What are your thoughts on how to deal with high school teachers who sympathize with sex offenders?

Question

I'm all for free speech, but when a person says they are a High School English Teacher, do they have the right to openly speak out in defense of a convicted sex offender to their students & to others? Should these types of teachers have mental health evaluations? As a parent & a former victim of abuse, I am interested to hear how others think regarding this very serious subject.

My LAST question gives more insight to the meaning behind this question.

This "teacher" made reference to a "one time slip-up" as being acceptable for a sex offender! Too bad the victims can't have a one time retraction of their abuse.

To Saint & Chance 20; I'm all for freedom of speech, but when a teacher openly & in print makes a statement that is in favor of the predator & leaves out any mention of the victims, then I think there is cause for evaluation because that teacher has given an unbalanced opinion that is NOT based on fact & the students are being "swayed" into a way of thinking by this teacher.

Unfortunately, the emails that went with that last question didn't get printed, but the comments did. I didn't make up any facts. They didn't all get on screen!

Answer 1

I don't know the situation you are referring to, so I feel like there could be reasoning behind this. Sympathizing with a sex offender who was also a victim of sexual abuse could make sense. Not obsolving them of their crime, but suggesting that they are ill could be okay. In the case that the sex offender was convicted, but the teacher believed they were innocent, I could see that as being risky from a professional standpoint, but not an ethical one. The idea of giving a teacher a mental health evaluation doesn't really sound to exciting to me, because unless on is severly unstable, I believe they could easily pass a mental health evaluation. If they are severly unstable...I would like to hope a school administrator would risk the bad press and possible law suit and force the teacher to take a leave of absence. As scary as this may sound...forcing someone to undergo evaluation could set the school up for bigger problems. If the teacher passed the evaluation and were infact mentally ill, you have legally allowed them to remain in their position. If they didn't pass the evaluation but underwent some mandatory training or treatment, you would have no choice but to keep the staff member on staff and you finding a reason to fire them could have nothing to do with being mentally incompetent.

I also do not believe teachers should keep their opinions to themselves, but should allow an open atmosphere and curriculum to have everyone share opinions. Certain subjects need opinion in them to really teach and get one interested. The teachers tests and grading should not reflect the students ability to reiterate a teachers opinion, but it should reflect the students grasp for the subject from all aspects.

"edit" I agree, the response you posted making reference to a one time slip up with a granddaughter is a little disturbing. I do not know if you communicated with this person outside of Answers, but I feel the need to say that based on the answer she/he gave we could assume she/he had some misconception of appropriate conduct with children. However, we could also be jumping to conclusions...perhaps this person was that grandaughter and called her abuse a one time slip up so the she/he could cope with it. Perhaps the person is struggling to deal with the abuse that occured to their child or spouse. Perhaps the person was trying to get you riled up. Or perhaps the worst scenerio is the correct scenario. We can not be 100 percent sure of anything in this type of forum.

I do agree that ideally this is not the person I want teaching my child (no matter what the scenario.), but there really is no way to determine what is behind this persons response...unless he/she decided to tell you. We put our faith in school administrators keeping our children safe, and we do our best to keep our children close enough to us so that we can determine when things aren't right. You got a feeling about this person that made you believe something was quite right and you acted upon it in probably the only way you could. Try and have a little faith that if something is in fact not right...someone else will feel what you felt and that someone will have more of an ability to do something about it.

Answer 2

I agree with saint. It is a free country, but when you are on company time in front of the classroom, keep your opinions to yourself.

As for the other part of your question, you don't give enough info to judge. If the offender is convicted of statutory rape of a willing teen a year younger than the "adult" yeah I could see being sympathetic. For a violent offender it is a little more difficult to imagine, but I would have to hear the statements in context.

Edit

Okay, I went and looked at your last question. First, the response was to you. Where does this teacher anywhere say that she says this in front of her class? No where. You invented that little detail. Also, you chose it as your best answer. Can we infer you agree with the comments then? As for a mental evaluation, based on what? Nothing in her answer was shocking or cast suspicion about her. Don't ask the question if you don't want the answer.

Edit 2.
She didn't say it was acceptable. Once again you are inventing facts that don't exist. She didn't even imply that it was acceptable. She was drawing a distinction between serial abusers and one time abusers.

Answer 3

She should be allowed to speak out but not in a classroom full of teenagers. That subject has nothing to do with the English language. Teachers are supposed to be teaching facts and structure in high school and leave out theory and conjecture. If it was related than perhaps.

Kids are sent to high school with the impression they are going to be taught a staunch ciriculum and things like this have no place in that format.

Answer 4

If it was a teacher of one of my children, I would file a complaint. An English teacher should not be giving their personal views on any subject, especially not this one. Makes one wonder what his/her history might be. You could also email the teacher and ask for an explanation, then you have their response in writing. It has been my experience that school administrators tend to protect their own, no matter what.

Answer 5

no it is not ok for a teacher to defend a sex offender - they should keep those sort of opinions to themselves. A school is not an appropriate forum to air social and political opinion- they are meant to teach their subject. if they are writing to a newspaper outside school hours and do not mention where they work that is ok - but they must keep it out of the workplace and certainly not try to influence children's opinions

Answer 6

Accusing someone of being associated with sexual abuse of a minor is a serious charge and I think you should just delete this question and re-phrase it in a way that does not cast disparagements against an innocent person, unless you are pepared to be sued for libel or slander. There is nothing wrong about sharing an opinion on a public forum like this. We do not live in Iran.

You suggested that she made these comments in a classroom in front of children. That's a lie. You shoudl be ashamed of yourself.

I have reported you to Yahoo answers for harrassment and violation of the terms of service in which you are not supposed to post questions directly attacking other users. I encourage others to report you as well because that poor woman does not deserve what you are doing to her. She answered YOUR question.

Answer 7

Its just being brought to light now, like many other things. Its been around for a long time. Still doesn't make it right, though.

Answer 8

teachers should teach their subjects and leave their opinions at home, this is one problem with the public school system, also the teachers union is a very liberal organization, the real only answer is private schools or home schooling. the school district does not care about your rights as a parent.

Answer 9

They shouldn't be sympathizing with sex offenders. Viiolating somone is not an issue to be taken lightly. Inform the school that you do not approve of this teacher disscussing the good qualities of a sex offender.

Answer 10

In a school setting I'd think that can be taken as sexual harassment, it would certainly make me feel uncomfortable. I'd push the issue to be publicly addressed.