Rant of the Day

RANT OF THE DAY

October 21, 2008 - (Vancouver, BC) Vancouver Sun columnist Todd Douglas worries that campaigns to teach teachers how to establish boundaries with students, "are contributing to an atmosphere of wariness and even paranoia -- at both high schools and universities."

With heightened surveillance of teachers and post-secondary instructors in the past decade and more, many educators privately tell me they and their colleagues are taking the safest way out -- they're simply having less contact with their students.

It's easier. But both instructors and students are the losers. The kind of rich relationships I developed with a few devoted teachers and professors in the 1970s and early 1980s would now rarely, if ever, happen.

He claims: "Now, in the wary and litigious atmosphere at universities, unstable students can and do ruin instructors careers by falsely accusing them of harassment. It's happened in B.C. and across North America."

Read the whole thing.
----------------------
TT - Zero tolerance of boundary issues isn't because of a few harassment claims. It's due to teachers having sex with their students, something Douglas would know if he visited the College of Teacher sites in Canada where disciplinary records are online in every province.

The fear of "closed doors" is the mantra of the teachers' unions here and in Canada as taught in so-called ethics lectures before the start of every school year. Bizarrely -- because of their opposition to reform at any level -- this styrofoam-cup-and-donut lecture is conducted mostly by union reps. Not surprisingly, the focus is on "false accusations" and not on moral conduct.

It's like hearing a lecture from a criminal defense lawyer who specializes in defending the mob. He doesn't really care what the creep did: it's his job to defend him. However, the defense lawyer doesn't bother with the pretense that he cares about moral choices. He's in it for the money. The same can be said for teachers' unions.

Which is why any attempt to bring sanity to the classroom in order to bring a check on behaviors that result in statutory rape or result in fewer arrests and sentences for sex charges is doomed. It becomes an issue of "false charges" and "false accusations." This, despite the fact that in over 8,000 entries, we have yet to find a single case where a student recanted.

False accusations often occur when a student accuses a teacher of shoving him around. It's teenage belligerence. However, sex charges substantiated by police enough to warrant an arrest are not false or intended to humiliate or get back at a teacher. A teacher can be found not guilty of the charges, but the likelihood is slim. There are few instances where they are exhonerated.

But the damage - the real damage - of the "false accusation" shibboleth (defined as common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth) is that other teachers, constantly warned of the danger do not report their suspicions and become suspicious of all complaints of sexual exploitation. As Dr. Robert Shoop, writes, in his book, "Sexual Exploitation in Schools," "Perhaps because educators fear false complaints against themselves, they tend to give other school employees the benefit of the doubt." (p 64)

That might be putting it kindly. When the so-called "ethics" reminder is given at the beginning of the school year by the teachers' union representative, it's a none too gentle reminder that you better believe it's a false accusation. Because you, too, can be taken down if you report someone else.

Most school districts in this country have student handbooks that clearly delineate acceptable behavior. Some of the handbooks are hundreds of pages long. How hard is it to print a teacher's handbook that said: DON'T HAVE SEX WITH STUDENTS. YOU WILL BE FIRED. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR LICENSE. YOU WILL GO TO JAIL. AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE CERTAIN YOU DO.

The British Columbia College of Teachers presently has an online survey on -- Boundary Violations.

Don't miss reading their monthly magazine that has a whole article on "Steering Clear of Boundary Violations" on pg 14. They call wrong accusations "extremely rare." Be sure to read how teachers justify having students as friends on Facebook. Teacher disciplinary decisions can be found on pg.20.
Current Issue PDF (large file)

On his blog, Douglas was forced to defend his criticism of the BC College of Teacher DVD and attempt to educate teachers on boundaries.

Baton Rouge, LOUISIANA

Almost a year later, two of the three teachers have been sentenced.

ARRESTED Nov 15, 2007 - Amanda Elizabeth Key, 29, is the third teacher at the Louisiana School for the Deaf arrested in a week for improper contact with a 16-year-old female student. Key is accused of maintaining an improper relationship with the girl.

Earlier, Christopher Joseph Watson, 38, and Nathan Daniel Boyes, 26, were both arrested and each was charged with a count of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Watson was a teacher at the School for the Deaf last year. Boyes is a physical education teacher at the school Both are accused of sending the girl sexually explicit e-mails and text messages.

WATSON SENTENCED - TEACHER
October 22, 2008 - Christopher Watson, 39, admitted last month to sending sexually explicit messages and images to a teenage Louisiana School for the Deaf student while teaching there. He was sentenced on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. He will be on active supervised probation for five years. He will have to REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER.

Watson and Veronie were among five people arrested between November and April on sex-related charges involving students at the school on Brightside Lane. Three of those arrested were current or former teachers at the school.

Veronie's case will go to trial. The case against Boyle is pending.

KAY SENTENCED - TEACHER
October 4 - In May, Amanda Key pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. She was given a suspended two-year prison term and supervised probation for five years. She must REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER.

SCHOOL REOPENS November 1 - The Louisiana School for the Deaf will reopen Wednesday, a month after shutting down because of alleged sex incidents among students and staff, Department of Education officials said Friday.

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek closed the school Oct. 7 after a sex attack by an unsupervised student with a history of bad behavior.

Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

Sometimes you have to dig for the story.

NEWS ITEM

October 21, 2008 - Three girls were awarded total of $1.6 million by a Los Angeles Superior Court panel. All three girls were inappropriately touched by the aide, Ricardo Guevara, when they were ages 5 and 6 while attending Miramonte Early Education Center in 2002-03, according to trial testimony.

The district admitted liability before the trial.

"In a trial of this matter, LAUSD acknowledged responsibility for the acts of a former employee and the damage he caused to the plaintiffs and their families," the statement reads. "In order to spare our students the need to recount and relive the details of the incidents, we stipulated to liability for the acts."

