Washington Post - Maybe we should just let teachers rape students

[Anonymous]

Umm, Maybe we should just let teachers rape students...

Editorialist references a case where a 49 year old school teacher, Stacey Rambold, received a thirty day jail sentence for raping a 14 year old student who later killed herself and then goes on to argue that sex between students and teachers should not be a crime.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sex-between-students-and-teachers-should-not-be-a-crime/2013/08/30/dbf7dcca-1107-11e3-b4cb-fd7ce041d814_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

Sex between students and teachers should not be a crime
…our society needs to have an uncensored dialogue about the reality of sex in schools.

As protesters decry the leniency of Rambold’s sentence — he will spend 30 days in prison after pleading guilty to raping 14-year-old Cherice Morales, who committed suicide at age 16 — I find myself troubled for the opposite reason. I don’t believe that all sexual conduct between underage students and teachers should necessarily be classified as rape, and I believe that absent extenuating circumstances, consensual sexual activity between teachers and students should not be criminalized. While I am not defending Judge G. Todd Baugh’s comments about Morales being “as much in control of the situation” — for which he has appropriately apologized — tarring and feathering him for attempting to articulate the context that informed his sentence will not advance this much-needed dialogue.

If I told someone at my job that they are dressed nice and look sexy, I'd be out the door before you can say sexual harassment lawsuit, with 49 old teachers and 14 year old student though you need to understand the extremely nuanced continuum of sexual interactions.

Thank you Washington Post for explaining it all. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

This editorial was so appalling that I thought at first it was satire. Combine this one with Kathleen Parker's stunningly racist editorial of a few days ago,and I am wondering why I read this newspaper.

[Anonymous]

I am speechless.

[Anonymous]

Well, sexual contact with a minor who is not of the age of consent is already illegal.

I think the way she constructed her argument was ill-advised and she used some examples and drew some parallels that undercut her premise. But ultimately I agree with her.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact or inappropriate interaction with students of any age should be summarily fired. Period.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact with students under the age of consent (16 in MD and DC, 18 in VA) should be prosecuted.

Teachers who have any kind of non-consensual sexual contact with students over the age of the age of consent should be prosecuted (as should non-teachers).

But consensual relationships between two people, both of the age of consent, are not illegal, nor should they be, even if one of those people is a teacher. Fire the teacher, yes. Prosecute him/her, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, sexual contact with a minor who is not of the age of consent is already illegal.

I think the way she constructed her argument was ill-advised and she used some examples and drew some parallels that undercut her premise. But ultimately I agree with her.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact or inappropriate interaction with students of any age should be summarily fired. Period.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact with students under the age of consent (16 in MD and DC, 18 in VA) should be prosecuted.

Teachers who have any kind of non-consensual sexual contact with students over the age of the age of consent should be prosecuted (as should non-teachers).

But consensual relationships between two people, both of the age of consent, are not illegal, nor should they be, even if one of those people is a teacher. Fire the teacher, yes. Prosecute him/her, no.

If a 45 year old teacher has a sexual relationship with my 18 year old kid, I will be prosecuted for murder. Do you have kids? Do you understand the teacher-student relationship is not equal? Are you simply an asshole?

[Anonymous]

Doesn't the teacher become labeled as a sex offender after doing time for statutory rape?

[Anonymous]

I can see her point. A teacher in my HS had a relationship with a student. They kept it under wraps until she graduated, they got married, he was still teaching when I got to HS 5 years later (and they are still married 20+ years later).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can see her point. A teacher in my HS had a relationship with a student. They kept it under wraps until she graduated, they got married, he was still teaching when I got to HS 5 years later (and they are still married 20+ years later).

Mary Kay Latourneau also ended up getting married to the student she raped. Don't know if it's been 20 years though. That doesn't make it right. There is something majorly wrong with an adult who takes advantage of a child and then ends up marrying them when they become of the age of legal consent. The kid MKL married seems emotionally damaged for life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can see her point. A teacher in my HS had a relationship with a student. They kept it under wraps until she graduated, they got married, he was still teaching when I got to HS 5 years later (and they are still married 20+ years later).

Gross. Too bad her choices in life were so limited by being brought into a relationship as a child with an adult. She never had college boyfriends, never was on her own as a 20-something, etc. How can you think this is OK> do you know how easy it is for an adult teacher to "impress" a teenager? Do you understand that she was cheated out of having a normal high school experience by this prick who is probably banging a student right now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see her point. A teacher in my HS had a relationship with a student. They kept it under wraps until she graduated, they got married, he was still teaching when I got to HS 5 years later (and they are still married 20+ years later).

Gross. Too bad her choices in life were so limited by being brought into a relationship as a child with an adult. She never had college boyfriends, never was on her own as a 20-something, etc. How can you think this is OK> do you know how easy it is for an adult teacher to "impress" a teenager? Do you understand that she was cheated out of having a normal high school experience by this prick who is probably banging a student right now?

