# Idiot Dad punches HS teacher for sexually harassing daughter - Only one problem - **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 27, 2006, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821 "2006-01-27T06:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/1 "2006-01-27T06:48:36Z")
[First we had this](http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20060125T200000-0500_97332_OBS_FLORIDA_FATHER_PUNCHES_TEACHER_S_AIDE_WHOM_HIS_DAUGHTER_ACCUSED_OF_MOLESTING_HER.asp) > [@](#): > > “I’m not real proud of what I did,” Dave F Swafford, 42, told The Associated Press yesterday. "You have to protect your children, and my daughter does not lie to me [Now we have this](http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=24494) > [@](#): > > Dave Swafford was arrested for punching a Lakewood Ranch High School teachers assistant Tuesday after Swafford’s daughter says the aide locked her in a classroom touching her inappropriately and making comments. But on Thursday, the Manatee County School Board dropped a bombshell. > > Roger Dearing, Manatee County School Superintendent: > “We have found that Mr. Mathis is not guilty of what this young lady has accused him of doing that her accusations are false timelines don’t match up other students in class the don’t corroborate her story.” > > The school says Swafford’s daughter and a few friends made up the story because the aide disciplined Swafford after she dumped a Coke on another students head. The school also says it has a videotape of the teachers aid on the opposite side of campus when the incident is alleged to have happened. > > Roger Dearing, Manatee County School Superintendent: > “This alleged victim and one of her friends went around and tried to get other girls to make false statements.” > > The school says it was a student that came forward alerting authorities to what the girls were up to and during the investigation one girl admitted her allegations were a lie. And finally > [@](#): > > But Dave Swafford says his daughter stands by her story. > > Dave Swafford, Alleged Victim’s Father: > “They’re covering their butts. I mean they have a pedophile in their school and they don’t want a bunch of teachers suing them… What they want to do is they want the parents scared they want the students scared and they want us all to turn our tails and run and obviously I don’t turn my tail and run.” > > Swafford says his daughter went to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Thursday and gave a recorded statement to deputies about her side of the story. We tried unsuccessfully to reach Deon Mathis, the teachers aide, for comment. He is expected back in school tomorrow. The manatee county sheriff’s office says it’s investigation into the matter is still open. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/2 "2006-01-27T06:58:35Z")
I hope the girl is charged with giing a false report to the police. The teacher’s aid should sue the fuck out of the dad. I wonder how the girl turned out to be such a lying, sociopathic bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/3 "2006-01-27T07:01:05Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I hope the girl is charged with giing a false report to the police. The teacher’s aid should sue the fuck out of the dad. > > I wonder how the girl turned out to be such a lying, sociopathic bitch. I agree. People like this poison the well for _real_ victims. False accusers aren’t punished nearly enough IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/4 "2006-01-27T07:08:45Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I wonder how the girl turned out to be such a lying, sociopathic bitch. You don’t spend a lot of time with teenage girls. Seriously, it’s obvious that this girl has made a very bad decision and needs to be punished. Young people often do stupid things but this is beyond the pale. She was willing to ruin this guys career over being disciplined for pouring cola on another student, WTF? My parents always told me that they’d back me up 100% but if they found out I’d left something out then my ass was grass. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/5 "2006-01-27T07:10:56Z")
Not only does it poison the well for other potential victims but even the accusation of inappropriate behavior can have serious consequences on ones career. What if investigators were unable to debunk her story so quickly? I know I made a little joke about teenage girls in my last post but there was at least one person who had the guts to warn the authorities. Marc ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/6 "2006-01-27T07:11:40Z")
Well, if you had a dad who went around punching people you’d probably choose a story and stick to it too. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/7 "2006-01-27T07:27:32Z")
This shit pisses me off. My old bass player went to school to become a music teacher. He dropped out early because one of his friends was a teacher and was falsely accused of sexual harassment on a teen girl. He lost his job, got a bad name in the small town, pretty much wrecked his life. Later the truth came out but by then the damage had already been done. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/8 "2006-01-27T11:10:33Z")
That happened at our school too. We had this teacher who didn’t really teach anything in particular and who was more like a permanent sub. It was understood and accepted among the students that he was a Really Crappy Teacher ™. However when he was accused ofsexual harassment by one attention-seeking girl the rest of the students were forced to come to Really Crappy Teacher’s defense because it was so obvious nothing of the sort had occurred. I’m not sure what happened to Attention-Seeking Girl but she probably just got a talking-to. The whole affair didn’t do much for either party’s reputation. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/9 "2006-01-27T12:01:44Z")
> [@](#): > > **Der Trihs** said: > I agree. People like this poison the well for real victims. False accusers aren’t punished nearly enough IMHO. Not only that, but they cause definite harm to the people they accuse. Jobs are lost, families can be destroyed, and sometimes the wrongly accused ends up spending years in prison. The teacher’s aid is the victim here. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/10 "2006-01-27T12:19:51Z")
