http://www.boston.com/news/education...lQK/story.html

Quote:

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A former North Texas high school teacher was convicted Friday and sentenced to five years in prison for having sex with five 18-year-old students at her home. The Tarrant County jury decided on the sentence for Brittni Nicole Colleps, 28, of Arlington after nearly three hours of deliberation. It took jurors less than an hour to find her guilty earlier in the day of 16 counts of having an inappropriate relationship between a student and teacher. The second-degree felony is punishable by two to 20 years in prison per count. The former Kennedale High School English teacher had sex with the students at her home over two months in 2011, authorities said. Colleps is married and has three children. She turned herself in after a cellphone video of one encounter that involved multiple students emerged. That video was shown a trial. Three former students who testified Thursday said that they did not consider themselves victims and did not want to see their former English teacher prosecuted. The three were football and track athletes. Arlington police Detective Jason Houston testified that charges were filed because ‘‘18 or not, it’s a crime’’ for a teacher to have sex with her students. Two former students told jurors their relationships with Colleps began with the exchange of text messages that quickly turned sexual. A 19-year-old testified that he had gone to Colleps’ home twice with friends and they all engaged in sexual conduct. A former student who is now 20 testified that he engaged in group sex and recorded his last encounter on a cellphone. He said initially the students spoke of the importance of keeping their activities quiet because they didn’t want their teacher to get in trouble. The 20-year-old also said when school officials called him into the office to question him in May 2011, he denied the trysts at first because ‘‘I was trying to save her.’’ Colleps’ husband was serving in the military overseas at the time of the encounters. Christopher Colleps said Friday that he is mad at his wife, but stands by her ‘‘because ‘til death do us part means ‘til death do us part.’’ He said putting her in jail would punish him and their children for something they had no control over. Kennedale is a town of about 7,300 residents near Arlington, eight miles southeast of Fort Worth. The high school has about 3,200 students.

While I definitely think her actions were inappropriate and that she deserves punishment, I don't know that I agree with a 5 year prison sentence. Will they make her serve all 5 years, I wonder?

I didn't know it was actually illegal to have sex with your students if they were of age. Is it illegal for college professors too?

Originally Posted by labelwhore04

I didn't know it was actually illegal to have sex with your students if they were of age. Is it illegal for college professors too?

I didn't either. It may only be in Texas?

i think what she did was gross, but if they were all 18+, then what law did she break? is there a law that teachers can't date or have sex with students?
I think it's morally very wrong, but i thought 18 was the age of legal consent.
if no one was underage, and she has a husband and kids, then i think 5 yrs is excessive.

Since they were over 18 I don't really see why she is in prison? If she were in any other type of line of work there would have been no problem.

It does overstep the teacher-student boundary, though..

Would people feel differently if it were a male teacher having sex w/ his HS students I wonder?

This seems prevalent, it's gross. It happened in the HS I went to as well - not in TX lol!

Originally Posted by alliemia

but if they were all 18+, then what law did she break? is there a law that teachers can't date or have sex with students?

Originally Posted by Sternchen

Since they were over 18 I don't really see why she is in prison?

From the article:

Quote:

Arlington police Detective Jason Houston testified that charges were filed because ‘‘18 or not, it’s a crime’’ for a teacher to have sex with her students.

There are similar laws in other states that bar relations between people in leadership roles and their subordinates including teachers, coaches, counselors, scout leaders, etc. Some of these laws were enacted because the age of consent in some states is 16.

Originally Posted by Swanky Mama Of Three

Would people feel differently if it were a male teacher having sex w/ his HS students I wonder?

There does seem to be a double standard. Teen boys who do their hot teacher are cheered on while teen girls who get involved with male teachers are called derogatory names.

The adult leaders get placed into different categories also.

Even if the gender of the teacher were reversed (whether or not the gender of the students are) I would disapprove, but I don't think it is worth FIVE years jail time when the students are 18. I think five years is excessive, assuming they make her serve all her years.

I agree that the teacher/student boundary creates an imbalance of power and therefore laws prohibiting sex between teachers and students are appropriate, IMO. I think that sex between university professors and students ought to be prohibited, too, but only for as long as one individual is his/her student. Sex could esily get in the way of impartial assessment of grading, IMO.

I am not sure that 5 years is excessive, though. In most of these cases, the sentencing is to send a message to other teachers (not that it does much good, given how often these cases occur).