DA drops teacher 'sexting' case, cites ruling (30 yr old teacher, 13 yr old girl)

[redqueen]

FORT WORTH, Texas —Prosecutors have dropped a case against a teacher accused of exchanging sexually explicit texts with a 13-year-old student, alleging that an appeals court ruling found them to be protected speech.

...

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/25/5598226/da-drops-teacher-sexting-case.html

Sexual harassment of minors = "free speech".

I'm too pissed to look for a better article.

[yeoman6987]

1. Please tell me that he won't teach anymore

At least I hope he is going to be taken out of the classroom. I mean a 31 year old male send sexual texts to a 13 year old?????

[redqueen]

4. Under review

...

Still has teaching certificate

Williams, who began working in the Everman district in August 2012, left the district Nov. 30, 2012. District officials declined to discuss the reasons for Williams’ departure or the district’s response to the criminal investigation of his behavior.

Williams’ teacher certification remains valid until July 2017 for teaching secondary history and social studies classes. But Williams’ certification is under review by the State Board of Education’s Professional Discipline Unit, according to Texas Education Agency records.

“There are instances when a teacher is under a criminal investigation and we suspend our investigation until the criminal investigation plays out,” a TEA spokeswoman said. “There also have been instances where a person might be exonerated in a criminal investigation but his certificate becomes invalid because of something that comes out during a school district investigation.”

...

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/24/5596703/a-teacher-sexting-and-the-right.html

[MadrasT]

2. WTF? Dumbest court on the planet.

That court ruled a state law against sexually explicit online communication between adult and minor violated First Amendment free speech rights.

First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech.

Does. Not. Apply.

Fucking fuck this planet is full of idiots.

There is something fishy going on here.

[seaglass]

3. This happened to my daughter 10 years ago when she was 14 and the male who sent

her the messages (via IM) was the supervisor of students - I believe he was in his 30s. It was not pictures but text.

The result of the case was that he was found not guilty for disseminating material harmful to a minor because the communications were electronic and not included in the law. On the advice of the Victim's Advocate I wrote to both of my Reps and they agreed to sponsor legislation to close the loophole to include electronic communications.

Honestly we just really wanted to put it behind us and though both of my Reps responded by stating they would sponsor the legislation I never followed up to see if they did.

[redqueen]

6. 8 years later it was still going on.

Stopping predators is just not a priority.

[seaglass]

7. It is ridiculous that in TX it is protected speech. I hope this charges up local groups to change

the law or that this decision is appealed further.

I did just check and the law in my state was changed. I was pretty sure at least one of my reps would follow through as he was also a school teacher.

[redqueen]

8. The Lo case is being appealed for another hearing.

I'm confident the statute that this sick appellate court overturned will be revised.

This republican legislator nails it.

State Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, said the 2005 statute was originally proposed to keep children from being groomed by sexual predators. If the courts continue to block the law, lawmakers may have to sit down with the attorney general and come up with acceptable language, Zedler said.

“The purpose of the First Amendment was to allow political dissent, not to allow adults to be vulgar with minors,” Zedler said.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/24/5596703/a-teacher-sexting-and-the-right.html?rh=1

[seabeyond]

14. i have to wonder about the people that actively work against our childrens safety. nt

[mzteris]

10. And who bailed you

Out of jail . . . I would without hesitation kickmhismass.,I may be nonviolent, but protecting children from sex deviants are an exception.

Though you probably handled it much more admirably than I would have.

[seaglass]

11. Yeah, my husband's first reaction was to give him a taste of some street justice but

we ended up taking a different route. He lost his job in the school which was my main goal, he definitely should not have been working around 13 and 14 yo girls.

[seabeyond]

15. that is the thing. there is something to be said about the old ways, lol. for sure.

i was thinking last night. if there is no legal recourse, then the man should not be able to simply walk with no repercussion.

that being said. i know a man. i like a lot. he is hitting 30. did hos porn from very young. was virgin until 20. so his sex was the young girl appearance for all of his adolescent and beyond. he married. was a good man and obsessed with that young porn, to the point the wife walked. again, i like the man. but, he goes for the barely legal, now hitting 30.

he was telling me he is back in college to get his teaching degree. he was wanting highschool and then deciding middle school. his exact prey age. that is the first thing that popped into my mind, as i watch this man, who has for years been strugglin with his issues, aware they are issues, looking to set himself up, exactly where his issues are.

i wonder.....

[mzteris]

17. Setting himself up

So there's an "excuse". So he doesn't have to REALLY take responsibility. Those girls just MADE him... He couldn't resist. Blah blah Blech.

Have you thought about trying to have a very frank discussion with him? I'm aware it may irreparably damage the friendship, but just maybe it'll make him think twice. Maybe it'll save some girl out there.

Sorry, don't mean to sound preachy, but I think you have good instincts. If you think he's a potential danger, then odds are, he probably is. And, unfortunately, or fortunately, maybe?, you're the one with knowledge. And the -uh -chutzpah - to do something about it.

[seabeyond]

18. you interpret that different than i. you see making him victim. i see him being the predator

and making sure he instills himself in the environment that has the prey he wants. so no.... nothing about excuses on my part.

and ya... i will probably have to say something at least to my niece. none of us really have a problem speaking out loud what we think. it is also his first semester back in college and he is not great in follow thru. so kinda sitting in aware. flags were raised though. but, i am pretty sure this back to school thing wont last long.

[mzteris]

19. I'm not trying to make him the victim

I see him as trying to set himself up as the victim. When, in reality, he is the predator.

It sounds like, though, he hasn't consciously admitted that, though maybe I'm misreading which could be with this stupid medium.

If you at least speak to him, make him face himself as it were, it just MIGHT make a difference. And at least the fer knows someone is watching.

Though making your niece aware, and she her friends and they their friends . . . may probably save at least some of them from that particular horror.

Now if we can just educate the rest of the younger generation.

(If we can just eliminate the threats they face. . . )

[seabeyond]

20. looking at you. and me, lol. i had not looked at it from that direction.

and then thinking.... doubt conscious. i can see him as a teacher. and then i am thinking, he is just as likely to be thinking about that. hence, why i do not put it past him.

i really appreciate you making me think about this. my niece was married to him for 3 yrs. he was fine everywhere but this area. we are all friends still, recognizing this. he was losing my niece and he talked to me for a handful of hours, discussing his issues. what to do. how to fix. as i am told, it is ALL good. and i am watching it end a marriage.

we both are aware. and discuss. so, that is why talking to her is significant. lol. we both have no issue at all speaking up.

[gollygee]

5. Oh great. So this is legal.

Sigh.

[ismnotwasm]

9. Lolita complex

Combined with assholes

[historylovr]

12. K & R

[theHandpuppet]

13. Reminds me of another recent case...

... I posted to "Women's Right & Issues". In that case the victim was an adult woman who was sent unsolicited photos of a man's tattooed penis and she reported him to the police. However, the outcome of the case was the same -- she lost. So the message seems to be that sexual harassment of women and girls is fine as long as its via cellphone. No doubt the result in these two cases has sent the message loud and clear that women are fair game.

BTW, about that tattoo -- you'll just have to read the article for what it said. I'm really not compelled to type it again.

[seabeyond]

16. we must focus on laws addressing our new and approved high tech to harass.

thanks for letting us know where we stand. calif has made a little leeway. probably other states.