Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Victimized Twice

We don't exaggerate when we say victims are excoriated by other students when a teacher is arrested, especially when it is a popular teacher. No other victim of sexual abuse is given so little sympathy by students, as well as teachers and the public. Even a prostitute who is raped is automatically afforded more consideration.

Wisconsin
When a Wisconsin teacher was arrested for sending sexually explicit instant messages to the a 16-year-old student that included graphic descriptions of sexual activity and expressing a desire to engage in sex acts with the victim and another female, the student got the blame.
At the hearing, the recipient of the messages spoke emotionally about their effects. She said she was ostracized, lost her self-esteem and confidence, and suffered harassment from her fellow students.

"I lost my reputation," she said. "My brother stopped talking with me for months."

She blamed herself "for everything," she said. "Today, I'm passing that guilt back to him."
The teacher is 33 years-old. TT - entry

Arkansas
A newspaper wanted to know why a science teacher resigned two months into the school year. They repeatedly requested school district records, filed Freedom of Information requests that were ignored, contacted the state Attorney General and then the local prosecutor. They still hadn't gotten the records when they published their story.

One victim who told them about how she was treated by students, teachers and administrators after she came forward with her accusations.

School officials put her into a homebound program requiring her to complete her work at her house for the remainder of the semester. While she was in the homebound program, students had a walk-out to protest her returning to the district. During this time, students and teachers were involved in a fundraiser to raise legal funds for Rose to pay for his attorney.

When she returned to the school she had to leave classes five minutes early to avoid other students. She ate lunch in a school counselor's office because students were so hostile to her.

She and her mother begged the district to allow her to go to another school. They refused. Eventually they did move to another town where she completed school.

What the newspaper found out when they investigated was that the teacher had worked in five different districts. In four of them, students had officially complained about inappropriate conversations and actions. TT - entry

Friday, January 11, 2008

Methamphetamine

Continued from TT entry

Science teacher, Jeff Scheidemantel, 32, in Shafter, California was arrested in December. He was allegedly trying to make methamphetamine in his school lab.

December - Nevada special education teacher Kymberly Tamburello, 43, was sentenced (sorta) for drug trafficking in methamphetamine.

November In Tennessee, Steven Pebley, 58, was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine at the residence he was renting.

Arrested February - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania principal John Acerra, 50, was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 5 years probation after pleading guilty to two counts of felony delivery of methamphetamine and one count of felony possession with intent to deliver. He was selling crystal meth out of his office at the school.

Sentenced October - Joanna Chavez, 38, a New Mexico teacher, was arrested when deputies found her in the school with what they charged as several bags of methamphetamine in her purse. They also found digital scale, several butane lighters, a personal checkbook and a ledger of moneys. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Arrested October A second-grade teacher, Amy Lee Snead, 36, was arrested at school and led out in handcuffs. she was one of 50 people wanted in connection with a methamphetamine operation. Allegedly, she was a "smurf."

Sentenced July - Maryland teacher Timothy Hartlove, 37, sentenced more than six years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine worth about $50,000. (Later resentenced.)

Arrested July - An agricultural teacher in Georgia was arrested for allegedly growing marijuana and attempting to manufacture meth. He is James Gibson, 49.

Arrested July - We wondered at the time. Sad for the sad state of education, WPSD Channel 6 reported that "If Tabor is convicted she could lose her job." The fact that it isn't a guarantee says a lot. Tabor was charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Amy Hill-Tabor is a kindergarten teacher.

There are more. Just search "methamphetamine" at the top of the blog.