Time and again persons commenting upon BBT reports of school employees accused of engaging in illegal sexual relationships with a students refer to these crimes as “mistakes”, as in the alleged offender “made a mistake”.

When a person knowingly and willfully violates a criminal prohibition, a crime occurs and crimes are more than mistakes. Crimes are more serious than mistakes, usually a lot more serious, both in the harm done and the consequences suffered.

While both mistakes and crimes have the potential to harm those victimized by them and to embarrass, frustrate and penalize those making them, only crimes carry with them the very real possibility of imprisonment, harsh fines and a lifelong status as an “outcast” for those committing them.

A public perception that teacher-student sexual relationships, particularly those involving students of the age of consent, are simply “mistakes” on the part of teachers is helping fuel the alarming number of such relationships we are now seeing.

When a school employee engages in a sexual relationship with a student and does so in violation of the law, that employee is committing a CRIME, not just making a mistake. This is the case even when the victim is a willing participant or otherwise encourages the sexual relationship.

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A Bad Bad Teacher Editorial Opinion

Worthington Christian Schools, in Worthington, Ohio, is at the center of a scandal which will likely change the relationship between “church schools” and government agencies which certify teachers.

This Christian school system, which includes pre-school through high school and boasts over 1,200 students, was thrust into the bright glare of national attention owing to sex scandals.

In rapid succession Dwayne Smith, a very popular science teacher and soccer coach, was profiled as a self-admitted child molester and Jason Crary, a popular English teacher and soccer coach, was arrested on allegations of sexually abusing a then 16-year-old female student in Wisconsin in the late 1990’s.

The criminal case of Jason Crary is in its earliest stages. Like all persons accused of a crime Mr. Crary is entitled to not only his day in court but also a presumption of innocence as his case works its way through the system.

The case of Dwayne Smith is different.
There is no case against Dwayne Smith.
There apparently never was a case against Dwayne Smith.
And this in spite of his supposed “confession” to church and school officials of his having repeatedly sexually assaulted a then eighth-grade female student in 1996.

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Janet Botton Klatt, of Charlotte, North Carolina a former history teacher at Cannon School in Cabarrus County arrested and charged last year with having sex with a 16-year-old male student is under consideration to provide sexual harassment training for teachers and administrators in the Brunswick County, North Carolina school system.

Reportedly, Klatt who entered an Alford plea in both Cabarrus County and Wake County to lesser charges of indecent liberties with a student, founded an educational organization named Teachers for Change on July 5, registering it as a nonprofit. This only a few months after her felony convictions and while still on 30-months of probation.

In the wake of sex scandals involving Brunswick County teachers and students, reportedly Klatt offered her organization’s services to the schools’ human resources director, Terry Chestnutt. He is reported as saying he liked the content of Klatt’s presentation and was getting ready to have her repeat it for the school superintendent. Reportedly Chestnutt did not say whether Klatt’s criminal record would disqualify her from training the schools’ staff on sexual harassment.

The following is the opinion of the webmaster of Bad Bad Teacher

Owing to the nature of the charge to which Klatt entered Alford pleas, it was not necessary for Klatt to register as a sex offender under North Carolina law.

In addition to her no jail time sentence of probation, Klatt was required to submit a DNA sample, not to have contact with the student and to continue the mental health treatment she had begun before her sentencing.

Her sentence apparently in no way limited her contact with any student other than the alleged victim.

There appears to be nothing standing in the way of Klatt training school staff or for that matter teaching children.

The fact there appears no bar to Klatt training school teachers and administrators in matters involving sexual harassment does not mean it would be a good idea to do so.

School administrations are going to have to face facts when it comes to Klatt and her organization and the facts are that this woman was arrested, charged and entered an Alford plea to sexually oriented offenses involving a student.

It is the opinion of this writer that her convictions should preclude Janet Botton Klatt from ever again working in, at or for a school system anywhere.

Of course your opinion may vary…

References:

Former Cabarrus County Teacher Convicted Of Sex Offense Involving Student Trying To Teach Teachers (10/03/07)

Brunswick schools consider convict (10/02/07)

Google For Janet Botton Klatt

Aaron T. Gunn III, 32, a former middle school teacher in Clarksdale, Mississippi, convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old student appears to have avoided a felony charge for failing to register as a sex offender for well over two years.

At least Gunn has now registered as a sex offender as he was required to do over two years ago.

Well, sorta’…

According to the Associated Press it seems there may be some confusion as to where Aaron T. Gunn III actually lives.

Coahoma County Sheriff Andrew Thompson said Gunn registered with his department earlier this month, providing a Clarksdale address. A man who answered the phone at the address Sunday said he was Gunn’s father. The man initially said Gunn did not live there. When told that it was the address listed on the sex offender registry, a woman picked up the phone and said Gunn did live there, but was not available.