Guevara was convicted of molesting the girls and sentenced in September 2005 to 15 years to life in state prison.
-------------------------
TT - What is missing in such stories is the reason why the school district was liable. You don't pay out $1.6 million because you kinda feel bad about the whole thing. Districts and their insurance carriers pay because they have to. Which meant they did something, or failed to do something, that left them liable for damages.

You have to search around for the probable reason. This Mercury News story includes information that the (Los Angeles) Daily Breeze found unimportant.

Guevara had been accused of molesting another Miramonte student previously. Sheriff's deputies investigated and he was removed from the classroom.

When prosecutors decided not to pursue the case, he returned to the school.

In fact, as the Los Angeles Times reported, Guervara was accused accused of molesting another Miramonte student in 2002 as well as another student in 1995.

Evanston, ILLINOIS

The district thought Frazier had been "rehabilitated," she said.

In February, police found guns, drugs and stolen goods in a middle school janitor's basement.

October 22, 2008 - After $100,000 in stolen goods was found in a drug raid, Haven Middle School janitor Rengay Frazier, 37, was arrested. Along with two brothers who were arrested for stolen goods found in a house they shared. Police found ten guns during a drug raid on the house. Rengay faces drug charges from the raid. Burglary charges are pending.

That's when parents found out about his criminal record. He was convicted of battery in 1996, according to records. In 1988, Frazier was found guilty of felony criminal damage to property. He had also been charged with retail theft and burglary twice, but had never been convicted.

Despite that, he was hired by the school in 2004. Superintendent Hardy Murphy told the board the district was aware of Frazier's record when they hired him, said board member Bonnie Lockhart. At the time of his hiring, the district thought Frazier had been "rehabilitated," she said.

Parents aren't happy. Rengay Frazier was arrested in February. All attempts to get the board to change any polices, have not been successful. Despite,

In January 2005, a Kingsley Elementary School janitor was arrested after a 7-year-old student found his loaded gun in a grocery bag on the floor of a school bathroom.

Three months earlier, in October 2004, a Lincolnwood custodian was charged with selling cocaine on school property.

And in September 2004, the president of the district's teachers union was arrested when he arranged to meet for a sexual encounter with an undercover police officer whom he thought was a teenage student.

-------------------------
TT - The school board isn't without other controversies.

Evanston is on CNN's Best Places to Live list.
(Look at the personal and property crime index.)

SCHOOLS
Total per pupil expenditures in this school district is $12,498, compared to a state averge of $8,340.
Source: GreatSchools.net

New London, CONNECTICUT

October 22, 2008 - Hired in August, Alison Sposato, 34, was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine and driving in possession of crack cocaine.

She is an English as a Second Language teacher at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. According to Rhode Island court records, Sposato pleaded no contest and was sentenced to one year of probation in 1999 for simple assault and shoplifting.

She resigned. The district will inquire with its attorney on how best to strengthen its screening process to ensure the district does not hire people deemed unfit to work with children.

No public school in Connecticut does random drug testing. Most, including New London, do not do pre-employment testing which would most likely be a matter of negotiations with the teacher's union. (Be sure to read the comments at the story.)

Oct 23 - "Screening teachers for drugs"
Parents would like stricter hiring policies including drug testing. New London police, fire, and public works do pre-employment drug testing and are considering random testing.

Oct. 24 - The Day.com editorial, "Hiring concerns in teacher arrest"
QUOTE The district's application for teaching positions, posted on its Web site, requires applicants to reveal a criminal record if they have one and, if so, to provide details. School officials have not said whether Ms. Sposato answered the question honestly.

In this computer age, information on criminal histories is easily accessible. New London and all school districts must assure they have all the facts before hiring employees. UNQUOTE

Huntsville, ALABAMA

October 21, 2008 - Milton Tyson, 39, a Lee High School special education teacher for more than 10 years, was arrested on several charges that included selling counterfeit items to students and possession of marijuana.

Police say when they stopped him, they found a van full of counterfeit merchandise, a small amount of marijuana and a loaded pistol. Although he has a permit for the weapon, he did not have the permit on him. Huntsville Police may pursue additional federal charges through the Alabama Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms

As for the counterfeit items:

"We believe that he had a connection in New York. That he was having it sent through the mail, and we have records that show that he had been doing this for a long period of time. Maybe even up as far as two years ago," said Sgt. Roberts.
There's a bigger issue at hand, though.

"We do know that students were buying from Mr. Tyson, yes," said Sgt. Roberts.

PRIOR ARRESTS
WHNT Ch 19's Amber Stuart followed up on the story to ask "Do Teachers Need More Background Checks?"
They found out that Tyson hasn't had a background check since 2005. Since then, he has had several brushes with the law. He was arrested in March for menacing. In September, he pleaded guilty to that crime. This Tuesday, when news broke of the Lee High crimes, he was expected in court for another crime, an assault dating back to May of this year. He was also arrested for criminal trespassing in 2006. That case against him was dropped.

The school was not notified of the arrests. (Nor, apparently, is their any requirement that the teacher notify the district or the state Department of Education of misdemeanor or felony arrests.)

Pell City, ALABAMA

(Story dated) June 26, 2007 - Anthony Tollison, 27, a special education teacher's aide, was arrested for the second-degree rape of a female student age between 12-16. He was indicted on the charges two weeks ago. No other details available.

Arraignment is scheduled for July 30.
Full Name: Anthony Eugene Tollison

ARRESTED (AGAIN) September 27, 2008 - Tollison was arrested Friday for allegedly selling drugs within 3 miles of an elementary school after being indicted indicted for the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance near a school campus.

Tollison has been free on bond in the first case. District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to revoke the bond, contending the defendant violated his bond agreement with the new indictment charges.

