# Teacher Reveals Former Prostitution in Support of Craigslist Adult Services Rights - Loses Job **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 28, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352 "2010-09-28T14:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/1 "2010-09-28T14:47:34Z")
The following was posted at [Huffington Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-petro/post_803_b_707975.html): > [@](#): > > From October 2006 to January 2007 I accepted money in exchange for sexual services I provided to men I met online in what was then called the “erotic services” section of [Craigslist.org](http://Craigslist.org). . . .At [Craigslist.org](http://Craigslist.org), I was able to bill myself as exactly what I was at the time: a graduate student, bored and curious, sexually uninhibited, looking to make a little money while having a little fun. I wrote my own ads, screened my own prospective dates, decided on my own what I would and would not do for money, and – best of all – I kept every penny I earned, all without the interference of an agency or other ubiquitous “middle man.” > . > . > . > …I made a decision to desist some months after I’d gotten started, exiting the industry just as freely as I’d entered – never have I felt it was the state’s obligation – nor its right, in fact – to protect me from the decisions I made. > . > . > . > I hope to never again make the choice to trade sex for cash even as I risk my current job and social standing to speak out for an individual’s right to do so. It was posted by Melissa Petro, who was at the time an art teacher at elementary school P.S. 70 in the Bronx, a job she’d held for three years. She’s since been [reassigned to “administrative duties.”](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bx_teach_admits_an_ex_hooker_HAs5wQMrW8KdcAfpgrK3WP) She’d been open about her sexually adventurous past in other on-line forums, but acknowledging prostitution, as opposed to simply recreation, was apparently the straw that broke the dromedary’s back. I know we’ve done discussions like this before, but given that her prostitution was (a) for a very short time, and (b) completely in the past, is there good reason to stop her from teaching art to elementary school kids? I don’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/2 "2010-09-28T14:52:17Z")
Yes. Prostitutes are not role models. If you think that elementary school kids 1) won’t/haven’t found out about it, and 2) don’t know what a prostitute is, you’re kidding yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/3 "2010-09-28T15:00:17Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Yes. Prostitutes are not role models. If you think that elementary school kids 1) won’t/haven’t found out about it, and 2) don’t know what a prostitute is, you’re kidding yourself. Are art teachers supposed to be role models? Or are they supposed to teach art? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/4 "2010-09-28T15:09:03Z")
So once a hooker, always a hooker? They aren’t allowed to clean up, get an honest job? ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/5 "2010-09-28T15:10:16Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Yes. Prostitutes are not role models. If you think that elementary school kids 1) won’t/haven’t found out about it, and 2) don’t know what a prostitute is, you’re kidding yourself. If they were high school kids I might understand some concern. With elementary school I’m a bit more concerned they are looking for prostitutes on craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/6 "2010-09-28T15:10:20Z")
It’s not. Her prostitution doesn’t make her a role model, but nor does it make her a pariah. Were she to have been a hooker for 40 years, I wouldn’t change my mind. If she is to lose her position, it should be for current criminal behavior (don’t know what the statute of limitations is on the exact crime she committed, but presuming it has run…) or for something that impacts her ability to be a good teacher. Looking to past crimes, even when admitted, is a potentially troublesome thing to do. Should a gay teacher from Texas be fired if he admits to having had sex before _Lawrence_? Once the statute of limitations has run, I have a hard time thinking of any confessed crime that should lead to termination from a state position, because otherwise it undermines a purpose of statutes of limitation. I’d draw an exception where there was a determination that the teacher demonstrated an ongoing potential threat to the children - but there it wouldn’t be the person’s confession of the crime, or indeed the crime itself that would be getting them terminated. That would merely be evidence as to their ongoing suitability. Say for example a teacher confessed to having been a Klan member in the past, and having taken part in a cross burning aimed at driving out a black family from the twon. I’d have serious misgivings about them being a public school teacher, but I think it would be encumbent on the school to show that they held views that made it impossible to be a good teacher. The confession to cross burning would be evidence of that, but, if it was made as a renunciation of the views, a baring of the soul, I would be OK with the person keeping their job. The teacher here admits to a past action, says she doesn’t see anything wrong with it, wishes she never has to do it again, and wishes it wasn’t illegal. I don’t see any of that as indicating she is a threat to children. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/7 "2010-09-28T15:10:20Z")
I don’t really give a crap what elementary kids are able to find out by snooping around online or whatever. If the teacher isn’t talking about it in class, it’s none of their business, and it’s their own damn fault if their precious little sensibilities get offended. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/8 "2010-09-28T15:11:04Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I know we’ve done discussions like this before, but given that her prostitution was (a) for a very short time, and (b) completely in the past, is there good reason to stop her from teaching art to elementary school kids? I don’t see it. Is a voluntary confession of past illegal activity to your employers _not_ usually a good reason to fire someone? I’d want to hush up about that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/9 "2010-09-28T15:11:35Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Yes. Prostitutes are not role models. If you think that elementary school kids 1) won’t/haven’t found out about it, and 2) don’t know what a prostitute is, you’re kidding yourself. She’s not a prostitute though, she’s a teacher… She quit being a prostitute many years ago. ---
