The Naked Truth about Christian Education...

[brooklynite]

I can't imagine how we all missed this story...

Teacher's strip poker with students broke no Idaho law, but principal cited

The Associated Press

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho – A Christian-school teacher who played a version of strip poker during a camping trip with students broke no law, but the principal who reported the incident to police has been cited.

Lake City Junior Academy Principal Twila Brown was given a misdemeanor citation Tuesday under a state law that requires school officials to report suspected child abuse or neglect within 24 hours.

A parent complained that Brown was told that teacher Andy Armstrong, 42, had played a game of "Dirty Hearts" with five fifth- and sixth-grade students during a school-sponsored camping trip in April, but didn't notify parents or police for nearly a week.

Armstrong, a physical-education and science teacher from Coeur d'Alene, was immediately suspended from the school and later fired.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003021284_webpoker26.html

[MindPilot]

1. OK, I'm confused

The principal got cited for taking too long to report that a law was not broken?!

[havocmom]

3. Somebody get him the # of the closest ACLU lawyer!`

America needs a special team of scape-goat protectors to straighten things out when shit like this happens.

[Wickerman]

4. A principal is required by law to report suspected abuse

Whether it turns out to be substantiated or not is academic - in essence, it's not left to the principal to make the decision if it's a valid allegation or not - it's up to the investigating authority.

[NoPasaran]

2. Christians playing cards?

:wtf:
Next thing you know they'll be dancing!

[Mist]

5. Am I the only one who's bothered that a 42 year old teacher is playing

a version of strip poker with his 5th and 6th grade students?

[Richard Steele]

8. No, you're certainly NOT the only one.

How the HELL did this "not break any law"?

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. According to the article the neither the teacher nor the students

were ever completely undressed, not was there any sexual contact. Therefore, no law broken - not child abuse, molestation, or even indecent exposure.

That said, it was an incredibally stupid thing to do, and could well have been a precursor incident -- molesters often go by stages that eventually cross the line. The principle presumably knew no law was actually broken, and had the dilemma of how to address it. As others here noted, the decision really was not hers, however, and it should have been reported immediately as suspicion of abuse is all that was required to generate a report.

[Mist]

10. I guess they mean it lacks the specificity of "No teacher or adult

caretaker shall play cards with minors in their underwear." The guy could have played literally dozens of games that didn't involve disrobing. Another pediphile.

[neoblues]

6. Oooh, You Said: "Naked"...

It's strange how the 'law' works sometimes; that law, it seems, could use some revision... for even if it is desirable to want such reports in a timely fashion, instances in which the "abuse" isn't on the order of molestation--such as in this case when it wasn't even clear that it was 'abuse' (and it later turned out not even to be against the law), it seems hardly right to make it criminal for the witness to report it, delay or no delay--at least under some circumstances. Indeed, had the Principal known she would be charged, it would have been motivation to never report the incident at all.

Somewhere in there, there needs to be a recognition of what is "right"; and in this case, it doesn't seem justice was served.

Then again, I'm neither a lawyer nor a judge. Even so...

[zbdent]

7. It's probably illegal to report sexual abuse

at a "Christian" school . . . the sexual abuse is probably okay . . . :evilgrin:

They're called pedophiles . . .

[Bucky]

11. Wait, now I've got to give up strip poker with my students too? Jeeze!!

What's the point of even being a teacher then, if you can't touch each of your students? What's next on this morality hitlist---Strip Go Fish?