After his 2007 arrest, he was not fired but transferred to the School System’s maintenance shop, away from students.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING October 22 - After pleading guilty to second-degree rape and the distribution of a controlled substance, Tollison was sentenced to five years in prison for each charge with the sentences to run concurrently. He was allowed to remain free until his Dec. 11 probation hearing.

Riverton, UTAH

Remember that Ricin scare in Las Vegas?

October 23, 2008 - U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell sentenced former East High School art teacher Thomas Tholen, 54, to 24 months probation for repeatedly lying to investigators. For a week he denied knowing his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin at a time when the FBI and Las Vegas police were desperately searching for the source of the ricin.

Tholen knew his cousin Roger Von Bergendorff possessed ricin and had a cookbook on how to make the substance. He kicked his cousin out of the house because he feared for his family's safety but later told police and FBI agents he knew nothing about Bergendorff's involvement with the toxin.

Bergendorff moved to a house across the street from Tholen, then to Las Vegas where he was found in critical condition in a motel room.

Tholen pleaded guilty in August to knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced and lying to conceal the offense. He had been free pending resolution of his case.
-------------------
TT - The CNN story makes no mention of Tholen's occupation.

Eustis, FLORIDA

"Desperate Teachers of Florida," Episode #458

October 18, 2008 - Eustis High School English teacher Laura Pace, 38, was arrested, charged with five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. For sexual activity with two male students.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office began investigating after the Lake County School Board received an e-mail detailing sexual misconduct between her and the two male students. One was an ongoing relationship then an encounter with the second. The papers say she sent images of her breasts and buttocks to one teen via cell phone.

One teen provided investigators with a letter handwritten on the fronts and backs of eight pages that Pace left in his mailbox, in which she apologizes for her sexual encounter with the second teen and tried to explain her drug use.The second teen told investigators he had one encounter with Pace at her home, where they also smoked marijuana and she offered him Adderall, an amphetamine. Both boys were 16 at the time and both have transferred to another school.

Pace is married.

South Daytona, CALIFORNIA

"Desperate Teachers of Florida," Episode #459

October 23, 2008 - Cynthia Horvath, 45, a teacher at Warner Christian Academy, was arrested, accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student between June and September. She is being charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

After she was arrested by Port Orange police on Wednesday morning and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach, the Daytona Beach police filed an identical charge against her. Investigators think the two carried on their relationship at hotels in both cities.

Faced with termination, Horvath, an English teacher and cheer coach, resigned from Warner Christian Academy on Oct. 12, a day before a school official contacted South Daytona police about allegations she had a four-month sexual relationship with the student, according to a police report.

The school has not decided whether the boy will be allowed to return to school.
Horvath is married with four children.
(Photo Port Orange Police)

Normandy, MISSOURI

NEWS ITEM

HIV October 23, 2008 - As many as 50 students at Normandy High School, a suburban St. Louis high school, are being offerred HIV tests after one indvidual tested positive for HIV. The Health Department has not released the name of the indvidual or how the 50 students could have been exposed to the virus

The possibilities, a Health Department spokesman said, include sexual activity, intravenous drug use, piercings and tattoos.

Students are being tested at the high school gymnasium. They may decline the tests.

So far, the district has met twice with parents, and begun to ask ministers in the community to stress the importance of responsible behavior.

Students in grades four through 12 already take classes that discuss the consequences of risky behaviors - including HIV, Lawrence said.

See Up to 50 students may be infected at Normandy H.S. n testing underway
QUOTE The burning question n whether that first HIV-positive person was still at the school - is the one health officials are forbidden to answer by state and federal law. UNQUOTE

The St. Louis American article above also notes that the tests are voluntary. There is no evidence of malicious exposure.

Twin Falls, IDAHO

October 25, 2008 - William Stevens, 22, Twin Falls School District substitute teacher and volunteer volleyball coach, was arrested on Friday for lewd conduct and sex abuse charges against a 15-year-old boy.

He was charged with two counts of sex abuse of a child under 16, four counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16, both felon-ies, and distribution of obscene material, a misdemeanor. The charges stemmed from a September outing during which Stevens and the boy performed sexual acts on each other.

The boy was not a student at the school. He cooperated with authorities. He called Stevens from the police department and asked while in the presence of police why they had had a sexual encounter, court papers show."I don't have a reason why - I just thought it might be fun or whatever. Be interesting," Stevens was quoted by police as saying in court records.

Stevens, apparently, knew the boy for years. As well as volunteering as an eighth grade volleyball coach at Vera C. O'Leary Junior High School, Stevens was also a substitute teacher for a day and a half after passing a background check.

An October 31 preliminary hearing is scheduled.
Full Name: William Arthur Stevens

Marin City, CALIFORNIA

Apr 19, 2007 - ARRESTED. John Hawthorne, 42, a teacher at Martin Luther King Academy, was arrested on suspicion of charges that he molested and annoyed his students

He was arrested at school at 9:44 a.m. after an investigation where they learned about incidents of alleged inappropriate behavior on the part of the teacher. There are alleged to be several victims.

Anyone with information about this case may call police at 831-758-7128. He is being held on $400,000 bail.

Apr 20 - The Californian:

The allegations against Hawthorne come as the latest in a series of molestation and child pornography accusations over the past few years against Salinas-area men in charge of young children.

In February, David Martin, 42, a longtime youth football and baseball coach in Salinas, pleaded no contest to two counts of lewd acts against an 8-year-old girl who was a friend of his family's. Larry Mead, 46, formerly a teacher at University Park School in Salinas, last fall received federal and state prison sentences totaling six years after pleading guilty to possessing and transmitting child pornography.

