(9/16/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Richard Foster, 51, a sixth-grade teacher at Bradford Elementary School, in Bradford, Vermont has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault on a minor, lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor, possession of child pornography, use of a child in a sexual performance and luring a child for sexual exploitation.

Foster came to the attention of authorities on Friday when a juvenile who formerly lived in Vermont told investigators at the Coral Springs, Florida police department about multiple incidents of alleged sexual contact between the juvenile and Foster.

Authorities in Vermont obtained search warrants for Foster’s home and the school on Saturday. After the search warrants were executed Foster was arrested on multiple felony charges.

Following his arrest, Foster made $30,000 bail on Saturday evening and was released from jail.

On Sunday, a state police received a 911 call from Foster’s home during which a male caller asked police to be sent and hung up. When police arrived at Foster’s home they found him injured from an apparent suicide attempt. Foster was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., in stable condition.

Foster will be arraigned Monday in Vermont District Court in Chelsea, if he is well enough to leave the hospital.

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(09/19/08 - Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)

Shawn R. Pratt, 36, a paraprofessional at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

It is alleged that on September 14 the girl told her mother that Pratt had been “rubbing my thigh and he rubbed my privates.” .

It is further alleged that incident brought forward other memories of sexual contact with Pratt that the girl says took place when she was 2, 3 or 4-years-old.

Pratt did not meet the alleged victim at the school, nor through his employment at the school.

Pratt has been charged with felony counts of aggravated sexual assault and and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.

Pratt has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is initially being held without bail until a hearing to determine whether he can be released on any set of conditions is held.

Media reports indicate that Pratt who has worked for the school system since 2005 has convictions in Vermont for domestic assault in 2002 and 2007, simple assault in 2007 and possession of marijuana in 2003.

On September 5, Pratt pleaded guilty to another charge of domestic assault. As a result of his latest assault conviction, Pratt is scheduled to serve 24 days at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility beginning on October 5th.

References:

School aide faces sex assault charges (09/19/08)

School worker charged with sexual assault on minor (09/19/08)

Bennington man faces child sex assault charges (09/19/08)

(3/24/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Jeffrey Buehner, 67, a retired Burlington, Vermont teacher charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a 13-year-old boy he was tutoring has pleaded guilty.

In exchange for the guilty plea charges for allegedly possessing nude photos of young boys were dropped.

Buehner faces from 2 to 12 years in prison at sentencing.

Buehner a former Vermont teach of the year taught in the Burlington schools for 30 years before retiring and becoming a private tutor.

05/19/08 - Sentencing

Jeffrey Buehner has been sentenced to two years in prison following his guilty plea on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.

Buehner who said he was ashamed of his behavior, apologized to the court and the family of the victim.

References:

Former teacher of the year sentenced in sex crime (05/19/08)

Former teacher of year pleads guilty to lewd conduct with child (3/24/08)

Former Teacher of the Year Pleads Guilty to Sex Charges (3/24/08)

Sex Charges Against Teacher Will Stand (2/12/08)

Former teacher wants charges thrown out (10/17/07)

(06/01/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Jeremy E. Mullins, age 18, of South Duxbury, VT a St. Michael’s College student who works as a substitute teacher at Harwood Union High School has been charged with sexually assaulting an eighth-grade girl that “had a crush on him”.

The girl said she had a crush on Mullins, but that some of his e-mails made her uncomfortable, according to the affidavit; police have a copy of a “sex survey” Mullins sent her to fill out.

Also in the affidavit are copies of e-mails sent from Mullins to the student that try to arrange meetings in the school, saying “maybe we could have a little fun … I think we could meet up in the door stairs and figure something out.”

The girl told police that on April 7 she was dropped off outside Harwood Union High School to watch a school play, and Mullins was outside the school.

According to the affidavit, Mullins got the girl into his vehicle, drove to another parking lot, and eventually raped her.

Note: This case begs the question of how and why an 18-year-old college student is permitted to work as a substitute teacher in a high school in Vermont. Are teacher certifications that easy to obtain or simply not needed there? Can anyone with a little spare time on their hands work as a substitute teacher?

Update 7/04/07:

New information and a shocking discovery:

Mullins is a Harwood Union grad and Eagle Scout who met the girl when he substitute-taught in her classes at the school last winter.

But Mullins was not a substitute when the alleged sex assault happened. School officials removed his name from the substitute list and contacted child protective authorities in March after receiving unconfirmed reports that Mullins had improperly contacted the girl on the internet.

School officials say by law any high school grad with a clean background check can be a substitute in Vermont, even 18-year-olds, but Harwood Union officials are now reconsidering their substitute policy.

Accepting the above at face value, we now know why an 18-year-old was permitted to work as a substitute teacher.

Shocking, absolutely shocking…

04/18/08 - Sentencing

Jeremy E. Mullins has been sentenced on charges of sexual assault and committing a prohibited act.

On the first charge, Mullins received a deferred five year sentence. On the second charge Mullins received a one year sentence with all but 90 days suspended.

Mullins admitted molesting the girl while they were in his vehicle outside the school.

References:

Substitute teacher sentenced to jail (04/18/08)

Substitute teacher gets 90 days in student sex case (04/18/08)

Former Sub’s Sex Charge Triggers Policy Re-examination
Substitute teacher charged with rape

(10/04/07 - Initial BBT Report)

Kelly Johnston, 39, a former math and science teacher at Stratford Public School, in Stratford, New Hampshire has pleaded guilty in New Hampshire with molesting a student and is now facing new charges in Vermont.

Earlier this year Johnston was charged with 16 counts of sexual assault in New Hampshire for the alleged sexual abuse of the same 13-year-old girl that is the alleged victim in the new Vermont charges.

In New Hampshire, Johnston has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve three years in jail.

In Vermont it is alleged that Johnston engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with the 13-year-old last December and January.

Johnston came to the attention of authorities following a complaint from the girl’s mother.

He is scheduled to appear in Essex County court on October 25th.

Johnston had been a teacher at the Stratford Public School since 2003 when he resigned earlier this year.

References:

Teacher Faces More Child Sex Charges (10/04/07)

Teacher Accused Of Lewd And Lascivious Conduct With Student (10/04/07)

Some background and additional info:

Court Hearing Waived In Teacher Sexual Assault Case (2/27/07)