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
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