In January 2005, Esteban "Steven" Bojorquez of Greenfield, a 39-year-old bus driver and custodian for Mission Union School outside Soledad, was arrested on suspicion of molesting four girls younger than 14 years old. He died in custody before court proceedings could be completed.

[Bolding ours.] A preliminary is scheduled for May 4.

ARRAIGNED Apr 24 - Hawthorne was arraigned in court today and pleaded not guilty to eight felony counts of lewd acts with a child involving a total five children.

PRE-TRIAL HEARING May 17 - Hawthorne was in court for his pre-trial hearing. He had asked for a bail reduction, but the judge denied it. He is being held on $800,000 bail.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES August 3 - Prosecutors added an additional 12 counts of molestation and child pornography. The amended complaint adds charges that involve seven new victims and thousands of "pornographic" images investigators allegedly found on his personal computer. Hawthorne was remanded back into custody.

NEWSPAPER STORY amended (by paper) - The amended complaint Friday charged Hawthorne with 30 new counts of child molestation and possession of child pornography. There are an alleged eight additional victims and 20 felony counts of possession of child pornography.

[Defense attorney Joseph Cisneros] said Hawthorne told him that the first girl's allegations were brought to his attention by Principal Dora Salazar.

Hawthorne said Salazar told him she doubted the girl because she had changed her story and because Hawthorne disciplined her earlier in the day.

According to the original charges, four girls soon came forward to say they had been touched inappropriately between August 2006 and April. Since then, Thelander said Friday, eight more girls leveled allegations that range from hugging, to touching a girl's breast, and fondling a girl's thigh.

A change this year in state law allowed the child pornography charges as felonies. California law formerly precluded a felony charge for a first child-porn offense.

HAWTHORNE CHARGED IN TWO SCHOOLS August 8 - The Californian reports that Hawthorne has been charged with molesting 13 different students at two different Monterey County elementary schools. As for the porn charges,

Monterey County prosecutor Gary Thelander said the teacher, John Hawthorne of Soquel, used Photoshop software to paste digital pictures of the faces of female students on pornographic photos taken from the Internet. During the investigation authorities found thousands of pornographic images of prepubescent girls, The-lander said.

Hawthorne's bail has been increased to $2 million based on the new charges.

PRELIM WAIVED Sept 14 - Hawthorne waived his right to a prelimary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to hold him. He will be arraigned Oct 11.

GUILTY PLEA Sept 4, 2008 - Hawthorne pleaded guilty today to eight counts of child molestation, with a special enhancement of multiple victims, and one count of possessing child porn. The plea deal call for him to be sentenced to state prison for up to 16 years with a minimum of six years, and registration as a sex offender for life.

“This will prevent him from holding a teaching credential,” [Hulsey, a county assistant district attorney Stephanie] Hulsey said. “He will not be able to teach anywhere in the state of California, and I doubt another state will give him a credential for this.”

There were meetings with the victims’ families and the disposition reached was to (their) satisfaction. “Their primary concern was not to go through a trial,” Hulsey said. Hawthorne is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 24.

SENTENCED October 24 - Hawthorne was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison for molesting his students. He admitted to molesting more than a dozen students in 2007. He will have to register as a SEX OFFENDER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

INVESTIGATION MIGHT NEVER HAVE HAPPENED
The Californian (October 25).

But prosecutors said the blame does not stop with Hawthorne.

Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Gary Thelander told the court Friday that the investigation would never have happened if left in the hands of the Academy's principal. That principal, Thelander said, refused to contact Child Protective Services after four girls approached the school's administration with the allegations.

A call from a school counselor after that refusal led to Hawthorne's arrest in April 2007.

Thelander had something to say about the letters of support for the admitted pedophile.

Thelander said. "I've a certain disappointment in the (letters') complete disregard for the victims in this case."

The Herald (October 27) "Pedophile gets 10 years"
QUOTE Judge Adrienne Grover said the victims, ages 10 to 12, were the daughters of migrant workers who were more fearful to report misconduct by a male authority figure. UNQUOTE

"By the time Hawthorne entered his plea, Prosecutor Gary Thelander said, nine of the 13 victims discontinued contact with the District Attorney's Office, hampering his case. "
-----------------------
TT - Bizarre note: Hawthorne had been facing 16 years in prison, but the judge gave some leniency because he confessed to the crimes. Is that because of the convenience to the judicial process or because of his remorse? And in what way does that serve the victims?

There will, of course, be no charges filed against the school principal for his failure to follow the law. Had a doctor or a health care worker or a psychologist refused to obey the law that requires them to report suspected abuse, they would be severely disciplined. If not by the law, then by their professional organizations. And what does that say?

UPDATE - The prosecutor says that principal Salazar had met her requirements as a "mandatory reporter" because she was "in contact" with Monterey County Child Protective Services the day she met with the girls and filled out required forms.

Even though the letter of the law may have been followed, Thelander said, he is still troubled by the fact that Salazar met with Hawthorne after hearing the girls' complaints, apparently concluded they were not credible and allowed the teacher to return to the classroom with the students the next day, April 13, 2007, a Friday.

The following Monday, after CPS notified Salinas police and a criminal investigation began, Hawthorne was placed on paid leave. He was arrested for child molestation several days later, after a search of his home in which his computer was seized.

"It's all part and parcel of ... why the kids were hesitant to come forward," the prosecutor said of the principal's reaction.

SEE entry on this story and outrageous action of several teachers.

Monmouth Junction, NEW JERSEY

"It's fairly typical that teachers have been receiving this type of arrangement," Bevacqua said.

April 29, 2008 - Daniel Kerekes, 37, a South Brunswick High School gym teacher was arrested Saturday on charges that he was having sex with a female student. He was charged with second-degree sexual assault.