What makes this interesting is the fact that the Associated Press quotes District Attorney Laurence Mellen as saying that Gunn would not be prosecuted for failing to register unless he provided inaccurate information to the sex offender registry and this in spite of Gunn’s failure to register for over two years as required by law.

District Attorney Mellen does not explain how it is possible for Gunn who apparently claims to be living with his parents can live with his mother but not with his father, when the parents are sharing a single home.

Maybe DA Mellen might want to look into this apparent “inaccurate information” recorded in the official Mississippi sex offender registry. Then again, maybe he would prefer to look the other way as he apparently has been doing for a while now.

References:

Convicted Teacher Escapes Sex Offender List (9/26/07)

Ex-teacher registers as sex offender 2-plus years after conviction (9/25/07)

Ex-teacher registers as sex offender (9/25/07)

For those that wish to check for themselves as to the address where Mr. Gunn claims he lives they may do so at the Mississippi Criminal Sex Offender Information web site.

In the meantime, hopefully Mr. Gunn and his parents will manage to get their story straight and District Attorney Mellen will uphold the law he swore an oath to uphold.

View All Bad Bad Teacher Coverage of Aaron T. Gunn III

The following is a Bad Bad Teacher Editorial/Opinion Piece

In 2005, Aaron T. Gunn III, reportedly a politically connected former teacher at Higgins Junior High School in Clarksdale, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fornication between a teacher and a student.

It was a case in which it was alleged that Gunn had sexual intercourse three times with a then 15-year-old female eighth-grade student. It was also alleged that the girl contracted gonorrhea from the sexual abuse, which was alleged to have occurred in a closet in Gunn’s classroom while his students were at lunch, at her cousin’s house and at Gunn’s sister’s home.

During Gunn’s 2004 trial, a mistrial was declared after State Rep. Chuck Espy, D-Clarksdale, a character witness for Gunn, allegedly patted Gunn on the back and nodded at jurors, the judge and district attorney in the case.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Thomas said there was “convincing” testimony, but he declared a mistrial in July 2004 over concerns that the actions by a well-known state lawmaker prejudiced the jury in Gunn’s favor. Espy’s father was the Mayor of Clarksdale and his uncle Mike Espy was a former congressman and President Clinton’s first secretary of agriculture.

Following the mistrial, Gunn pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in January 2005 and was sentenced to six months’ unsupervised probation and a $500 fine. Reportedly Gunn was required to register as a sex offender.

Also reportedly, Gunn has failed to do so for over two years now.

According to an Associated Press report links to which we will provide below:

As of Wednesday, Gunn had not registered as a sex offender, according to officials and the state’s sex offender registry Web site.

Under state law, Gunn should have registered within three days of his conviction.

Gunn did not respond to a message left at his place of employment, Tutwiler Funeral Home

The AP contacted several principals in the case.

Judge Thomas reportedly said he could not understand why Gunn had not registered as a sex offender. Adding that “maybe he didn’t make it clear that Gunn had to register” then saying “but ignorance of the law is no excuse”.

The AP report quoted District Attorney Laurence Mellen as saying, “He’ll either get on the registry, or he’s going to be prosecuted”.

And according to the AP, Clarksdale Police Chief Greg Hoskins, didn’t want to talk about Gunn at all. The AP quoted Hoskins as saying, “I don’t even care to discuss that case”.

Assuming the AP report is accurate and that Gunn works at Tutwiler Funeral Home in Tutwiler, MS it shouldn’t be any problem in bringing Gunn to justice for failing to register as a sex offender, as an internet search indicates that the Tutwiler Police Department is only 9 address away on the same street.

If the facts are as reported in the AP article, and we have no reason to believe they are not, then it appears that Aaron T. Gunn III has every day, for more than two years, committed a felony offense by failing to register as a sex offender following his guilty plea in 2005.

That the District Attorney would say basically say that Gunn will register or be prosecuted ignores the obvious that for over two years Gunn has not registered as required by law. Does DA Mellen think that the law regarding sex offender registration only applies after he issues his promise to prosecute if the offender does not rush out and register right then, albeit a couple of years late?

And what kind of Police Chief doesn’t even want to discuss a sex offender that is required to register and has failed to do so for two years? Is registering sex offenders an optional activity in Clarksdale, Mississippi?

Shameful cases such as this are why so many sexual abuse victims refuse to come forward, keeping their victimization secret for years or even entire lifetimes.

And who can blame them when in addition to their physical rape they have to endure the legalistic and political rape of a system so damned corrupt and spineless that it would rather let an admitted sex offender slide by than risk irking the sex offender’s powerful friends?

Links of interest:

Ex-teacher not on sex offender registry 2 years after plea (8/15/07)

Ex-teacher not on sex offender registry 2 years after plea (8/15/07) (Same report, second source)

Tutwiler Funeral Home at AllPages.com

Tutwiler Police Department at AllPages.com

View All Bad Bad Teacher Coverage of Aaron T. Gunn III