**Author:** ![carm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@carm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/10 "2010-09-28T15:14:30Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Yes. Prostitutes are not role models. How many prostitutes do you know personally? Also, she’s clearly not a prostitute, but a _former_ prostitute. Big difference. If you were to exclude from teaching anyone who had ever been a “bad role model” for even a few months in their lives, you would probably end up with two or three people teaching all the kids in America. In fact, the fact that she is prepared to risk her job and social standing to speak up for what she believes in suggests to me that she would in fact make an excellent role model. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/11 "2010-09-28T15:14:48Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Are art teachers supposed to be role models? Or are they supposed to teach art? I know have an image of Sir Charles Barkely teaching art to elementary school kids. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/12 "2010-09-28T15:17:58Z")
The problem isn’t that she was a prostitute; it’s that she hasn’t renounced her wicked past and accepted Jeeeeeeesus into her life. I bet the school board wouldn’t have a problem with her if she’d gone that way. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/13 "2010-09-28T15:19:56Z")
It’s utter bullshit. If it were a man admitting that he used to use drugs and run with gangs, but he cleaned up his act, went to school and decided to give back to society by becoming a teacher…well, that’d be a freaking Reader’s Digest inspirational story. This is parochial BS right out of the “school teachers should be unmarried” days. Our culture still can’t handle the fact that some women have sex without pretending that they hate it. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/14 "2010-09-28T15:24:08Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > It’s utter bullshit. > > If it were a man admitting that he used to use drugs and run with gangs, but he cleaned up his act, went to school and decided to give back to society by becoming a teacher…well, that’d be a freaking Reader’s Digest inspirational story. > > This is parochial BS right out of the “school teachers should be unmarried” days. Our culture still can’t handle the fact that some women have sex without pretending that they hate it. While I agree with you, there is a difference. were teh man admitting to a past with drugs and gangs, and said that he no longer did it, but thought drugs and gangs should be a legal option, I think there might be a problem for many people. I don’t think advocating for the legalization of drugs combined with a confession of prior use should be cause for firing a teacher, but it is a slightly different situation. However, I do agree that the issue behind many of the complainants is that she is advocating legalization, but more that, “OMG, she was (and therefore is) a whore.” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/15 "2010-09-28T15:24:14Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > The problem isn’t that she was a prostitute; it’s that she hasn’t renounced her wicked past and accepted Jeeeeeeesus into her life. I bet the school board wouldn’t have a problem with her if she’d gone that way. > [@even\_sven](#): > > It’s utter bullshit. > > If it were a man admitting that he used to use drugs and run with gangs, but he cleaned up his act, went to school and decided to give back to society by becoming a teacher…well, that’d be a freaking Reader’s Digest inspirational story. > > This is parochial BS right out of the “school teachers should be unmarried” days. Our culture still can’t handle the fact that some women have sex without pretending that they hate it. The Bronx is not exactly the Bible Belt. I fail to see why we cannot criticize the school’s decision without hyperbole. It’s perfectly possible to imagine a position unopposed to female sexuality and carefully secular but opposed to illegal acts and even more opposed to advocating for the legalization of currently illegal acts. I don’t think the school’s decision is well thought out, but I can discuss it without strawmanning it. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/16 "2010-09-28T15:28:40Z")
> [@carm](#): > > In fact, the fact that she is prepared to risk her job and social standing to speak up for what she believes in suggests to me that she would in fact make an excellent role model. Very valid point. It’s one thing for an arrested prostitute or madam to piously declare that prostitution should be legal. We might imagine some or all of that sentiment is motivated by self-interest. For a former prostitute who wishes fervently to never engage in the trade again, the sentiment is pretty clearly based on an honestly-held, good faith position of what our social policy should be. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/17 "2010-09-28T15:33:19Z")
It wasn’t “many years ago”, it was 3-4 years. Is the statute of limitations expired or not? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/18 "2010-09-28T15:33:27Z")
> [@Gustav](#): > > She’s not a prostitute though, she’s a teacher… She quit being a prostitute many years ago. Nitpick: She quit turning tricks around the time she became a teacher. It doesn’t sound like there was overlap, but it’s not clear. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/19 "2010-09-28T15:34:00Z")
The school district should have the right to make reasonable personnel decisions. This is reasonable enough that I won’t get too up in arms about it. This woman, nice as she might be, doesn’t have an automatic right to teach school. If this was a question of a teaching certificate being pulled, I would be able to muster some outrage - as it is, she has to find another job, like so many of us have had to do from time to time. And maybe she has learned a valuable lesson - she can be a spokesperson for her cause or gainfully employed in P.S. 70. She might not be able to do both. That is true for many of us as well. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352/20 "2010-09-28T15:34:29Z")
Although I injected a heavy dose of facetiousness into my previous reply I maintain that the key issue is her current attitude, not her past behavior. Repenting of bad behavior is seen as redemptive and thus worthy of praise and support. Excusing prostitution and wishing that it were legal, even with the caveat that she never wants to do it again, will have parents worried that she will somehow be advocating it as a career choice to their children and thus will make the school board skittery. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teacher-reveals-former-prostitution-in-support-of-craigslist-adult-services-rights-loses-job/555352.md?page=2)