Kerekes has also served as the boys lacrosse coach at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
Full Name: Daniel W. Kerekes

Officials ask that anyone with information contact Detective James Ryan of the South Brunswick Police Department at 732-329-4646, or Investigator Raj Chopra of the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office Sex Crimes Unit at 732-745-3600.
-------------
Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Press Release (dated April 28, 2008)

Information received by the principal at South Brunswick High School led the principal to contact the South Brunswick Police Department on Friday, April 25, 2008. As a result, a joint investigation commenced involving the South Brunswick Township Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit.

The investigation established that in the fall of 2007, Kerekes began engaging in a sexual relationship with a female student of South Brunswick High School.

May 1 - Packetonline reports on the school district responsiveness to the situation.

The investigation into the incident began on Friday, when SBHS Principal Tim Matheney contacted the South Brunswick Police Department.

”The staff became aware of a circumstance that was not of a sexual nature, but just didn’t sound right, and they realized it required further investigation,” Dr. McCartney said. “As soon as any idea of inappropriate behavior came to us the police were contacted and an investigation went forward.”

GUILTY PLEA July 31 - Kerekes pleaded guilty in Superior Court in New Brunswick Tuesday to endangering the welfare of a minor. During the plea hearing before Judge Frederick DeVesa, Kerekes admitted to having sexual relations with the 16-year-old girl at his home and at the school. Under the plea agreement, he will surrender his teaching certificate and will face a maximum three-year prison term when he is sentenced Oct. 17. He will not, however, be placed on the sex offender registry.

SENTENCED Oct 23 - Kerekes was sentenced to three years in prison. He was remanded into state custody following his sentencing by Superior Court Judge Frank DeVesa in New Brunswick on Oct. 17.

Mr. Kerekes will be able to apply for an early release into the county’s Intensive Supervision Program after he has served 60 days in prison and will not have to register himself on the sex offender registry, according to Assistant Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua.

Kerekes will have his teaching license permanently revoked.

From The Sentinel (Oct 23) :

"He pled to second-degree endangering for abuse involving a 16-year-old while he was basically in a supervisory position," Assistant County Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua said. State Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa sentenced Kerekes, a South River resident, to three years in state prison Friday. Bevacqua said the judge received a letter from the girl requesting that he not send Kerekes to prison.

The intensive supervisory program that would release him on parole after three to nine months in custody.

This punishment fits within an acceptable range for such cases, Bevacqua said.

"It's fairly typical that teachers have been receiving this type of arrangement," Bevacqua said.

-------------------------
TT - The question is, Why are teachers receiving preferential treatment?

Worcester, MASSACHUSETTS

An in-vehicle"counseling" arrest.

April 3, 2008 - Tyrone Forbes, 49, an elementary school music teacher at the Seven Hills Charter School and a pastor at the Mount Sinia Church of God in Christ, was arrested and charged with seven counts of statutory rape for a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy.

A police officer on routine patrol spotted a pickup truck parked in the closed Bennett Field parking lot on Main Street about 1:30 a.m. Thursday. He questioned why they were at the field in the early-morning hours. During the interview, it was determined that the boy was 15 years old and had allegedly been involved in a sexual relationship with Forbes since late last year.

Police said Forbes is an acquaintance of the teen’s family.

NOT GUILTY PLEA May 15 - Forbes pleaded not guilty to three counts of unnatural statutory rape of a child. Forbes was indicted April 25.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph J. Reilly III said at the time of Mr. Forbes’ April 3 arraignment in Central District Court that the suspect had acted as a “mentor” for the boy, who attended the same church. He said church members acquired information leading them to question Mr. Forbes’ relationship with the youth and the teenager was advised to have no further contact with the teacher.

The case has been continued to June 6.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING October 24, 2008 - Forbes pleaded guilty today to child rape charges. He was sentenced (sorta) to two concurrent terms of 2 1/2 years in the House of Correction with 18 months to serve and the balance suspended for three years. The judge also placed Mr. Forbes on probation for three years and ordered him to register as a sex offender.

He must also enter into treatment and to submit to GPS monitoring, according to court records. The District Attorney's office had recommended he serve the entire 2 1/2 years.
----------------------------
TT - The lowercase judge (one undeserving of the honorific capitalization of his title) was Judge Mary-Lou Rup who, apparently, thinks it's perfectly all right for a 49-year-old man to have sex with a 15-year-old boy. Her profile can be found here. Mary-Lou has been singled out before in this blog for her odd idea of justice. But that could be because the child pornographer was a teachers' union president.

San Diego, CALIFORNIA

ARRAIGNED October 7, 2008 - Tina Kafka, 58, a teacher at Explorer Elementary Charter School, was arraigned in Federal court on Tuesday.

She was arrested October 3 on a bench warrant issued in connection with a one-count indictment charging her with intentionally causing damage to a protected computer.

The indictment alleges that beginning in December 2006 and continuing through November 2007, Kafka, a teacher at Explorer Elementary Charter School, gained unauthorized access to the employees' e-mail accounts and read their e-mail messages.

The defendant also tried to forward one of the e-mails to a local newspaper, according to the indictment.
----------------------
WE FOUND:
Office of the U.S. Attorney Southern California District Press Release (dated Oct. 6, 2008)
- Kafka was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in San Diego on October 2, 2008. She was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on October 3, 2008 pursuant to a bench warrant issued in connection with the indictment. Her next court appearance is November 10, 2008.

Pasadena, CALIFORNIA

Two San Gabriel Valley, California teachers were arrested for child pornography in separate incidents the same day.

Nov 29, 2007 - In Pasadena, David Hassler, 62, a religious studies teacher at Mayfield Senior School School of the Holy Child Jesus, was arrested and has been charged with possession of child pornography. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers searched his home, they also found numerous printed images of child pornography, downloaded from the Internet.

