Jeremy Mullins
Posted by: Webmaster in High Schools, ME-FV, Substitute Teachers, Vermont(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
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June 18th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
The current policy regarding substitute teachers is that anyone over the age of 18 may apply, to obtain acceptance they must have passed a federal background check based on their fingerprints prior or employment. the fact of the matter is that if the person is 18, 25, 45 or 95 doesn’t necessarily make them more prone to commit acts of this nature, if any change was made to this policy in response to this event I believe it would be to increase the minimum age for the sake of proving that changes have been made to the system.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I think that this whole case is getting way too outta hand. I have gone to harwood for 3 years and my sister graduated with this boy. I am friends with this girl that was “raped” and i dont think that it’s true only because I have proof, she told me, that they went out for 4 months and she wanted to have sex with him. Either way it is rape because he is 18 and she is 13, but it wasnt forced rape. I mean come on, going out for 4 months Is not a “crush”. I know, i have heard from many many of my good friends that are friends with him, that he wouldnt do anything like that ever. I mean he was a quiet, honor student, who was even afraid to ask a girl out. How can someone like that rape a girl?
June 7th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
In response to the information about subsitution- i am an 18 year old graduate from harwood union- i am an inspiring teacher- and i believe that it is ridiculous that all “younger” substitues are getting the blame for his actions. Many of the “younger” people who are taking jobs have more educational back ground than most of the 25 year olds who are permitted into the school. It is extremely unfortunate that everyone else has to take responsability for his actions.
June 7th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
just to let you know - best friend- that her mom has been deseased for years now. Whether or not it was aggressively done- it is rape either way.
June 7th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
i know him very well and i also find it hard to think that he would ever do that i dated him and he never tryed anything like that with me. so i think it is just a little girl who did some thing her mom didnt want her to do and she found out and had her tell.
June 5th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Harwood hires any graduate with a clean record to “substitute teach”, I saw it when I went there years ago. All sub teachers do is sit down and hand out pre-prepaired material to the class, and make sure they don’t misbehave. I know this individual as well and I have a really hard time thinking that he did this. On the other hand, you never really know anyone completely.
June 4th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
I agree with “Anonymous”, Harwood is not to blame. I know for a fact that he isn’t the only Harwood grad that substitutes there. I know that because that’s where I’ve been going to school the last 5 years. I’ve known this individual for roughly 4 years. If anything DID happen between he and this 8th grade girl, he would be to blame, not the school. But I’m actually having a hard time believing that he raped this girl. What I’m rather curious about is this: Did this 8th grade girl go to the police soon enough to get a rape test done? If so, did they find traces of semen? If not, are there other signs (bruises, cuts, torn clothing) so as to suggest a rape occurred? These are some of the things I want to know.
June 2nd, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Thanks for your comments, they clarify the issue somewhat.
However there is still the issue of how and why, what is likely, a first or second year college student is permitted to work as a substitute teacher.
Education majors in most states work as “student teachers” in their third and/or fourth years of college but under the direct supervision of a certified teacher.
It appears this individual was working as a “substitute teacher” and while only in his first or second year of college, judging from his age alone.
June 2nd, 2007 at 12:26 pm
This has nothing to do with harwood. I’m sure they trusted him because he went there only a few years ago, and both of his parents work there. What’s not to trust, right?
And if he had no prior record, how can you blame harwood for this? It has nothing to do with the school; it’s him to blame.