That’s why we have laws. I understand the Dad’s feeling when he initially believed his daughter but punching the guy out without any kind of questioning seems like a guy who acts without thinking and fancies himself a manly kind of man. Now when the evidence is right there he’s covering his ass and still blaming the school. It’ll be interesting to see how it all turns out. I’ve been through the teenage thing a couple of times and they can do some outrageous things without thinking of consequences but this seems like she is probably following her Dad’s example. It’s the “If anyone screws with me then I’m gonna get even” bullshit. Let’s hope she grows out of it because her Dad hasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/11 "2006-01-27T12:52:19Z")
Whatever the truth of the matter (and it looks now as though the harassment charge was simply fabricated for revenge), the father’s use of the term “pedophile” is dishonest (or else just ignorant). A normally developed 15-year-old cannot be an object of pedophilia. After looking at the linked articles, I would like to co-pit the unidentified “Tampa radio station” that named this man “Father of the Year” because he physically assaulted somebody (in front of a class full of students, yet) who had merely been **accused** of harassing his daughter. Yeah, the hell with all those dads who spend long hours earning a living for their children, playing with their children, teaching their children right from wrong, setting a good example of being caring, courageous, law-abiding citizens. Let’s bestow our accolades on a self-proclaimed vigilante because he self-confessedly “lost control” in front of a class of students and committed felony battery, on the mere **suspicion** that someone had molested his kid. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/12 "2006-01-27T13:02:36Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > Not only does it poison the well for other potential victims but even the accusation of inappropriate behavior can have serious consequences on ones career. What if investigators were unable to debunk her story so quickly? Quite; and even if the matter is swiftly resolved and the accused person found completely blameless; there will always be people who either can’t remember the details properly and recall it as ‘that teacher who acted inappropriately’, or who insist that there’s ‘No Smoke Without Fire’. Merely _being accused_ can leave an indelible stain on a person’s reputation. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/13 "2006-01-27T13:07:27Z")
I hope that the Barbarian Dad gets sued for millions for slander. Once the truth is already out for him to be calling the teacher a pedo is simply beyond the pale. I hope that viking wannabe motherfucker gets royally shafted by our legal system, not just for assaulting another person. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/14 "2006-01-27T13:27:37Z")
They have videotaped evidence that the aide was not where the daughter claimed he was, molesting her? :eek: Cut your losses, dad. I was on your side in the beginning, but now you need to get your daughter in front of the cameras to make a public apology, she needs to apologize to the teacher in front of the whole school, and she needs to apologize to the police for wasting their time. Dad, I won’t ask you to apologize for punching the teacher’s aide, considering the initial circumstances, but you do need to apologize for continuing to believe your lying daughter and claiming the school board is hiding pedophiles in the classroom. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/15 "2006-01-27T13:38:12Z")
Screw the story, I want to know who was in charge of writing the second article. Particularly this gem: > [@](#): > > **Roger Dearing, Manatee County School Superintendent** : > “We have found that Mr. Mathis is not guilty of what this young lady has accused him of doing that her accusations are false timelines don’t match up other students in class the don’t corroborate her story.” Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/16 "2006-01-27T13:45:26Z")
It’s stories such as these that makes me inclined to think that any man who considers wanting to be a teacher is insane. You could be the best teacher in the world, with the most honorable and noble intentions, and yet you have this “pedophile/sexual harrassment/rape” Sword of Damocles constantly hanging over your head. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/17 "2006-01-27T14:00:53Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > Screw the story, I want to know who was in charge of writing the second article. Particularly this gem: > > > [@](#): > > > > **Roger Dearing, Manatee County School Superintendent:** > > “We have found that Mr. Mathis is not guilty of what this young lady has accused him of doing that her accusations are false timelines don’t match up other students in class the don’t corroborate her story.” > > Huh? Indeed. Someone needs to learn about our friends the comma and the word “and”. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/18 "2006-01-27T14:01:16Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > Huh? It totally made sense to me read it today and understood morning that. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/19 "2006-01-27T14:14:49Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Dad, I won’t ask you to apologize for punching the teacher’s aide, considering the initial circumstances You wouldn’t ask somebody to apologize for illegally assaulting somebody on the basis of an unproven accusation? What kind of an example do you think that sets for kids? “See kids, if somebody you love accuses somebody else of hurting them, it’s appropriate to hit that person without bothering to find out what actually happened! And even if the accusation turns out to be false, you don’t have to apologize to the person you hit, because you were just standing up for somebody you love!” Not what I’d want **my** kids to be learning in school, but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821/20 "2006-01-27T14:23:06Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > Huh? Give him a break. He’s a school superintendant, not an English teacher. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiot-dad-punches-hs-teacher-for-sexually-harassing-daughter-only-one-problem/341821.md?page=2)