In Lynwood, Kenneth Kothe, 61, a first grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, was taken into custody on suspicion of possessing child pornography after investigators found hundreds of printed images of child pornography in his home that he actually admitted to downloading. Kothe lives in Alhambra. TT entry for Kothe.

The suspects were arrested this week on state charges, but ICE officials said the agency is considering bringing federal charges against the three men. (The third man was a West Hollywood man.)

Other San Gabriel Valley teachers in the news this past year:
Jonathan Poyner, 21, Rio Hondo Preparatory School in Arcadia - sentenced to 17 years
Philip Sutliff, 34, Arcadia High School - sentenced to 12 years, 8 months
Andrew Barnes, 25, South Hills High School in West Covina, - sentenced to two years in prison
Julio Cardoza, 29, John Muir High School in Pasadena - in prison (no sentencing information found)

NOT GUILTY PLEA Jan 22 - Hassler pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for March 1.

GUILTY PLEA Oct 6 - Hassler pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of possession of child pornography for having hundreds of images on his home computer. He is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer on January 26, 2009.

Child Pornography and Educators
TT - List of educators sentenced for child pornography.
TT - List of educators guilty, but not yet sentenced.

Red Hook, NEW YORK

Children are so vulnerable. Special needs children are especially easy to manipulate.

October 21, 2008 - Mandi Weeks, 27, a Dutchess County teacher, pleaded guilty to third-degree rape. She faces six months in jail and 10 years probation when she is sentenced on Jan. 12, and will become a registered sex offender.

Authorities said the 15-year-old was abused while he was home on break from Devereux a residential school for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders in upstate New York.

North County Gazette (Oct.21) Weeks was employed by Deverreux nd taught at Devereux New York, 40 Devereux Way in Red Hook. She was immediately dismissed upon her arrest.

Brown said that Weeks had intercourse with the 15-year-old boy last summer inside of his Queens home. The victim attends a year-round residential school for children with special needs. He was home on a break when the abuse occurred.

According to [District Attorney Richard] Brown, the investigation began when the victim boarded a subway in an effort to find the defendant and got lost. His mother reported him missing and police, in going through his computer in search of leads, discovered inappropriate e-mails from the defendant.

Tampa, FLORIDA

October 24, 2007 - Christina Butler, 33, a special education teacher at Middleton High School, was arrested and charged with having sex with a ninth grade student.

Butler faces charges of lewd and lascivious battery after detectives say she had sex with a 15-year-old boy who is reportedly one of her students.

She was arrested after police officers stopped teenagers in a car belonging to the teacher.

According to Tampa Police, they pulled over a Jeep Cherokee on 22nd Street after it was spotted driving erratically. Officers say the Jeep was occupied by a group of six teenage boys.

Once officers stopped the vehicle, they determined it belonged to Butler. The driver stated that he did not have a license and his friend Christina let him use the Jeep.

Butler was called to the scene to pick up her vehicle.

While waiting for Butler to arrive, officers spoke with one of the kids, who said the driver was in a relationship with the teacher.

When asked what type of relationship, police say the boy just smiled and said, "I don't ask what they do, they are just good friends," and smiled again.

The officers became suspicious of the possible relationship. According to police, when Christina Butler arrived, she first stated her relationship with the victim was platonic, but then admitted to having a sexual relationship with the student.

Butler has been suspended with pay.

Charge Report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Oct 26 - The school was notified TWICE about Butler's inappropriate relationship with the boy, but the school dismissed the girl's reports as "rumor" and suspended her. TT - Link

Oct 31 - Butler has been hospitalized because of "emotional stress, " according to her lawyer.

[Her attorney, Tom] Fox did not discuss the allegations but said there could be problems with statements Butler made to police last week based on her "long history of mental disorders."

GUILTY October 23 - Butler pleaded guilty today in a Tampa courtroom to all of the charges against her. The charges included contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The boy was borderline mentally retarded. Prosecutors say there was no plea deal in the case and Butler could get nearly 30 years in prison when she is sentenced December 10.

Reminder: When another student came forward to report Butler, the student was ignored and later suffered a school suspension. School officials have since apologized for the suspension.

Wicomico County, MARYLAND

October 17, 2008 - Freddie Prince, 23, a substitute teacher, was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by two-and-a-half years of probation.

He pleaded guilty Thursday to sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl.

In May, a teenage girl contacted the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and told a deputy she was having sex with Prince, according to court documents. The student also said she was communicating with him on MySpace.

Full Name: Freddie Lee Prince

TT - The location may change if we find out the name of the school where Prince was teaching at the time.

Vacaville, CALIFORNIA

In court (again) for parole violation.

Nov 30, 2006 -A trial date has been set for Kenneth Anderson, 56, a 4th grade elementary school teacher. He has been charged with 14 felony counts involving nine students since 1991.

Anderson was arrested in April 2005 and has been suspended by the district. The trial is set for February 15th, 2007.

TRIAL Feb 16, 2007 - The trial is underway and jurors were empaneled.

Following further investigation into the allegations - which also involved what were described as "massages" - the District Attorney's Office filed an amended felony complaint against Anderson, charging a total of 14 counts involving nine students. The latest complaint against Anderson also charges engaging in three or more acts of sexual conduct with a child under 14 years of age during a period of not less than three months.

UPDATE Feb 23 - Anderson testified in his own defense in a jury trial that started last week.

UPDATE Feb 27 - The jury has begun deliberations after a five day trial.

MISTRIAL Feb 28 - A mistrial was declared after the jury deadlocked. will return to Solano County Superior Court March 13 for a readiness conference and setting of a new trial date if the prosecution proceeds with the case.

NO CONTEST PLEA Mar 28 - Anderson has pleaded no contest to committing a lewd act with a child under age 14 and to continuous sexual abuse of a child. In exchange for the plea, his attorney says Anderson will do no prison time.

