By Mel Whitlock
Recently the Florida school system has been rocked with several allegations of sexual misconduct involving teachers, coaches, and most recently a band director.
Although these kinds of indiscretions in education have existed for decades, with the 24-hour news cycle and social media, it is common throughout the nation to see a headline relating to an adult in education being accused of predatory behavior on his or her student(s). “They should have known better” is an easy response to any of the incidents regarding sexual misconduct of an educator towards a minor in their supervision, however I do believe it’s time for all educational leaders to have “the talk” with their faculty and staff about safeguarding healthy relationships between adults and students in the school building.
Innocence Until Proven Guilty
For almost two decades I have served as an educator and/or athletic coach, and it absolutely abhors me whenever there is a “breaking news” story of a teacher or coach under investigation for sexual misconduct or indecent liberties with a minor. Although there are some ‘scum bag’ individuals easy to identify within the profession who have been charged or convicted of being predators, there are others who were respected professionals who would have never aroused such a suspicion. Unfortunately, in the court of public opinion only three kinds of people make headlines whenever they are accused of a crime: politicians, entertainers, and educators.
As tempting as it may be to ‘cast the first stone,’ I still want to remind readers of this op-ed that even teachers and coaches deserve the courtesy of being ‘innocent until proven guilty.’
In 2023 an article written by Matt DeGrood for the Houston Chronicle titled How a False Allegation Changed a Former Cy-Fair Coach’s Life, DeGrood highlighted how a coach lost his career and had his reputation ruined over a false allegation from a female student. Additionally, former Georgia Tech head men’s basketball coach, Josh Pastner was a victim of an extortion plot by a woman who threatened to falsely accuse him of sexual assault. For these two reasons, and many others, I encourage readers to allow any allegations of sexual misconduct to have a process of completion before rendering any judgment.
Not a New Phenomenon
While Mary Kay LeTourneau was making national headlines for her unapologetically sick sexual assault on one of her middle school students in the late 90s, I can remember a former high school coach from my hometown being perp walked out of his classroom over allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of his students. However, because the incident only garnered local news, and I do not believe the parents pursued any justice, it was summarily ‘swept under the rug.’
I would argue that most teachers and coaches have worked with a colleague who has either been suspected, or convicted, of some kind of sexual misconduct involving a minor. One of the most recent incidents here in Florida was only reported because of CS/HB 495: K-12 Public Education was signed by then Governor Rick Scott in 2018, which summarized that a teacher or coach could be charged with sexual assault, even if the victim consented and was 18 years of age. Veteran teachers and coaches have a moral obligation to correct novice teachers and novice coaches whenever there is a recognized potential of the latter crossing personal boundary lines with their students or players.
What Can Schools Do to Safeguard Themselves…Have the Conversation!
“They should have known better” is a sensible response whenever there is a report of a teacher or coach being arrested for sexual misconduct involving a minor. However, novice educators are being set up to fail by their post-secondary institutions and their districts through mis prioritizing this historical problem. I am asking for both school districts and post-secondary training institutions to consider developing curriculum on this topic because ‘they should know better’ can no longer be the only sufficient response!
Below are five simple steps I believe every teacher and coach should consider about their environment as a supervisor of students and athletes:
- Always, if possible, keep the door of the classroom open when alone with a student; especially, if it is a student or athlete of the opposite sex
- When transporting a student alone, make sure the ride is always recorded (recommended for coaches)
- Avoid having social media interaction with current students and/or players
- Removing oneself from any social setting where current students and/or athletes frequently attend
- Never disclose relationship matters in detail to students and/or athletes
Unless someone has a historical pattern of predatory behavior prior to entering the education profession, very few, if any, teachers or coaches who have been convicted of sexual misconduct towards students start their careers with the intention of being a child sexual assaulter. Some convicted teachers or coaches turned sexual predators have blamed failed adult relationships, persistent student-initiated flirtation, or being ‘caught in the moment’ as reasons for their indiscretion. However, there is no excusable reason for an adult in a supervisory role to sexually abuse and violate the most innocent of our society. If the worst outcome of my five suggestions is nothing, then so be it; nonetheless, educational leaders having these discussions in their trainings might prevent a teacher or coach from losing their career, or worse, their freedom.