Why not? He probably figures he can handle another 30 days in jail and all the better for his sorry ass that he doesn't have to deal with a victim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see her point. A teacher in my HS had a relationship with a student. They kept it under wraps until she graduated, they got married, he was still teaching when I got to HS 5 years later (and they are still married 20+ years later).

Gross. Too bad her choices in life were so limited by being brought into a relationship as a child with an adult. She never had college boyfriends, never was on her own as a 20-something, etc. How can you think this is OK> do you know how easy it is for an adult teacher to "impress" a teenager? Do you understand that she was cheated out of having a normal high school experience by this prick who is probably banging a student right now?

Really? Many people get married to their high school sweethearts. Did they all get cheated as well, because they never screwed around during college? He's totally faithful - wouldn't be surprised if she dumped him and found a younger guy though

Big difference between a child of 14 and a 17 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, sexual contact with a minor who is not of the age of consent is already illegal.

I think the way she constructed her argument was ill-advised and she used some examples and drew some parallels that undercut her premise. But ultimately I agree with her.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact or inappropriate interaction with students of any age should be summarily fired. Period.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact with students under the age of consent (16 in MD and DC, 18 in VA) should be prosecuted.

Teachers who have any kind of non-consensual sexual contact with students over the age of the age of consent should be prosecuted (as should non-teachers).

But consensual relationships between two people, both of the age of consent, are not illegal, nor should they be, even if one of those people is a teacher. Fire the teacher, yes. Prosecute him/her, no.

If a 45 year old teacher has a sexual relationship with my 18 year old kid, I will be prosecuted for murder. Do you have kids? Do you understand the teacher-student relationship is not equal? Are you simply an asshole?

I don't think I am an asshole, but YMMV. I do have children, and I am quite familiar with the teacher-student relationship.

The reality is that if your 18-year-old kid wants to engage in a sexual relationship or even marry any 45-year-old , of any occupation, he or she is free to do so. It doesn't matter if that 45-year-old is your best friend's DH or your kids' babysitter or your DC's college professor or your DC's boss. As long as your DC is of the age of consent, and as long as the relationship is consensual, it is legal in every state in the US. Why should it suddenly be illegal because the 45-year-old is a high school teacher?

I wouldn't like it either, and I completely sympathize with your hypothetical reaction. I would be beside myself. But if we have an age of consent, then we have to respect what the person in question is consenting to, however uncomfortable it makes us or unethical the behavior. The teacher should be fired. But the behavior is not illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, sexual contact with a minor who is not of the age of consent is already illegal.

I think the way she constructed her argument was ill-advised and she used some examples and drew some parallels that undercut her premise. But ultimately I agree with her.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact or inappropriate interaction with students of any age should be summarily fired. Period.

Teachers who have any kind of sexual contact with students under the age of consent (16 in MD and DC, 18 in VA) should be prosecuted.

Teachers who have any kind of non-consensual sexual contact with students over the age of the age of consent should be prosecuted (as should non-teachers).

But consensual relationships between two people, both of the age of consent, are not illegal, nor should they be, even if one of those people is a teacher. Fire the teacher, yes. Prosecute him/her, no.

If a 45 year old teacher has a sexual relationship with my 18 year old kid, I will be prosecuted for murder. Do you have kids? Do you understand the teacher-student relationship is not equal? Are you simply an asshole?

I don't think I am an asshole, but YMMV. I do have children, and I am quite familiar with the teacher-student relationship.

The reality is that if your 18-year-old kid wants to engage in a sexual relationship or even marry any 45-year-old , of any occupation, he or she is free to do so. It doesn't matter if that 45-year-old is your best friend's DH or your kids' babysitter or your DC's college professor or your DC's boss. As long as your DC is of the age of consent, and as long as the relationship is consensual, it is legal in every state in the US. Why should it suddenly be illegal because the 45-year-old is a high school teacher?

I wouldn't like it either, and I completely sympathize with your hypothetical reaction. I would be beside myself. But if we have an age of consent, then we have to respect what the person in question is consenting to, however uncomfortable it makes us or unethical the behavior. The teacher should be fired. But the behavior is not illegal.

No, but it is still unethical. If you find the need to defend this, you are an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, but it is still unethical. If you find the need to defend this, you are an asshole.

Of course it is unethical. That is why the teacher should be fired.

The question here is : should prosecute everything we find unethical? I'm not defending anything other than the right of someone of consenting age to sexual self determination.

I also defend the right of racists to spout whatever nonsense they want to. I don't like it, but I defend free speech. I guess that also makes me an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Read more apologists for why, apparently, in our corrupt society today (birth control! abortion!) it's understandable that teachers sometimes have sex with 14 year olds.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/327348.page