I have another perspective on this.
When I began teaching, during my first year, I was asked to tutor an eighth grade student after school. Her parents asked that she be taken out of school during the day, because her mother found love notes from the eighth grade counselor (male) written to her daughter. He had been having sex with her starting when she was 12…so for three years both the girl and the counselor managed to keep the relationship hidden. The parents were pursuing legal action. Everyone knew which girl it was…she was jeered and humiliated by nearly everyone at the school, even as the counselor sat in jail. I felt sorry for the girl. And angry at the counselor, who was married and had an eight month old baby when he was caught.
This soured me on my own profession for awhile. Scum buckets like him who prey on children is completely wrong. No wonder people don’t respect teachers like they once did, thanks to Letourneau, Smart and all.
Going back to high school, one of my teachers was having sex with one of her male students. She was single and 36, he was 16. She told me about this years later and said, “he was just so sexual,” and according to her, HE seduced HER. I told her then, and still say it today: it is wrong for an adult to have sex with a minor.
Now I find out one of my friends was seduced at 17 by a 38 YO female who was married.
What do I say? It is still wrong for an adult to have sex with a minor. Whether that minor is 20 years younger, or 5.
I don’t care if all the teenage males and females fantasize about “doing” their teachers…it is wrong to act on it. I know some people on this thread say to take each case as it comes, but I have seen sexual abuse victims and I seriously doubt they would be able to forgive or move through the healing process faster if their teachers were “hawwwt.” We are the adults and under no circumstance, be it passion, love, lust, whatever…should an adult have sex with a kid. Period.
Would you want your child to go through this? I certainly wouldn’t. Think about this: take away the teaching profession and you still have a pedophile on your hands.
Thank you to all the teachers who are doing their damn level best to educate this generation…and keeping their pants zipped.