By: Was there from the beginning

Was there from the beginning — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:54:10 +0000

I was there as a student when he first started. I was also part of the group of band students that got together for the audition process between him and 2 other prospective teachers. Every single kid in the group and most of the parents that were there did not like him and preferred one of the other prospects. Our recommendations were not listened to for what I can only see as 1 of 2 reasons; 1) We were kids. “What do we know.” or 2) the person in charge of the music program for the entire city schools program didn’t like our choice because of some personal bias toward someone like him. (I’m not going to say what it was because it will turn the following posts into a different subject.)
I remember several of the girls in the band saying they were uncomfortable being in his office, alone, with the door shut, and the band room door shut but that was how he conducted business. One of the girls I dated said she thought he might have acted inappropriately but was unsure. Her solution was to not be around him alone, ever.
I remember being singled out by Ted. I was and still am an exceptional musician. I can only assume he was threatend by that since we played duets together, very early in his tenure, and I showed him up. He tried to affect my grades but couldn’t because I, along with my parents, were too vocal. Not to mention the fact that everyone knew that I was very good and should never receive less than an A.
Other people that were in the band with me said that they didn’t feel uncomfortable at all and did not think these charges had ant merit. But there was one girl (a close friend of mine in school) that the parents did confront the principal at that time and they were told that they needed to stop their allegations because they could be sued for slander. Oh, incidentally, all of the girls that said they didn’t see anything or feel uncomfortable were either very close friends or I dated them (Heather from comment #11 is proof of that). And since my parents had confronted him about what they were hearing as well, I can only assume that he wouldn’t take the risk of trying anything with someone that I was close to.
He was a bad teacher and, according to his own admission, a dispicable human being. I hope knows that people in jail don’t like child molesters and he might not make it out. That might be why he accepted a plea to possibly avoid jail. Even though he deserves it.

Comments on: Ted Johnson

By: Was there from the beginning