What's going on?

You knew the question had to come, with three female teachers arrested for on charges of having sex with students in such short order.

"What's going on there?" the Today show asked this morning, to lead into a 2-1/2-minute story on the Tampa area's school sex scandal. (Video here.)

The show talked about Stephanie Ragusa, Mary Jo Spack and Lisa Marinelli (shown above, left to right), not to mention the now infamous Debra Lafave (left).

And so, too, it turns out, are lots of folks around the bay area. Which meant it was only a matter of time before the bad jokes started rolling in.

Thanks to 98Rock for perhaps the most bawdy and irreverent take on the subject. It's begun a contest to see who can guess which school will make headlines next.

The Buckethead Show on 98Rock touts the "school pool" on its web site, complete with photos of Lafave, Marinelli and others. Listeners are asked to pick which high school will be next; whether the next implicated teacher will be a woman or a man (let's not forget Thomas J. Anderson from Seminole High and Michael Aaron Black (right) from Pasco Middle); and what subject they teach.

Winners, the website says, will be given "cash for new school supplies and maybe some 'private tutoring' of your own ;-)."

The idea, Buckethead tells the Gradebook, is just to "have a few laughs" with the situation. Everybody likes to guess what the next one will be, he observes. All joking aside, Buckethead adds, the national notoriety isn't all that: "It's always nice to be known for something. I just don't think this is the thing we want to be known for."

- Ron Matus and Jeff Solochek

Comments

[CCC-AIM]

We are a group of Christian adult women that have formed a mission to fight against local businesses that exploit young women for profit called CCC-AIM (Countryside Christian Center Anti-Indecency Mission). We have been successful with targeting perpetrators and raising awareness campaigns throughout the Tampa Bay Area. You'll find dozens of additional perpetrators that live among us and our children that will suprise you on our website. We are fighting to stop these disgusting human beings from exploiting the young boys and girls of Tampa Bay.

Our website is http://cccaim.blogspot.com Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. God Bless.

We should lower the age of consent to 14. By that age you know you want sex. I know when I was in school I day dreamed about sex with a couple of my teachers. That would have been fun!!

[Gilbert R. Ford]

To be able to explain this latest encroachment on our society, we must first sit down and talk with the assaialtants...the debunked educators. Ask the very tough questions!

Then we must talk with the victims (candidly). At that point, you would get an idea were the problem arrived. We must explain to them that naivity is not an excuse for the decisions one make, it is rather bad choices in the decision making process.

As for the parents, please do not stand up in court and talk about how your child's innocence was stolen/taken when you did not do your part raising them (at home) to begin with! Incidently, what is learned in the home will definately be practiced outside of the home.

I am not quite sure how the Teacher's Union should address this issue with its members. If I were in the Union I would address it just like this: "You all are embarassing this profession, and I do not want to be associated with you!" Then make a motion to amend the by-laws so that the members can vote the assailtants out, IMMEDIATELY!

As for the Courts, explain the disparity in the sentencing. One gets Community Service/House Arrest, One gets Probation, One is too pretty to be incarcerated and One receives 22 years etc...You talking about a disparity, wow!

Lastly, I have worked in Law Enforcement for more than 30 years, in the Corrections Field, you could identify the female officers who were starving for attention, and likely to carry on an illegal relationship on the job. You could single out the males who were prone to compromise as well. Point being, a little peer policing always helped!

[Tony]

A couple more comments to some of the posts in here. I would like to know how "higher standards" can go. Policy can only go so far. After that high standards are dictated by the individual himself. Salaries will always be a sticking point. There are schools of thought in this forum that teachers are overpaid. There teachers that I know get $35,000-$45,000 a year. They put up with administrators that make their decisions based on knee jerk reacdtions. The deal with kids whose best day is to show up for class. They deal with parents who either don't want to be involved with their kids lives or who want to tell the teacher how to teach (and everything in between). They deal with health and other physical problems kids have at school. They play different roles and need to have diverse teaching styles in the classroom since kids don't learn the same. Above all this they have to live, and teach, with the constant stigma of what the teachers that are the subject of this forum produce. It is a VERY stressful profession, and it wasn't always this way. Mainstream media has turned the school system into a circus. They are more apt to find what's wrong in the system than what's right since that sells more papers. If those who think salaries are too high for teachers, I think they should spend a school year in the classroom and see if THEY could handle it. See if THEY want to stay up grading exams, putting lesson plans together every week, and knowing that not every kid in their class will be successful. See if THEY are able to handle those kids who are the product of a violent home environment and maybe show the results of that environment when they come to class. See if THEY can handle job uncertainty everytime the county and state budgets come into question wondering if they will get the small raise that is "built in" to the budget or better yet if they still have a job. You see folks, teaching isn't just about working from 815 or 930 to 330. There are ALOT of things a teacher does to prepare for class throughout the year and who are we to say what they do isn't worth their salaries, if not more. I've never taken teachers for granted nor have I ever questioned their salaries. One day there may not be enough of them around and what do we say than..."do we need to pay them more?". Enough said.