Chastaine said Anderson did not want to risk spending the rest of his life in prison if he were convicted at a re-trial and did not want to put the families through another trial.

He will be sentenced May 22.

SENTENCING DELAYED May 22 - Sentencing has been delayed while another psychologist examines Anderson. The doctor's report and sentencing is scheduled for June 19, Chastaine said. Apparently, the plea agreement means Anderson will not serve time in state prison but could face a year in county jail.

SENTENCED June 20 - Anderson was sentenced to to one year jail and five years' probation. He gets to serve six months' of his jail time nder electronically monitored home confinement or another alternative to jail. HE MUST ALSO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER.

From the Vacavile Reporter:

The prosecutor in the case, Deputy District Attorney Krishna Abrams, told the court Tuesday that a pre-sentence psychological examination of Anderson indicated that he was an unrepentant pedophile who became aroused during contact with children.

"I've seen no remorse on the part of the defendant," Abrams stated.

BACK IN COURT Jan 26, 2008 - Four days after completion of his six month jail sentence for child molestation, Anderson was in violation of his probation by having webcam contact with two 7-year-old girls.

Abrams said Anderson finished his jail sentence on the molestation conviction on Dec. 21. Four days later, she stated, he is believed to have purchased webcam equipment and made contact with two 7-year-old girls.

"He was less than four days out of custody and he was contacting minors," Abrams charged.

Jan 31 - Anderson admitted violating his probation by having webcam contact with two 7-year-old girls. His lawyer said that he knew he had "technically" violated the order but didn't realize the web-cam contact was inappropriate. NOTE AT STORY:

A story that ran in The Reporter's Jan. 26 edition needs clarification. The article stated that convicted child molester, Kenneth Anderson, had Webcam contact with two seven-year-old girls.

Anderson's daughter, Jennifer George, told the Reporter on Saturday that the two children involved, a boy and a girl, are Anderson's grandchildren and George's children. George said she initiated and approved the Webcam meeting and did not intend for the meeting to violate the terms of Anderson's probation agreement.

After hearing arguments from both attorneys, Judge Harrison scheduled 9 a.m. March 7 for further hearing on the violation and receipt of a supplemental probation report.

March 8 - The judge ordered Anderson's probation reinstated with the warning that any future violation of the agreement could result in the imposition of a state prison sentence.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULED July 31 - Anderson will be back in court Monday on for a preliminary hearing into ammunition and probation violation charges. He is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. In June, Vacaville police reportedly conducted a probation check at his home and turned up a small quantity of ammunition.

THANK YOU for the correction.

Montgomery, GEORGIA

This has got to be the Outrage of the Week.

Convicted in 1991 and sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of special education students, he received tenure at the College of Education at the University of Georgia.
-- until they found out.

October 24, 2008 - The University of Georgia fired a newly-tenured associate professor in the College of Education when they learned of his criminal sex crime conviction.

Cecil Fore III, 50, was convicted Jan. 16, 1991, on multiple counts of sexually abusing three special-education students in Montgomery junior high schools where he was a teacher. He was sentenced to serve three years in a sex offenders’ unit of the Alabama penal system, followed by five years’ probation.

The victim was in the eighth grade in a special-education program at Floyd Junior High School in Montgomery at the time of the abuse.

Alabama records show that Fore’s teaching license was revoked by the state in 1991. Despite that,

after his release from prison, Fore worked from fall 1995 to May 1996 as assistant principal at the small private nonprofit McInnis School, affiliated with the Montgomery Association for Retarded Citizens. The school serves students with IQs of less than 70, said agency executive director John Morris.

Fore finished his doctorate at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale from 1997-1999.

He came to the University of Georgia from Troy State University in Alabama, where the human resources department confirmed that he taught in the department of psychology and education from 1999 until resigning in 2001.

As of Jan. 1, 2008, the university began full background checks for anyone being appointed or promoted, but Fore was granted tenure shortly before that policy took effect.

Hudson Falls, NEW YORK

March 10, 2008 - Kason O’Neil, 26, a P.E. teacher who coaches the track team at Hudson Falls High School was arrested Monday on charges he had sex with a 14-year-old girl who he coached.

Police said O'Neil had a sexual relationship in 2005 and 2006 at the high school. Police say there may be more charges in this case.He was charged with two counts of second-degree rape, a felony. O’Neil was placed on paid administrative leave.
Full Name: Kason M. O’Neil

Police asked that anyone with information in the case, or who may have had inappropriate contact with O’Neil, contact them at 747-4011.

INDICTED March 20 - A Washington County grand jury indicted O'Neil on 21 charges that accuse him of having sex with an underage student 20 times between 2005 and 2007. It includes five counts of statutory rape and nine counts accusing him of having oral sex with the girl, who was 14 and 15 years old. He will be arraigned on March 28.

He may also face charges in Saratoga County where police said they have evidence he had sex with the girl at his former home.

NOT GUILTY PLEA March 28 - O'Neil pleaded not guilty Friday to a 21-count indictment.

He left court free on $100,000 bail bond after a State Police investigator took photos of his genitalia, photographs that were ordered by Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan at the request of the Washington County district attorney’s office.

Those photos were sought in an effort to corroborate what the 16-year-old girl who has accused O’Neil told police about their relationship. She told authorities he trimmed his pubic hair in a "unique" manner, said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright.

Next court appearance is June 13.

TRIAL SCHEDULED June 13 - Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan had declined to dismiss the indictment against O'Neil. His lawyer had asked that the charges be dismissed for lack of evidence. Pre-trial hearings are scheduled for July 22 with the trial tentatively set to begin Aug. 25.

