Teacher & child: legal and moral discussion

[MaineDolFan]

Please do not ignore this thread and continue to share your opinion on how this would have altered your upbringing:

http://www.thedolphinsmakemecry.com/forums/index.php/topic,8998.0.html

However, let's start topic #2:  legal and moral issues.  First, thank you to Smitty.  The legal definement of what we are dicussing is this:

Here's the text:

"1. A person is guilty of gross sexual assault if that person engages in a sexual act with another person and:

A. The other person submits as a result of compulsion, as defined in section 251, subsection 1, paragraph E. Violation of this paragraph is a Class A crime;

B. The other person, not the actor's spouse, has not in fact attained the age of 14 years. Violation of this paragraph is a Class A crime"

The teacher is 24 and attractive, and female.  The victim is a 14 year old child.

If this were the case of a 24 year old male and a male 14 year old student, would you view it the same as you do now?

If this were the case of a 24 year old male and a 14 year old female student, would you view it the same as you do now?

If the teacher were grossly overweight and unattractive, would you view the case the same as you do now?

The teacher violated the law.  The child refused to participate in the case, therefore it was forced to be dropped.  There are charges pending in another county, however.

Also keep in mind that the teacher is married, adultery is another issue.

So let's talk.  This is something that generally doesn't happen, a "hot" young lady having sex with a young man.  What are the legal obligations here?  Moral ones?

Legally this is "rape."  Should laws be written to better define this action?  Is it different if the victim is a 14 year old willing boy?  Your thoughts, please.

[Phishfan]

Morally the relationship is wrong either way (on the teachers part) regardless of appearances or sex. The adultery aspect is bad, especially in a case where the party was so young. Imagine what her husband has gone through in terms of harrassment.

As I said in the other thread I would have jumped at the opportunity though.

To give a little update to the situation, she does not have any more charges pending. The other case was settled first. She received several years of house arrest on that charge through a plea bargain. Basically it was the same situation, the kid did not want to testify. The news also said the other day that she is already engaged to a childhood friend.

[ADeadSmitty]

You know what's interesting is, if you read that statute carefully, two 13-year-olds having sex with each other are both guilty of raping each other.

(By the way, technical point, but the statute quoted above is from the state of Maine. But most other states basically have the same statute anyway.)

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I agree on the moral and legal aspect..... and if it was my son, I would sue her and pull him out of the school.  What she did is wrong and the appropriate consequences are needed. 

However, if I was the 14 year old, I would've jumped at the opportunity and not complained one bit and most other boys would've seen me as a macho man.  That is the double standard in today's American society.  If it was a 25 year old man and a 14 year old girl, the man would be labeled as a "pervert" and the girl as a "slut" or "victim". 

[ADeadSmitty]

I mean I think the whole point is, just saying that you would jump at the chance if you were the 14-year-old doesn't say anything about whether it is 1) illegal, or 2) morally wrong. I don't think Maine denies that he would probably have wanted to do it too. I would have too, when I was 14. It's just beside the point. 14-year-old boys want to have sex with their teachers regardless of the consequences precisely because they are clueless about sex and its baggage -- the same reason it is exploitative and wrong.

If the 14-year-old was a girl, the fact that she "jumped at the chance" and wasn't coerced at all wouldn't make it any less immoral, right?

EDIT: Well actually, it would make it less immoral. But it would still be immoral.

[Dave Gray]

The child teacher problem causes problems on two levels:

1) The age issue.
2) The teacher/student issue.

Both of these are screwed up, but it's especially bad when they're together.  I have big problems with college professors sleeping with their students, too, because it's an unfair balance -- the teacher is in a position of power over the student, and the student depends on the teacher for guidance.