Tragic story about a DCPS teacher

[jsteele]

This is a very sad story:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/article/20837617/third-grade-teacher-commits-suicide-following-a-sexual-assault-allegation

A DCPS teacher committed suicide after being confronted with charges of sexual abuse of a child. There is not enough information to determine his guilt or innocence, but the story highlights the conflict between the need to find adults to give care and support to at-risk children while trying to protect those children from sexual predators. Getting things wrong can have tragic consequences all around.

[Anonymous]

Very sad- but one has to assume there was more going on with this guy than this situation (as rough as it was and regardless of his guilt or innocence.) People don't take their lives based on a single incident. Let's not blame the investigation for his death. It may have contributed, but I doubt highly that it is the whole story.

[Anonymous]

Boundaries. Texting, money, informal home visits, atypical arrangements with parents, "popular" teachers and "troubled " kids. Professionals in social work and education recognize these red flags. It doesn't always mean abuse, but these are signs that a relationship might be crossing boundaries.

Teacher-student-family boundaries are easy to cross. Principals and case workerstudies should step in when the lines get blurry, just to make sure things can get cleared up.

Oyster-Adam's teacher comes to mind as an example.

[Anonymous]

You are assuming he is innocent by his last sentence and that is unfair. Who is to say anyone got it wrong? Who is to say he didn't kill himself because he got caught?

[Anonymous]

Allegations of abuse by a teacher can be career ending even if they are untrue. Threat of being charged with child abuse, even if innocent, can be frightening. We do not know the circumstances of the allegations, so I suggest we not make any assumptions about why he killed himself. I am not condoning child abuse, but I am suggesting we are a system of laws for a reason, and this man is being tried by us on DCUM without any facts.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming he is innocent by his last sentence and that is unfair. Who is to say anyone got it wrong? Who is to say he didn't kill himself because he got caught?

I'm not assuming anything. I said that "Getting things wrong can have tragic consequences all around." Do you deny that? If a predator is wrongly judged not to be, the tragic consequences are obvious. If a non-predator is wrong judged to be one, the consequences may be less obvious, but also exist. I'm surprised that this point is even disputable.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Allegations of abuse by a teacher can be career ending even if they are untrue. Threat of being charged with child abuse, even if innocent, can be frightening. We do not know the circumstances of the allegations, so I suggest we not make any assumptions about why he killed himself. I am not condoning child abuse, but I am suggesting we are a system of laws for a reason, and this man is being tried by us on DCUM without any facts.

I am less interested in trying him -- indeed not interested at all -- but rather the conundrum that at-risk kids need close, caring involved by adults but that adults who provide close caring involvement are often suspected -- rightly or wrongly -- of being predators.

[Anonymous]

No wonder DCPS posted an uplifting photo of this school on Instagram today.....

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are assuming he is innocent by his last sentence and that is unfair. Who is to say anyone got it wrong? Who is to say he didn't kill himself because he got caught?

I'm not assuming anything. I said that "Getting things wrong can have tragic consequences all around." Do you deny that? If a predator is wrongly judged not to be, the tragic consequences are obvious. If a non-predator is wrong judged to be one, the consequences may be less obvious, but also exist. I'm surprised that this point is even disputable.

I rather a predator be wrongly judged than a child having to continue on with the abuse. An adult should be able to have the mental capacity to not kill himself when a "lie" is presented before him. The safety of the children come first. I believe that most (male) teachers are aware of this issue as they become teachers.

[Anonymous]

The investigation should continue, wherever it may lead. The teacher was trying to become the foster parent and the mother(who has a vested interest ) made the allegation. If the allegations seem damning, so be it. If they are false, the mother should be arrested.

[Anonymous]

Suicide is tragic, but as one PP noted, no one incident causes suicide.

Also tragic is child abuse, esp of vulnerable children. And there are all kinds of red flags with this guy. Bringing students back to his apartment? I'd like to see how the investigation shakes out.

[Anonymous]

There is also another tragedy possibly hidden: If there was abuse, then the victim can have a lack of closure. Suicides should be prevented for so many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Allegations of abuse by a teacher can be career ending even if they are untrue. Threat of being charged with child abuse, even if innocent, can be frightening. We do not know the circumstances of the allegations, so I suggest we not make any assumptions about why he killed himself. I am not condoning child abuse, but I am suggesting we are a system of laws for a reason, and this man is being tried by us on DCUM without any facts.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is also another tragedy possibly hidden: If there was abuse, then the victim can have a lack of closure. Suicides should be prevented for so many reasons.

I agree. Not just lack of closure, but, either way, horrible feelings of guilt for the student, compounding other problems.