[Tony]

These teachers are obviously not right but don't just blame them. Teenagers nowadays want sex earlier. They see it everywhere. Television, books, video games...sex is a medium that can be found everywhere in society. When females feel they need to be popular they wear the low cut shirts or "Daisy Dukes" so low you can see their underwear, if they are wearing any at all. They show massive amounts of cleavage. Guys use their charm to woo any female they want to have sex with. None of us should be surprised by all this. When I was growing there were teachers who were attractive. Did anything go on between student and teacher? I don't know. There wasn't the mass mainstream media coverage than (25 years ago) that there is today. Teenagers, for the most part, are not stupid. Not only do they know how to get what they want, they know how to beat the system, they know how to manipulate people (including adults), and they know how to advertise what they want with what they physically have. Don't think for a second that some of these kids don't plan this stuff out. It wouldn't surprise me if dozens of incidents happen nationwide where kids plan to have sex with their teachers, make it publically known, and than settle out of court with the school district for large sums of money. The parents don't know any better except to think their "innocent angel" has had the virtuousness taken. Don't get me wrong. There are times when I think the crime is legit, but I do believe many times it's a crock...and the press eats it up.

[Teacher]

Bill at 3:41 brings up an astute point. Garbage workers actually still earn more than teachers..what is this saying about our children and what a low priority they are in our society? (I cannot even address the "class" issue). Schools merely reflect back all that is wrong in our society. Schools and teachers cannot fix all that is wrong in the world including a seeming abundance of child molestors. I am guessing that garbage workers do not have the pressure to teach to a test, teach students who barely speak our language or are marginalized by a system that caters to parents and administration. I urge all the people on this blog to visit a classroom and get a clue. You have no idea how far off you are about what teachers today must contend with before they set their foot in the door. We drive away talented teachers all the time.

[enoughwhiningalready]

i think if i ever hear a teacher own up to any insufficiency without whining about pay, i will swallow my tongue. teachers earn a pretty good living for a mere 4 year degree. extrapolated over a 12 month work schedule, it's actually a pretty sweet living. nice pension, too. who the heck gets pensions anymore? look around at what others are earning in the private sector, and appreciate that most workers get 2 weeks off a year, at best. teachers get 2 months. these teachers did the wrong things because they're bad teachers and bad people. which makes them 100 percent OVERPAID.

[Bill]

Would you be shocked if a relatively large percentage of garbage truck drivers were accused of the same crime? What's the difference? Both jobs attract the same class of people.

[Ron]

Thru the years I have always read that giving the teachers more money will take care of everything. Thru the years the teachers have gotten more money on numerous occasions. Naturally they say it is never enough. The taxpayers have been forced to pay higher taxes, and more and more money has been diverted to education. For what? The education system in this area has NEVER gotten better because of more money. The problem is not going to be solved with more money. That has been tried many many times. You cannot take a poor employee and make him better with a larger paycheck. What they need to do is set higher standards for the teachers that are hired. Don't higher someone just because they have the necessary degree but hire ONLY those that are actually qualified to teach the subjects. Not all teachers are equal and I'm afraid that this area's school district already has way too many teachers that don't have the necessary abilities to instruct our children. We need teachers that can not only teach our children the required subjects but also the skills necessary to be good citizens. The current crop of teachers seem to only have one goal......teach the children ONLY what is required for them to do well on the FCAT test, period.
It is not that we get what we pay for with our teachers. It is that we get what masquerades as teachers, when the bar is set low enough. Talk with any teacher and they will tell you the names of many in their ranks that do not deserve to be employed in this honored profession.

[Current Teacher in Tampa Bay Area]

WHY are we surprised that we have morally reprehensible behavior from teachers when our county's standards are so low in the first place that a warm body constitutes an educator? Good teachers are then punished for the actions of these pedaphiles and futher sully the reputation of our field. If this county actually treated good teachers well, by paying them better, treating them as professionals, paying for their masters and doctorate degrees as other fields do, and recognizing the talented teachers, we might not have such issues. Until something changes about the way we treat education we will continue to attract preverts into the classroom and this comes as no shock to the teachers that do their job well on a daily basis and are still treated miserably.
-An angry educator

[Brendan]

I feel as though there is a great deal of jumping onto the bandwagon on this issue. Yes there are many more reports of student-teacher relationships in the past few years than in the prior decade before that. I'm not condoning anything that these teachers have done, but I have a hard time believing that this hasn't been going on for decades before this. Maybe in today's society there are many more "lines of communication" (text messages, cell phones, e-mail, myspace) for people to catch onto? I personally went to one of the schools that have had a teacher in the news for wrong doing recently and there were "things" going on back then between students and teachers. The general consensus of the student body was "It is there choice and if they get caught, they'll live with the consequences". It happens a lot more than everybody thinks it does. Yes it is a big deal, but everyone shouldn't be shocked and wanting to start a witch hunt.

