Teacher Accused of Statutory Rape and Other Offenses

[ElieM]

Does "statutory rape by an authority figure" carry a heavier penalty than other "statutory rape"?

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by ElieM

Does "statutory rape by an authority figure" carry a heavier penalty than other "statutory rape"?

Who would you classify as being an "authority figure"?

While I don't know the law, I would hope that there weren't different penalties. IMO, statutory rape is statutory rape. Everyone who commits a crime such as the one described here should be thrown in jail for a VERY LONG TIME.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

IMO, statutory rape is statutory rape. Everyone who commits a crime such as the one described here should be thrown in jail for a VERY LONG TIME.

I read an article a while back that makes me think twice about the bold.

An 18 year old senior had sex with his ~16 year old girlfriend and was arrested. Do I think this person should have the same punishment as a 42 year old having sex with a 15 year old? Nope.

ETA: Found it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Dixon
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in594110.shtml

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I read an article a while back that makes me think twice about the bold.

An 18 year old senior had sex with his ~16 year old girlfriend and was arrested. Do I think this person should have the same punishment as a 42 year old having sex with a 15 year old? Nope.

I understand there's that gray line regarding this matter.. what I meant was more along the lines of: If a teacher has sex with her 13-year-old student, or a random middle-aged man/woman has sex with a 13-year-old, they should both receive the same punishment.

Essentially, status/position/job/authoritative role shouldn't make a difference.

[southernbelle14]

Okay, just to clarify, I'm not saying she is any less guilt or responsible due to this.
I just wanted to point out a couple things.
First, I've looked this up and all but one article say that the students were 14-17 years old. This being the case, some of them would not be her students.
Also, the third article drphil posted stated that she provided alcohol to her teenage daughter and her friends at parties thrown at her house. This is far from having been asked by students at school... Under these circumstances I do not believe you can assume she acted as a predator in the classroom. She had contact with these students because of her teenage daughter, not because she was teaching them.

[*winter*]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I read an article a while back that makes me think twice about the bold.

An 18 year old senior had sex with his ~16 year old girlfriend and was arrested. Do I think this person should have the same punishment as a 42 year old having sex with a 15 year old? Nope.

ETA: Found it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Dixon
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in594110.shtml

In Pennsylvania the law is 18, or within 4 years. This would mean if a 16 year old, for example, has a boyfriend who is 19, and is sexually active with him, he is not considered to be committing a crime. I think it makes more sense this way, although the combination of 14 and 18 seems a bit concerning- a 14 year old is basically still a child. But if some kid is 17 and her boyfriend is 19, that's not much of a stretch and isn't really the same as a 17 year old who has a 35 year old boyfriend.

[southernbelle14]

CLARIFICATION SINCE NO ONE CAN READ ANYTHING FOR WHAT IT IS:

I stated that she is no less guilty or responsible for what she did because of these facts.
I was only stating these facts because people were wondering how these kids went about asking her for alcohol, saying she must have been crossing lines in the classroom, but with these details we have no reason to assume she was.
And how often are there 14-15 year old sixth graders really?
My point was merely that this is a little more understandable with these details clarified. And by understandable I do not mean in the sense that it is understandable why she did it. I mean it makes more sense how it happened. It wasn't just some 6th graders coming up to her like "hey can you buy us alcohol." It was a mother providing alcohol for her daughter and her friends, which is still wrong but more realistic seeming.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by southernbelle14

And how often are there 14-15 year old sixth graders really?

It only takes it happening one time to keep it from being, in your words, "impossible."

Stop yelling. Stop throwing around charges of rudeness and condescension. And consider the possibility that if numerous people are misunderstanding your posts, the problem may not be in others not reading -- a claim you've made in more than one thread. It may be that you are not expressing yourself as clearly as you think you are. Or frankly, it may be that through some of your posts in earlier threads, you've predisposed people not to take you seriously.

[southernbelle14]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

It only takes it happening one time to keep it from being, in your words, "impossible."

Stop yelling. Stop throwing around charges of rudeness and condescension. And consider the possibility that if numerous people are misunderstanding your posts, the problem may not be in others not reading -- a claim you've made in more than one thread. It may be that you are not expressing yourself as clearly as you think you are. Or frankly, it may be that through some of your posts in earlier threads, you've predisposed people not to take you seriously.

In this thread I have stated facts. Facts which are backed up by news articles. I have said exactly what I meant, but people brought up points that I had already addressed. I said she gave students alcohol at parties at her house and that these students were her daughter's friends. Also, that her youngest victim was 14 and she teaches 5th and 6th grade.
the response was "5th grade isn't middle school and omg are you saying 6th graders cant be sexually mature?" bitch I had boobs and my period by sixth grade, I f*cking know they can be sexually mature. I was just stating what the articles said. But whatever. I guess I'll just have to repeat myself.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by southernbelle14

Okay, just to clarify, I'm not saying she is any less guilt or responsible due to this.
I just wanted to point out a couple things.
First, I've looked this up and all but one article say that the students were 14-17 years old. This being the case, some of them would not be her students.
Also, the third article drphil posted stated that she provided alcohol to her teenage daughter and her friends at parties thrown at her house. This is far from having been asked by students at school... Under these circumstances I do not believe you can assume she acted as a predator in the classroom. She had contact with these students because of her teenage daughter, not because she was teaching them.

I understand that you were clarifying the possible context for how she was able to victimize these minors. As you stated, this does not make a difference as far as minor laws are concerned.

It may make a difference for those who care whether they were her current students. Some people do care about that distinction, I don't, but some people do. Those are probably the same people who think an adult giving kids alcohol (in violation of state laws and in a binge drinking culture) is okay as long as the kids are the ones who asked for it and it is done outside of a school environment/relationship.

Originally Posted by southernbelle14

CLARIFICATION SINCE NO ONE CAN READ ANYTHING FOR WHAT IT IS

LOL. Breathe easy. No one was coming at you sideways. Threads take a certain tone especially when people feel strongly about a topic. Some GCers in this thread seemed to defend the accused or overstate the obvious "innocent until proven guilty." As I have stated, that would not have happened if this was a man with girls ages 14-17. Those posts set the tone for the remainder of the thread.

Originally Posted by southernbelle14

And how often are there 14-15 year old sixth graders really?

That depends on the school district. Anyway, belaboring this point and whether they were ever her students are relatively minute details that we all agree do not remove her from responsibility.

[southernbelle14]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I understand that you were clarifying the possible context for how she was able to victimize these minors. As you stated, this does not make a difference as far as minor laws are concerned.

It may make a difference for those who care whether they were her current students. Some people do care about that distinction, I don't, but some people do. Those are probably the same people who think an adult giving kids alcohol (in violation of state laws and in a binge drinking culture) is okay as long as the kids are the ones who asked for it and it is done outside of a school environment/relationship.




LOL. Breathe easy. No one was coming at you sideways. Threads take a certain tone especially when people feel strongly about a topic. Some GCers in this thread seemed to defend the accused or overstate the obvious "innocent until proven guilty." As I have stated, that would not have happened if this was a man with girls ages 14-17. Those posts set the tone for the remainder of the thread.



That depends on the school district. Anyway, belaboring this point and whether they were ever her students are relatively minute details that we all agree do not remove her from responsibility.

Yeah, I just meant to state those things for the people who were making a big deal out of how she was a teacher instead of just an adult who did all this to minors. And I did get frustrated because I feel like people weren't really seeing what I was saying. So I apologize for that.
And I definitely understand where you're coming from with the difference if it was a male teacher with female students. It's not right at all, but unfortunately, that's just how society works :/