(10/31/08 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Richard Berkley, 42, a former teacher at Dexter High School in Dexter, Kansas has been arrested and charged for engaging in inappropriate sexual relations with a female student.
According to NewsCow.net:
The formal criminal complaint – obtained by NewsCow – alleges that between Jan. 1, 2007 and May 9, 2008, Berkley engaged in lewd fondling or touching with the girl, who would have been 16 or 17 at the time. She is identified on the document by her initials and a birth date of February 7, 1991 is listed for her.
Reportedly Berkley was released on bond immediately following his arrest earlier this month.
According to NewsCow.net, Berkley resigned from the school system in April after having been initially suspended by the school system.
05/12/09 – No Contest Plea
Richard Berkley has reportedly entered a no contest plea to charges of unlawful sexual relations.
Berkley’s sentencing hearing is set for June 29.
Berkley remains free on bond while awaiting formal sentencing.
07/01/09 – Sentencing
Richard Berkley has been sentenced to 30 days in jail to be followed with 12 months probation.
If Berkley violates the terms of his probation he will be ordered to serve seven months with the Kansas Department of Corrections.
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Pure and simple, this x-teacher got caught doing something that is very much against the law. Being more interested in the girls than he was in his job, he was bound to get caught. Fools like this always do get caught.
A male teacher is like a black man in a white neighborhood. He will always be looked upon with suspicion. There is no such thing as secrets and privacy when you work around minors, and whatever you do will never be ignored or forgotten.
Jail is only a deterrent for some. Even if being stoned to death were to be the penalty as it is in several Muslim countries, this website would still have a very busy webmaster.
Lacy,
I would doubt that’s your real name, but I was also a student in his class and he’s a horrible teacher. He obviously played favorites toward girls he liked (slinder, smart, and good looking). He had plenty of “pet” students and the vast majority were popular and athletic. He didn’t care about ugly students or those not involved in a sport (and good at it) including boys.
He used all of to pay for his meals by doing “class projects” and having “field trips.” He’s sexist to say the very least and when girls to do not agree with his point of view their grades were literally at his mercy. I’m saying he would dock grades, but I was sure afraid to speak out against his sexist opinions in Current Events, Spanish, Government, etc.
He got less than he deserved the girl now realizes she made a mistake by getting involved to begin with, but actually had a low self esteem of herself (look-wise) by not having dated as much as most other girls. She will go to college and find herself and bright, handsome college boy and both will be very well off and do better than those who get stuck in the community working for minimum wage.
There were plenty of other girls he “hit” on and any wise student of his knows this for a fact. He even hit on junior high girls and had them sitting on his lap at certain times (Saw it first-hand myself). He’s scum and will hit on young girls again if parents are careful. As the old saying goes, “Be afraid, be very afraid.”
He’ll have a cool twelve months to ply his trade on the inside, before being put back on the streets to lurk and seize his next victim. Hopefully, he has a little sexual misconduct practiced on him during his time at camp.
The whole town didn’t turn a blind eye and the administration and board did do something about this. That is exactly why he was sentenced to 60 days with only having to serve 30 days if his behavior in that time remains appropriate. I applaud the sheriff’s department for their work and condemn the county attorney for their lack of response and effort on the case. He should have been taken to task, forced to stand trial and register as a sex offender in Kansas, not simply be a convicted felon for life.
There are indeed some who turned their back to this and didn’t report things which were going on to the school and should be ashamed of themselves for trying to cover for this person and “counsel” him themselves. You don’t counsel someone like him, he’s too full of himself.
Laws in Kansas are written like they are to protect young kids against wiser, more mature thinking adults with college degrees (bachelor’s and master’s). He had the ability from the beginning to first, not get involved, and secondly to say, “Stop, this is rediculous and I’m a grown man chasing one of my students.” Laws are stipulated in teacher/student relations and this person taught Government and Pyschology. He knew better, but CHOSE the path he ended; Jail and a felony conviction. I hope that the loss a career, job, trust, etc., etc. was worth the admiration of a 15 or 16 year old girl (at the time he began his little romance job). Go date a 40 year old like yourself or even a 30 year old for gosh sakes, not a 15, 16 or even 21 year old.
I feel for his own kids who must feel horrible and embarassed, and for the family he put this through including the girl involved. If 30 days in lock-up doesn’t open his eyes, he’ll be right back at it with another girl and possibly even someone’s daughter he knows very well. That appears to be is mode of operation to gain trust and get “inside” so no one suspects something could possibly be wrong. He is wrong and God willing has leaned his lesson well.
I was one of the ones that reported it and everything else that I saw to the school administration. They did not take it lightly at all. It takes a ton of paper work and documentation of FIRST hand knowlege before you can take action against a tenured teacher. Administration can’t just release people because of hear-say. I was impressed with the school and the progress of this problem. Do I wish it would have moved faster? Of course I do! But I have complete confidence that the school completely followed the appropriate proceedures – otherwise, we’d never have the outcome we do. I fully believe that this man isn’t done with children, so parents – be aware.
This is a tragic story. I feel for the kids. (Deleted by site moderator) The father is molesting students, what is going on at the school? How can the whole town just continue to turn a blind eye. How can the administration continue to let these activities go on. Is anybody looking out for the students.
This comment has been edited by site moderator in accordance with site policies as outlined in the “Comments” page.
This person has a small local support following. The dangerous thing to realize is that a lot of predators do not fit the stereotyped image. They do not all look like one of the various images of a molester. Someone can be educated, work in a respected profession, dress in a suit and tie, and superficially appear to be the model of respectability. They do not lurk on dark street corners with a bag of candy or prowl the local bars to snatch virginal young ladies. Those people can be spotted. Some things don’t always look like a duck, quack like a duck or walk like a duck. But they are a duck.
The lesson to be learned here is do ask questions, do get involved, and don’t be afraid to be wrong or offend someone.
I am a middle aged woman who lives in Dexter. I assure you that “everyone” in town did not know about this. A lot of locals feel like this is something that only happened once and they have a certain amount of sympathy for Mr Berkley. I am not one of them. An adult is supposed to have self control. A teenager does not. It does not matter what the actions of the child are. The adult is one hundred percent responsible for controlling the situation. I am tired of hearing people underplay the damage here. Not only has he destroyed himself and created a great deal of embarrassment for his children in this very small town, but he has poisoned the high school experience of a girl far too young to begin to grasp the importance of what has been done to her. Think what it would be to look back at your junior and senior year of high school and have a cloud like this hanging over you. Now imagine it in a town where the average class size is about 15 kids. Grown ups are supposed to act like grown ups. It’s our job to keep kids safe. I choose to not speculate on the exact nature of the abuse here, but I am alone in this for the most part. Imagine having to go through over a year of the whispers and the speculation. This is a good hearted little town, but people are people and they do talk.