6 teachers lose licenses in state
National stats not compiled on sex misconduct
By Judi Villa, Rocky Mountain News
Published December 1, 2008 at 12:08 p.m.
Updated December 1, 2008 at 12:36 p.m.
Photo by Rocky Mountain News
Some recent cases of Colo. teachers accused of having sex with students.
Melissa Snow, 27, arrested Nov. 5 after Denver and Sheridan police investigated allegations involving a male student. She is charged with two counts of sexual assault by a person in a position of trust and with displaying a pattern of abuse.
Ralph Kelly, 35, pleaded guilty Nov. 21 to sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. Kelly was a teacher at Brighton Collegiate High School, where he was accused of having sex with a male student. Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30.
Carrie McCandless, 32, a former Brighton Collegiate High School teacher, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In April, McCandless was jailed for violating her probation.
William Eisenman, 34, a former band director at Evergreen High School, was sentenced in August to 15 years to life in prison for having sex with a 16-year-old female student over a three-month period.
A high school teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a teenaged boy.
Another teacher gets five years probation for kissing and fondling a 14-year-old girl.
Still another goes to prison for at least 15 years for luring a 16-year-old student into a sexual relationship by telling her he had a fatal illness.
All of this in just three months in Colorado.
"Most people would like to believe this is aberrant behavior that only happens once or twice a year in some far, far away school district," said Dr. Bob Shoop, a professor of educational law at Kansas State University. "But I think it's very naive to believe that it can't be happening in every school district."
Since 1995, 77 Colorado teachers have had their licenses suspended, revoked or denied for sexually assaulting a child, according to the state Department of Education.
Sexual assault of a child accounts for about one of every five disciplinary actions against Colorado teachers since 1995. This year, it's one in four.
Numbers hold steady
Eric Yoder, an investigator with the Colorado Department of Education, said any sexual misconduct and certainly sexual misconduct that involves a child is viewed as so serious that it "makes the person unfit to hold a license."
It's hard to say if more teachers are sexually abusing students because national statistics aren't compiled on educator sexual misconduct. And while more victims seem to be stepping forward, it's estimated that only 5 percent to 15 percent of cases are reported, Shoop said. Yet the problem is every bit as prevalent as sexual abuse was among Catholic priests, Shoop said.
"This is where the priests/Catholic church thing was 10 years ago," he said. "It's just beginning to get on people's national radar."
In Colorado, the number of new cases that comes before the State Board of Education each year has been holding steady for five years.
But there do appear to be some trends. The vast majority of teacher sexual misconduct still involves men preying on girls. But female teachers tend to get lighter sentences and a disproportionate amount of media attention.
That's because men are traditionally stereotyped as predators while women "would never do anything to harm a child," Shoop said.
"Often times, the female preying on the child is fodder for late-night comedians and others to just say, 'Who wouldn't want that to happen to them? I wish it would happen to me. Who wouldn't want to have sex with her? What's he complaining about?'" Shoop said. "You would never hear anybody say something like that about a male having sex with a female child."
The damage to the child is the same, but there is one difference between male and female teachers who abuse students. Men usually have "serial, sequential victims," while women rarely have more than one victim and rationalize that "there's nothing wrong with this because I truly love him," Shoop said.
Higher standard
This year in Colorado, six teachers have had their licenses revoked or denied for sexually assaulting a child. They include a sixth-grade teacher in Cañon City who gave students alcohol and marijuana, showed them pornography and engaged in sexual activity with male students, and a high school science teacher who had sex with a former student after she turned 18.
The latest arrest in Denver was of Sheridan High School teacher Melissa Snow, 27, on Nov. 5. Police say she sexually assaulted a student in October. She has been charged with two counts of sexual assault.
"We don't have any tolerance for that," said Pam Suckla, chair of the Colorado Board of Education. "You're teaching the most precious gift that we all get, and that's our children."
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December 1, 2008
2:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
John_Galt writes:
It appears that there are far more pedophile teachers in our society than there are pedophile priests. (All pedophiles are detestable.)
So, for all you quick-to-open-your-mouths-and-complain-about-religion liberals, I would suggest that you get more involved in your children's schools and local PTAs if you really want to make a difference.
A good family is the best thing one person could have.
December 1, 2008
2:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
pete10000ft writes:
John what are you talking about, you're comparing 2 different things? Would it not be a valid argument to say there are more teachers than priests in general , thus more teacher pedophiles?
Anyone can manipulate stats to prove their point; 51% of the people know that!
December 1, 2008
3:34 p.m.
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NotUrFriend writes:
If anyone's curious to know, teachers in Islamic nations and males in Islamic nations in general often 'marry' (rape) children without the slightest show of concern. Not that I support this at all, I am very strongely against the physical and spiritual abuse of childred. Anyone who can do such deserves the most severe punishment to be meted out.
I.
PS I should include Imam's there, as most Imam's have a few sex slaves and child brides too. They're the ones who use the Qur'an most to jusitify it, as based on Mohammad's 'teachings.'
December 1, 2008
3:41 p.m.
Suggest removal
NotYours writes:
Where are the union voices here? This issue directly involves two of America's largest unions ==> NEA and AFT. Who's running these political institutions and what are they doing to address this growing crisis? Where are the union leaders, or even their rank-and-file? Everyone involved in these organizations is culpable, by their inaction -- if nothing else.
PETE10000FT-- Arguing percentage comparisons is avoiding the issue. The actual raw numbers matter in this case. Teachers far outnumber priests. Even if teacher pedophelia occurred at 1/1000th the rate of priests, the teachers would still present a greater danger due to pure number of teachers. Also, teachers are paid to instruct children as their primary job duty.
Stop the madness? ELIMINATE UNIONS FROM PRIMARY EDUCATION -- NOW!
December 1, 2008
3:44 p.m.
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NotUrFriend writes:
NotYours!
Wow, had to take a double take on that name~!
I.
December 1, 2008
3:56 p.m.
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pete10000ft writes:
NotYours...that is exactly the point I was making to the previous poster: Teachers far outnumber priests.
-pete
Local 424 teachers union.
December 1, 2008
4:32 p.m.
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triumph110 writes:
This is happening all over the country. Go to www.schoolteachernews.com and click on the Scandal page. They have documented over 430 of these types of incidents since just the beginning of 2008.
December 2, 2008
11:38 a.m.
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PhilM2 writes:
"This is where the priests/Catholic church thing was 10 years ago," he said. "It's just beginning to get on people's national radar."
As we've been saying all along, the Catholics have been on the forefront of cleaning it up. Secular institutions are only begining.
As for future lawsuits, when will the laws justly be distrubuted to allow victims to file suites to the same level as against the state run school boards as against the church.
It all plays out as religious bigotry and oppression.