Sommar Chaffee
Posted by Webmaster in Band/Music, Hall of Shame, High Schools, South Dakota
(11/04/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Sommar Chaffee, 31, a former music teacher at Hill City High School in Hill City, South Dakota reportedly will, in a plea deal with prosecutors, plead guilty to disseminating material harmful to minors.

Chaffee was arrested in June and charged with solicitation of a minor and exploitation of a minor on allegations of sexual misconduct with students while she was a music teacher in Hill City.
Reportedly, Chaffee, who has been free on a $1,500 bond since her arrest, will enter her plea on November 23rd.
Chaffee faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Reportedly, Chaffee will not be required to register as a sex offender.
11/23/09 – Sentencing
Sommar Chaffee has been sentenced to 180 days in jail with all but two of those days suspended and fined $400.
In addition, Chaffee will be required to have continuous counseling for at least a year and will be prevented from teaching for a least three years.
Chaffee will not be required to register as a sex offender.

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@ learn the truth: “Maybe you should know both sides of the story before you get up on your soap box…”
We did not know anything but the released news (sentence included), but you apparently saw the txt messages and know about some form of misunderstanding or/and mitigating circunstances about this case.
Why don you tell us “the other side of the story” so we can change our minds about it?
@ learn the truth: “Do you really know what was said to the students?” “Have you ever emailed or texted something that was taken the wrong way?”.
There wasn’t innocent txts messages. Two of the underage students who received sexual text messages weren’t willing to cooperate with the prosecution and she had some sort of sexual contact with at least three other students that happened were over the age of 16 and there was “no crime”. Evidently South Dakota doesn’t have yet the proper laws to protect H.S. students from sexual harassment from teachers no matter their age. Even with those limitations she was charged with a felony for Solicitation (to engage in a prohibited sexual act) and Sexual Exploitation of a minor (she caused or permited a minor to engage in an activity or the simulation of an activity that was harmful or involves nudity). It is not funny either innocent. They had the txt messages and charged her. Were the rest of parents willing to get some blood she could get effective jail time, give up her teaching license permanently and register as sex offender. Again: she got off very easily with the plea to the lesser charge.
When you are a teacher you don’t send any txt message to students but class related ones. Plain and simple. It is wrong and unethical. Students are students, not friends or date targets. She obviously lacks any kind of professionalism. That’s why Hill City Board of Education voted not to renew the contract at first. She was a teacher and obviously crossed the line with her students talking and texting them inappropriate sexual-related things. She was stopped in good time. I wonder if you share the same opinion when male teachers are caught flirting and sexting to female 14 yo students. She betrayed the parents trust and the employers trust. She abused her position as a teacher and she must be prevented from teaching forever. Teaching was the one profession that women were allowed to have and female teachers like your friend destroy that hard-earned reputation.
And about her ex-husband if she was actually unhappy with her, she could go to a counsellor, cheat on him with adults (she is very pretty) or just file the divorce, not fulfilling her unhappiness flirting and sexting students. I also wonder if you would say the same things here if the husband wasn’t divorcing her. Just now is very easy to blame the husband of her behavior. He did not turn her on, some parents did.
Have you ever heard of the press getting into a media frenzy? Well this would be the case. Do you really know what was said to the students? Have you ever emailed or texted something that was taken the wrong way. Sommar is a great person and is a joy to have teach my son. As far as her soon to be X-Husband, if you really knew about him, you would not say that he is the one that is better off. Maybe you should know both sides of the story before you get up on your soap box and tell us how you think things happen.
I’m not sure how a media frenzy resulted in a conviction, 180 day suspended sentence, 3 year teaching restriction, and mandatory counseling. Sounds like someone that _did_ matter isn’t buying what you’re selling.
Well she got off very easily, she will be able to teach again in three years (this is to Kass). No jail time and rewarded with 1 jear of counseling.
The blame is just on students and their parents: they did not cooperate with the system, just one of them.
According to Shane her husband is divorcing her. She deserve a real woman.
Oh my god!!! this woman is beyond disgusting and obviosly needs help mentaly. If you think that she didn’t do anything wrong, then maybe you need some help too. I go to this school and i had her as a teacher. yes she was a good teacher, but thats all she should ever be! She went way to far and became a “lover” to young BOYS. she is married. i wonder how her husband feels about his wife cheating on him with little boys!! she is getting off way to easy. A GUY teaher in SD got 15 for pretty much the same thing. She took a plea deal because “she didn’t want to put students through the trial????”and by taking this plea she is “willing” giving up her teaching license. Then why is she asking students on facebook to help her get her teaching licenses back?????? i sat through her class and listened to very inapproiate things that she would say to some of the boys out loud during class. she has changed the lives of many students at hill city high school. she was trusted as a teacher and she abused that trust. i hope and pray that every time she looks in the mirror she sees the horriable and nasty person that she is. And for those girls who say she didn’t so anything wrong, put yourself at 14 years old to 18 years old and having a male teacher do these things to you!!! Would you still be thinking the same thing if all he got was TWO DAYS in jail?!?!?
Why do all of you care? She was my teacher. I went to Hill City High School and I know what happened. Mrs. Chaffee was an excellent teacher and a great person. I would give anything to have her back teaching again!
I feel sorry for you because she obviously manipulated and hurt you also. She crossed the line and hurt a lot of people in the process. Many people were hurt including all the boys involved; she was the teacher and went too far. A teacher is there to teach you not to be your friend thats when it can go too far. You obviously don’t know what happened, she may have been a great teacher but a good person would not have done what she did. I would not want her to teach my children and maybe one day when you have children you will understand.
I’m guessing that Melissa isn’t a good judge of character.
She is guilty and no student turned her in. She got off very easily. Do you want
to have your children in her class. She crossed the line.!!!
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I’d play her back 9.
this coment is disgusting and inappropriate
I agree with Tito. I’d play her front 9 and finish on the back 9!
Beyond the outcome, her husband (police officer) is in every detail of this case.
At least 6 to 9 students involved someway. Wonder what he must be feeling.
Her husband is divorcing her is how he feels. God be with him, he is better off with out her. My prayers are with the next man or boy she tries to get her claws into.
Yeah, she’s a babe
Mrs. Chaffee is a great friend and teacher to many people. I have known her for over three years now and I know she wouldn’t ever cross boundries like that. Some student is just pissed and trying to get attention!
why would a student go to those extremes because they were pissed. that is ridiculous,there wasn’t only one student involved there was multiple. A child molestor doesn’t flaunt it on the street they hide it this is exactly what she did. our children should be able to attend school and not worry about being pursued by the teacher. what is wrong with our justice system to let someone like her walk the streets and possibly teach again.you may have known her for 3 years but she did something very wrong and got off easily. she should never be able to teach or have contact with children again.
a student would not put themselves in the spotlight like that. She did something horribly wrong and our justice system should have punished her. a child molestor doesn’t tell people what they do, she is no different. she may have been a good techer but she crossed the line and i hope something is done to prevent her from teaching ever again.
Truth
who’s hating? I’m just saying I’d tap that a**. Frankly, I don’t care if she did do it or not. And, the reason I love America is because I can say what I want. It’s called freedom of speech.
Before posting such rotten things about people you don’t know maybe you should ask yourself why it is so great to live in America? Innocent until proven guilty? You don’t know that she is/was guilty so why hate – don’t be a hater.
I could see myself tangling her hair around my arm as I navigated the journey.