[R]

Why should LaFave get out so soon for doing basicly the same crime as Michael Black? Look at how long he will be in jail - very unequal. Why should he spend basically the rest of his life in jail and she is out free after a couple of years of house arrest? It is time for the legal system to make sentencing rules and stick to them. You do this crime=this much jail time, probation, etc. Treat each case the same.

[Ron]

Obviously there are some parents that have not bothered to take the time to TEACH their children about what is inappropriate contact with ANY adult, whether it is a teacher, relative, or a total stranger. Some parents still think that it is up to the rest of the world to raise their children.
What the teachers did was wrong, but what some parents DON'T DO is worse.

[eloquentmind]

I have to say that this is scary for two reasons. If they are guilty of the behavior suggested, then I am scared that there are people out there who would abuse that position of power. But secondly, I think it is scary how the community is so quick to assume that every case is true and that these selected instances represent all teachers. THAT IS NOT TRUE! MOST teachers are wonderful people who went into teaching to be a positive force and a servant to the community. That’s why I teach. Today, any kid can just make something up about a teacher. The teacher has no way to defend or protect themselves because no one is an advocate for the teacher. This is the very reason why I am quitting this year. I teach high school in this county, and I am scared to death that my career will be ruined by lies. I have worked too hard to become a sacrificial lamb for a community who clearly has no regard for what great teachers do.

I have already had experiences where students have banned together to make a lie about me to their parents and the administrators so that they would no get into trouble, and the scary thing is the kids were the ones that were believed, not me. I had a perfect reputation and a record of excellence, but it didn't mean anything. The quicker you realize that no one has your back, the better off you will be. We should think about how this disrespectful culture is ruining the educational system and how it is pushing out all the good, smart teachers, leaving positions to be filled by people that aren't as respectable and qualified.

[sandra]

These teachers should get at least 10 years of prison -- if not more -- no plea bargain ..and it should be in their record forever -- no jobs that have contacts with minors. They may be caught with one child today but I am sure that might have done damage to so many other children before. male or Female -- these teachers are SICK and a stain on teaching community -- giving them bad name ..
Also, I think that schools should have uniforms and the students should not be allowed to wear provocative clothes -- after all when they go to a Place of worship like church or Mosque -- they do not dress up Trashy then when you are going to school -- a place for eductaion -- how can you dress like that?

[Houston]

Coaches are forgotten?

These sluty teachers need to go to jail just like men would if they had done the same thing.

This kind of behavior has got to cease. What is wrong with the Teachers Union? Do they have a clue about what their members are up to or not? Has their concern for education and the welfare of the children gone completely by the wayside? I can no longer support the teachers and their union so long as this type of behavior is not denounced and purged from their ranks.

I agree with 9:19, but unfortunately there have been teachers who have turned in co-workers and nothing was done about it. Why are they still teaching after there is evidence of illegal activities? We really can't be that hard up for teachers!

[Mary]

1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18.

20% before they turn 8.

50% by the time they turn 12.

About 1/2 of them will be abused by family members, more than 90% will have a trusting relationship with their attacker. Less than 10% will be abused by a stranger.

The abuser will "court" the victim for months before attempting innappropriate behavior. When the inappropriate behavior starts, it will escalate over a months or even years.

The average sexually abusive relationship lasts four years. In the end, the victim is convinced they are a willing participant.

75% of the abuse reported is accidental. Meaning, the victim does not tell. When confronted, 80% of the victims will recant the heresay or altogether deny the abuse.

(Remember, the lastest boy-his father caught them and pressed for answers. Boys hardly ever tell anyone. They are ashamed of not just the abuse, but of feeling victimized..."real" men like it, right?)

Those who tell and are not believed will be irretrievably broken.

Only 2% of all abuse cases are unfounded. Less than 1/2 of one percent of chilren who report abuse make it up.

1/2 of all teenage first pregnancies are preceeded by molestation, rape or attempted rape. 75% of sex workers are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Young women simply don't CHOOSE to service men. They fall victim to it, they are shamed into it, they believe that's all they deserve.

