charges after a conviction last year for molesting a first-grader.

Jeffrey B. Baber, 42, is serving a 30-year sentence. A fter his arrest in 2005, more parents came forward, and prosecutors filed two more child molesting charges in December 2006. Baber now is accused of putting his hand down the pants of two kindergartners during the 2001-02 school year at Hornet Park Elementary.

Judge Tanya Walton Pratt rescheduled the trial for Oct. 1. If convicted, Baber faces up to eight years in prison on each charge.

On July 20, 2007 - Baber lost an appeal on his 2006 conviction. The Court of Appeals of Indiana wrote, in part,

With respect to his character, Baber enjoyed a reputation as a good husband, father, neighbor, friend, and teacher. However, Baber was also an elementary school teacher who kept pornographic DVDs locked in a cabinet in the same room where he taught the six- and seven-year-olds entrusted to his care. The trial court noted Baber was "pretty brazen, not only to [keep pornography in his classroom], but to commit the crimes you did in your classroom." (Id. at 1181.) This does not speak well of his character or judgment. Nothing about Baber’s character suggests his sentence is inappropriate.

Houston, TEXAS

July 26, 2007 - Robert "Kevin" Cyphers, 45, a teacher who worked for the Houston Independent School District, as well as three other districts in the Houston area, was convicted repeatedly molesting an 8-year-old girl.

The girl was not a student. Cyphers molested her while her mother was at work. [Story is vague on why he was alone with the child,]

The punishment trial is scheduled for next week.

Syracuse, NEW YORK

Jan 25, 2007 - The New York Times continues to take an unusual interest in the Albert Scerbo trial in Syracuse, NY.

They describe the case as "proving problematic for the Onondaga County district attorney’s office." On the second day of the trial. They characterize the case as "shaking up relations between the 1,500-member tribe and the surrounding community." No other newspaper reports such a conflict. And then there is the the nitpicking of the testimony of 7 and 8-year-old witnesses on events that happened in kindergarten is decidedly curious because such confusion is often seen in trials with children that young.

In stark contrast, the Syracuse Post-Standard is straightforward in presenting the trial as it unfolds, which is odd because Edward Z. Menkin, the defense attorney for Scerbo, has been writing letters to the editors of the Post-Standard for years. He even has screenshots of clips of some his newspaper articles at his site.

In all, it's puzzling. Something, or someone, and not poor, little Indian children has caught the ear of the moose-huggers.

TT - LINK for Scerbo

Montgomery, ALABAMA

CHARGED: Jan 19, 2007-
Patrick Epkins, a teacher's aide and a wrestling coach in the Elmore County School system was charged with rape of 14-year-old student.

WSFA12 wonders how he was acceptable to work in a classroom.

Court records show his wife asked for a protective order against him after a difficult divorce. He also has several bad check charges on his record.

In 2002, he forfeited a bond he'd signed for a 1995 criminal charge. Also in 2002, he pleaded guilty to a theft charge in Prattville.
And yet, Elmore County hired him to work with at-risk students in August 2005.

On January 16th, he was charged with contempt of court for failing to pay his fine from the 2002 theft to which he pleaded guilty.

GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCING: July 25 - Epkins pleaded guilty to rape and was sentenced to two years in prison. He has to register as a sex offender twice a year upon release and must attend mandatory sex offender treatment

Midland, TEXAS

Sentenced to 26 years. He will not be eligible for parole for 13 years. Sex offender for life.
"He knows I love Winnie the Pooh," she said.

TRIAL: July 18, 2007 -
David Van Houten, 31, a social studies teacher at Midland Academy Charter School, is on trial, charged with four felonies, for sex with a 14-year-old girl.

An English teacher and a teacher's aide both testified. The English teacher saw the van Houten and the child kissing and described it as a "romantic" kiss. The aide testified that van Houten asked her to destroy letters in his desk. Instead, she gave them to the principal. A science teacher testified that she protested van Houten taking the girl out of her class.

Then the 14-year-old girl testified about the two sexual encounters on the floor of the classroom, that was preceded by the the CD's that he had given her of the music of the Beatles and Winnie the Pooh. He also bought her a necklace and held hands with her during field trips to see the "Aquila and the Bee" movie.

TT - And if you don't cry reading the humiliation of this little girl, you aren't human.

GUILTY VERDICT AND SENTENCING RECOMMENDATION
July 24 - Van Houton was convicted on all four second-degree felony counts, In the punishment phase of the trial, the jury recommended a 13-year sentence for each of the four felony charges of which it had convicted former middle school teacher David Van Houten.

The surprise of the day Monday was the punishment phase testimony of a 31-year-old Odessa woman who said Van Houten, her cousin, had molested her when they were 13 years old.

Van Houten is married and has a 5-year-old son. His wife supports him.

A judge will decide on Wednesday whether the sentence will run concurrently or consecutively.

SENTENCED: July 25 - Van Houten was sentenced to 26 years. He will not be eligible for parole for 13 years. He must also register as a Sex Offender for the rest of his life.

NO NEW TRIAL Oct 9 - Van Houten has been denied a new trial after his attorney claimed the case wasn't "properly litigated."

Queens, NEW YORK

Substitute discusses his fondness for oral sex with students.

July 25, 2007 - Michael Williams, 49, a substitute teacher at Long Island City HS, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child yesterday, after allegedly boasting to students about his fondness for performing and receiving oral sex.

On two occasions last December, Williams engaged in filthy banter about his sexual behavior with students aged 13 and 14 in the classroom, according to interviews with 12 students by a schools investigator and administrators.

Williams did not return calls for comment. The report notes that he denied discussing his private sexual life. Instead, he said, he discussed sex in the context of hip-hop lyrics.

New York Daily News: Williams also bragged about cheating on his wife. A girl used her cell phone to record a vulgar exchange between Williams and a student who can be heard begging him to "stop talking about this."

Williams has been banned from teaching since the January complaint.

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ONLINE RESOURCE: The Special Commissioner of Investigations for New York City Schools Here
Reports and Press Releases