Roberta Walter (Blackwell)
Posted by Webmaster in Art Teachers, FE-FV, FE-MV, Hall of Shame, High Profile Cases, Junior High Schools, Kentucky, Middle Schools
(07/10/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Roberta Walter, 61, known in the 1970’s and 1980’s as Roberta Blackwell, a former art teacher at Beaumont Junior High School in Fayette County, Kentucky has been arrested in Nashville, Tennessee and charged with third-degree sodomy of a then 15-year-old girl and third-degree rape of a then 15-year-old male student.
The alleged sexual abuse began in the late 1970’s when Blackwell was a teacher at Beaumont Junior High School and the alleged victim, a student there, was babysitting for Blackwell.
Also charged in the case is former science teacher Jack Russell Hubbard who was arrested in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and is charged with third-degree rape and four counts of first-degree sodomy. The rape charges against Hubbard allege the rape of the 15-year-old female victim. The sodomy charges stem from alleged sexual abuse of Thomas “Beau” Goodman who told police he was sodomized by Hubbard 30 times between ages 14 and 15.
The female victim’s name is Carol Lynne Maner and she came forward with her accusations in August 2003 and has accused the school district of concealing evidence of a clear pattern of sexual abuse by four teachers, a guidance counselor and an assistant principal at Beaumont and Lafayette High School in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Carol Lynne Maner, now 44-years-old, has sued the Fayette County Board of Education saying that Roberta Blackwell and Hubbard traded her back and forth for sexual abuse.
The civil trial is currently on-going.
Thomas “Beau” Goodman has also sued the Fayette County Board of Education.
Update 7/13/07:
Roberta Walter (Blackwell) made an appearance in a Lexington, Kentucky courtroom today and entered a not guilty plea to all charges.
Update 7/27/07:
A hearing in a sex abuse case that was originally scheduled for today has been rescheduled for August 17th.
Roberta Blackwell Walter Withdraws Guilty Plea
Roberta Blackwell Walter who had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual misconduct in a three-decades-old case involving a student has withdrawn that guilty plea after the judge insisted that she serve jail time even though the prosecutor recommended probation.
The original charges were reduced in exchange for her testimony against another teacher who was convicted of rape and sodomy.
12/07/09 – Sentencing Put Off
Attorneys in the case of former teacher Roberta Blackwell Walter — accused of molesting a 15-year-old student 30 years ago — will return to court in a month to continue discussing a possible plea and punishment in the case.
Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael asked the defendant’s attorney and the prosecutor to come back with more information so he can hand down a sentence that is fair to all parties.
02/05/10 – Plea and Sentencing
The judge has accepted an amended plea deal between Roberta Walter and prosecutors, a deal under which she pleaded guilty to sexual conduct rather than sodomy charges.
Walter was thereafter sentenced to one week in jail to be followed by ninety days of house arrest.
References:
Former Teacher Sentenced For Role In 1970’s Student Sex Case (02/05/10)
Ex-teacher’s sex-case sentencing put off (12/05/09)
Former Fayette Teacher Withdraws Guilty Plea In Sex Case (10/30/09)
Delay in sex abuse case (7/27/07)
Ex-Teacher Enters Sex Abuse Plea (7/13/07)
2 ex-teachers named in lawsuit arrested (7/11/07)
Two arrested, charged in Fayette schools sex-abuse case (7/10/07)
Former teachers arrested ; sex abuse lawsuit begins (7/10/07)
Former Teachers Arrested as Sex Abuse Lawsuit Begins (7/10/07)
Former teachers arrested as sex abuse lawsuit begins (7/10/07)
Two arrested, charged in Fayette schools sex-abuse case (7/10/07)
Former Student Testifies in Sex Abuse Case against Schools (7/10/07)
View BadBadTeacher.com Coverage of Jack Russell Hubbard
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Whatever happened to the statute of limitations? Perhaps this victim should have waited until she was 50 before speaking up. I remember a woman who brought child porn to class while giving her speech presentation circa 1975. Perhaps we should track her down and have her arrested on possession of child porn charges today??? Also, pianist Artur Rubinstein used to have sex while still a minor. Even though all parties are now long dead, wouldn’t it serve the cause of justice to go through with a trial anyhow? And while we are at it, why don’t we go back and prosecute Civil Rights violations that occurred in the 1960s & 1970s? And as for all of those students who got swatted at school, we ought to go after their teachers for battery as well. Let the Day of Reckoning begin immediately. This rabbit is, once again, hopping mad over the stupidity of it all.
I just love those, “How dare you post this…innocent until guilty” comments defending people who commit sex crimes, particularly women. In the end, with few exceptions, they plead guilty…including this one, who did plead guilty, then withdrew the plea because she doesn’t want to have to pay for what she did. I hope the jury does give her jail time, and more than what the judge would have given her.
I wonder what the time limit is on these cases. Some seem to have none at all enabling charges decades later while you often hear about others where the legal limit to file has run out and the perps walk.
I’ve seen some very very bad teachers who haven’t broken a law! I wish there was a website where their names could be published. Even the teachers who I’ve seen break with ethical conduct, if not the law, were not corrected when incidents were brought to the principal or guidance counselor.
I’m glad Ann and David assumed the Duke Lacrosse players were innocent. So many duplicitous feminists were pathetically parading their victimhood for profit and self-aggrandizement during that modern day lynching.
At least the rape shield law doesn’t protect Crystal Gail Mangum’s identity any longer.
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/03/takeback.html
Quit youre crying, were there is smoke there is fire. It would be different if this site was calling the teachers out. They are just letting you know who is being charged with what. Maybe they ought to put both of your comments on a crappy crappy comments page.
Thanks for your comments on both the issue at hand and the site.
Please see http://badbadteacher.com/about/ for how we view this issue of innocent until proven guilty.
Then please, get back with us on it…
Your view of the issue stinks. Our system still says that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. The very name of your web site implies guilt until proven innocent. Maybe I’ll start a website called crappycrappywebsites.com and put your website at the top of the list.
Thanks for your comments.
Please see http://badbadteacher.com/about/ for how we view this issue.
How can you publish anyone as a bad teacher until they have been found guilty of a crime? Do you know how many students accused teachers unjustly in this country. Blackwell/Walter has not been found guilty of anything, yet you have placed her on his list. Shame on you. Wait until she has been convicted, if she is, and then do your work. Innocent until proven guilty is a farce in this country because of sites like yours.