Abused children smoke at rates three times higher than their peers. They expreience depression, wet their beds, act out violently...or become overly submissive. They suffer tremendously.

In an average size high school, more than 350 girls and over 200 boys are survivors of sexual abuse. 30% will never ever tell anyone. Never ever.

All of them will have difficulty with relationships as adults.

Some will go on to abuse others.

Sexual abuse knows no boundries. It crosses political, social, religious and economic boundries.

These abusers are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more out there. They are every where.

Silence hurts.

www.reportitNOW.org

[wilma]

The "Teachers Union" is protecting these teacher predators.They should be turned in by their co-workers.
They have violated a "Trust",the psychological damage to the abused child may take years to manifest itself.
THE SCHOOL SUPER IS ULTIMATELY
THE ONE THAT SETS THE TONE. He or she must take the lead.

"ZERO TOLERANCE" NOW!!!!!!!!

[robert]

THERE SHOULD BE AN ANONYMOUS {800#}
TO TURN SUSPECTED "PREDATOR TEACHERS"
INTO SCHOOL AUTHORITIES.

A SUSPECTED TEACHER WOULD BE CALLED TO THE OFFICE TO SPEAK WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND AN OFFICE WITNESS.

THE "TEACHER OF INTEREST" WOULD BE TOLD THAT A TIP WAS GIVEN. THE TEACHER WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A POLYGRAPH ASAP FAILED OR REFUSED TEST WOULDE
BE SUSPENDED PENDING INVESTIGATION. ANY SUSPECTED TEACHERS WOULD ALSO BE INTERVIEWED BY POLICE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY.IT HAS GOTTEN OUT OF HAND.
DO TEACHERS HAVE TO TAKE A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLGICAL INTERVIEW.?
THE DEVIANT TEACHERS ARE RUINING IT FOR THE 99% OF THE ETHICAL AND MORAL TEACHERS.
THE SCHOOL BOARDS NEED TO BE PROACTIVE
ASAP

[ladyT]

These Predators should all be sent to Prison where they belong....Give them ALL 22 1/2 years like they did Michael Black. Bet ya that will slow things down. These Women are SICK....They are Predators....LOCK THEM UP.

[Ann E. Mouse]

Visit: endteacherabuse.org

[samantha]

This is a moral and ethical breakdown.
It will continue when a women sex offender gets home arrest or probation and a man sex offender is sentenced to 25 years.

EQUITY IN SENTENCING MALE AND FEMALE OFFENDERS SHOULD HAVE THE LAW APPLIED EQUALLY.

The scarry part is these are well educated individuals that leave a
trail of text messages and cell phone calls,if they had any brains they would be republicans.
A 5 year mandatory sentence{no plea bargains} would make these teachers think twice about breaking the trust with the students
THE OTHER TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOL KNOW THE DEVIANT TEACHERS SO DO THE STUDENTS
TURN THE BAD TEACHERS IN
$5000 REWARD FOR INFO LEADING TO THE ARREST OF DEVIANT TEACHERS....THAT REWARD WOULD GO TO STUDENTS OR TEACHERS THAT RAT OUT THE sex addict TEACHERS..

STOP THE INSANITY NOW!!!!!

[gerry]

Yeah but the good teachers are forced to retire save a buck!!

[rowdy]

This sounds to me like, just maybe, having a sexual encounter with a teacher is becoming a status symbol. No excuses for the teacher, but maybe these students are trying extra hard for the bragging rights. I can pride myself after being a physical ed. teacher for 30 years, and never touching a student indecently. Probably because as I was sexually abused by my 7th grade teacher, and remember the impact it has upon my life. Nobody should have to go through the experience.

[Jimbo]

I heard the bs talking about the contest this morning. first I was a little upset that someone could make fun of the situation then after his explaination and thinking about it I thought it was funny as S^%$

[deebee]

Wasn't there a poll recently that said that most parents wanted sex ed in school. Well, these teachers seem to be providing it!

[BlameTheParents]

I blame the parents. These teachers (and teens) are only doing what's natural.

I always thought that our education was suffering terribly in this country. Come to find out, our teachers are the ones suffering... from a complete lack of judgement that is!

How do we expect today's children/ adolescents to take their instructors seriously if they keep making fools of themselves? IT MUST STOP!! There are good teachers, with great passion for what they do and these men and women are making the American School System look even more like a joke than it already did.

Hot sexpot teachers??? Please, Vince. Scroll back up and click the images for larger versions. You must be desparate..

[Vince]

Where were all of these hot, sexpot teachers when I was in school? And as far as their "victims" are concerned, there is only one way to describe them - lucky little ba*tards.