So we can’t take credit for it, naturally, but a few weeks ago we posted a few stories about a blatant double standard in the prosecution of sex offender cases. Female teachers who have sexual relationships with minors receive FAR less time than male teachers who do.
FOX news put out the following report today about the blatant double standard and surprising statistic that one-third of teacher on student sexual relationships are committed by females.
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t was the star-crossed scandal that launched a thousand segments of “Entertainment Tonight.”
In 1996 a 34-year-old married mother of four and Seattle elementary school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, was caught romping with one of her 12-year-old male students. She spent a few months behind bars, was caught with him in her car again. And for violating her parole she got seven years in the slammer and had to register as a sex offender.
It was pure catnip for reporters and irresistible to millions around the world.
The media’s obsession with the unlikely couple reached even greater intensity when the pair got married. The nuptial was held in Washington state at the tony Columbia Winery, and the happy couple had all the expenses paid for. “Entertainment Tonight,” which got exclusive access to the event, got a massive ratings bump.
The pair co-hosted episodes of “Hot for Teacher Night” at a Seattle club. In 2000 Letourneau’s story was made into a film, “All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story.”
Letourneau gave birth to one child while out on bail the first time; their second child was born while Letourneau was incarcerated. Both girls grew up under the glare of the public’s eye. There was a Lifetime movie and a resurgence of attention following a Barbara Walters interview in 2015. Then, late last month, her husband filed for separation after 12 years of marriage, citing business rather than personal reasons – juicy details again snatched up by both the entertainment and mainstream media who fed the public’s obsession with older women who seduce teenage boys.
It was that same obsession that made the 2004 case of Florida newlywed and middle school teacher Debra LaFave, 23, a media blockbuster. One year after her marriage, she was arrested for “lewd alliances” with a 14-year-old pupil. Ditto for the former Cincinnati Bengals – Ben-Gals — cheerleader and high school teacher Sarah Jones. In 2012 she pled guilty to bedding a 17-year-old student – igniting yet another firestorm of infamy – and further fueled when she got out of prison the following year and the pair got engaged.
The reason for the heightened awareness has as much to do with the apparently increasing frequency of female teachers having sex with their young male students as it does with the drama that incidents like those of Letourneau spark.
The stories are relentlessly covered by tabloid media – inevitably with a mugshot of the teacher paired with “sexy” photos from her Facebook or Instagram accounts – and the stories are often predictably similar. Perhaps the teacher is found out when the boys boast about it to their friends, or when a parent finds out – and she can’t evade guilt because of sexts or flesh-flashing photos she sent. Details are drawn out like a soap opera: Sex in the teacher’s car; indiscrete emails and text messages, with photos; and then the discovery as the boy tells a buddy or a nosy mom finds evidence of the malfeasance. It’s a virtual syndrome.
“Sex is the biggest nothing of all time.” – Andy Warhol
Small minds obsess over sex which explains why Americans are so obsessed with it. Most of these situations are certainly NOT abusive or even that interesting.
Equal Rights should hold the same meaning for women the same as they are for men, but they aren’t. I remember Debra LaFave saying to the Judge ” I’m too pretty for prison ” and the judge agreed, slapped her on the wrist and said have a nice life, put her on an ankle monitor and probation, then a couple yrs later she went back to court to have the ankle monitor taken off and the rest of her probation squashed and the judge did so with a smile on his face. If a man tried the “too pretty ” defense, he would be laughed at and probably get more time added on for one thing. The other is getting a terminated sentence. I had 15 yrs probation and went to court to have the last 4 yrs terminated after 11 yrs clean, and the judge said absolutely not. My probation officer even went with me as a character reference and I was turned down. Where is the fairness in that equal rights scenario?