TRIAL September 9 - The trial of O'Neil was postponed Monday when his lawyer became ill. It is expected to resume today with the girl who has accused O'Neil expected to testify. Prosecutors will be able to use statements he made during questioning by police against him. O'Neil rejected a plea agreement. The state’s age of consent is 17.

JURY VERDICT September 19 - Hudson Falls teacher Kason M. O’Neil was acquitted of 12 of 14 charges and all felonies Thursday night, but found guilty of third-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child counts. O’Neil will have to register as a sex offender should the convictions withstand appeal. He will be sentenced Oct. 17.

His lawyer said, "This will undoubtedly interrupt his teaching career."

SENTENCED October 24 - O'Neil was sentenced to 60 days in jail - not prison. After his release, he will be on probation three years.

Turlock, CALIFORNIA

Feb 8, 2008 - Carl Kubicek, 35, a math teacher at Pitman High School, was arrested, along with a Turlock police officer on sex charges involving a 17-year-old girl in the police department's Explorer youth program.

The officer came under investigation following a report filed by the mother of the girl regarding one of her daughter’s Pitman High School teachers. In the investigation, the police officer's name came up.

Police Chief Gary Hampton said the abuse took place over eight months. He called the conduct egregious and apologized to the community on behalf of the department.
Full Name: Carl Troy Kubicek

Feb 10 - From the Modesto Bee: Neither men knew each other and the relationship with the girl did not overlap. Kubicek was placed on administrative leave.

Feb 29 - The criminal complaint filed Thursday detailed the encounters and charges. Kubicek has been charged with five felonies and one misdemeanor. Four of the felony charges allege unlawful sexual intercourse with the 17-year-old, who is referred to as Jane Doe in legal papers. Another felony charge alleges oral copulation with a person under 18, in a classroom, in the period from Sept. 1 to Feb. 5. The misdemeanor charge, exploitation of a minor, suggests that the teacher took inappropriate photos of the student.

NO CONTEST July 22 - Kubicek pleaded no contest to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse that took place in the girl's home and in a Pitman High classroom. Three felony charges were dropped in return for Kubicek's plea Friday, including one count of oral copulation with a minor and two additional counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

The exploitation of a minor that involved photographs of the teen on a cell phone camera, was dismissed because of insufficient evidence. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 21.

August 18 - Former Turlock police officer Jorge Cruz pleaded no contest to three felony sex crimes involving the teenager who was a Police Explorer. Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8. Kubicek is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday. (Cruz was sentenced to 16 months in prison.)

SENTENCING DELAYED August 22 - Sentencing has been delayed until Oct. 16, when Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge John G. Whiteside is back from medical leave. Kubicek has the legal right to be sentenced before the same judge who accepted his plea.

SENTENCED (Sorta) October 17 - Kubicek was sentenced (sorta) to 210 days in jail - not prison - and three years formal probation.

The impact was compounded, said the mother, because the teenager had also been sexually assaulted by former Turlock police officer Jorge Cruz. He was sentenced last week.

Kubicek began his relationship with the teen after she told him of the assault by Cruz, but Kubicek did not report it, according to prosecutors. As a teacher, Kubicek was a mandated reporter.

"If he had done his job eight months ago, we wouldn't be here today," said the victim's mother.

The victim also said she didn't want the court to issue a stay-way order, but Judge John Whiteside issued it anyway. He said Kubicek is married and "he's got no business having a relationship with an 18-year-old."

TT - And he'll never be prosecuted for failing to report either which shows how much the school district and the prosecutor think of mandated reporting laws. Hopefully, the parents will sue the district since they are precluded from suing Kubicek because of the no contest plea.

EXTRA TIME December 8 - Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge John G. Whiteside added an extra two months to Kubicek's jail sentence today for violating an order that he stay away from his victim. Whiteside had previously ordered Kubicek to stay away from the victim until his jail sentence and three-year probation were complete.

County probation officers arrested Kubicek last month after Modesto police found him and the now-18-year-old girl in a Honda Civic near Coleman Brown Park.

Omaha, NEBRASKA

Feb 26, 2008 - Gary Fowler, 48, a community college teacher who worked as an instructor at a Nebraska jail, was arrested Jan 16, accused of having sex with an inmate. He faces four felonies, including three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. In court today, he waived his preliminary hearing.

A court affidavit said on Dec. 28, corrections staff found Fowler in a locked office at the jail. The lights in the room were off. Jail personnel said a 47-year-old inmate who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder was in the office with Fowler. Investigators searching the office said they found several items, including a bottle of body spray, condoms and DNA evidence.

The affidavit said the inmate told investigators the acts were consensual. But Fowler told the jail staff the inmate raped him. Investigators said a second inmate also claimed Fowler abused him. He told investigators that Fowler massaged or grabbed him inappropriately on several occasions.

Fowler is a contract employee of the community college.

SENTENCED October 14 - Fowler was ordered to serve two years of probation for having sex with a jail inmate.

Ripley, TENNESSEE

Amy was going for a track record, only not on the track.
If you get our drift.

June 5, 2008 - Amy Elder, 28, a Ripley High School teacher and softball coach , was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexual battery and statutory rape for a sexual relationship with at least two girls at Ripley High School over the past two years.

According to the Lauderdale County indictment, Elder had a sexual relationship with a 17 year-old girl from September to October 2006.

Police say there was another sexual encounter on Christmas Day of 2006. Documents also show Elder had another sexual relationship with a 15 year-old girl from March to June 2007. Police say there was another encounter on News Year's Eve 2007, and that the relationship continued between January and March of 2008.

Her trial is scheduled to begin October 21.

GUILTY VERDICT October 23 - Elder was convicted of nine counts of child abuse. The nine criminal counts each carry a maximum punishment of 11 months and 29 days in jail. She will be sentenced December 19.

She faces similar sex charges involving another former student, and a second trial is scheduled for February.