Long Island High School Teacher Heather Kennedy in Alleged Sex Scandal with Student

CORRECTION: When I wrote this article, I based my story on information at hand. Once this was published, more accurate details of the alleged crime came to light. In an effort to be as accurate as possible, I am issuing this correction of certain details: According to Newsday.com, Heather Kennedy was arrested for statutory rape after ha! ving intercourse with her underage student in the boy's car while parked at Massapequa High School . When questioned by his father as to his whereabouts, the boy admitted to the tryst and the boy's father contacted the police, according to Special Victims Unit detective, Richard Zito.

Heather Kennedy, a Long Island high school math teacher, is the most recent educator accused of being involved in a sex scandal with a student. Kennedy, 25, is accused of having intercourse with her 16-year-old student. According to police, the underage student from Wantagh High School initiated and was a willing participant in the sexual contact. The police believe this was a single incident and occurred at the boy's home in Massapequa while Kennedy was tutoring him. Kennedy, a teacher at the school for 3 years with no prior criminal record, has been reassigned out of the classroom until further investigation.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a more common occurrence in our society. One can blame the teacher for knowing better or the student for being exposed to so much sexuality on television or other media. In some instances, the teachers are not much older than the students, particularly in high school settings. Until some safeguards are in place, I believe we will continue to see more of this.

One way we can attempt to avoid these situations would be to prohibit outside of the classroom tutoring. Ms. Kennedy was at her student's home tutoring him. That is a dangerous situation to be in, particularly with a student of the opposite gender. Schools should keep tutoring in the classroom setting because it is a more controlled environment.

Along with tutoring in the classroom, schools need to put safeguards there as well. Classrooms should be easily accessed with windows, doors, etc. and all should remain open while a tutoring session is taking place. It is harder for inappropriate contact if anyone could walk in at any time. I realize this could be very difficult for some schools, particularly those that are growing too fast for construction. I taught for a year in a trailer outside of the regular building. My trailer classroom had windows but was very private. If I had a tutoring session, I attempted to hold it inside the main building such as in the cafeteria or have a third person in attendance.

This also brings me to another point. Doctors use this to prevent accusations and decrease liability issues: have another person present. It keeps you honest and appropriate. If a teacher needs to have a tutoring session, invite two students at a time or more. Not only does this help with the liability issues, but it also decreases your workload. If individual tutoring is needed then set one student to work on something (while remaining in the room) and work with the other student.

Another idea that might help would be to institute some kind of peer mentoring program for new teachers in the school. Some schools, I know, have some type of program in place. Teachers who have been at the school or teaching for a long time have a lot of wisdom to give to new teachers. They can not only mentor a young teacher but also potentially identify and perhaps avert disasters. Sometimes a new teacher may not see the dangerous situation he or she may put him/herself in and a peer could help point it out and find a solution. Schools could truly help teachers by allowing them even one extra prep hour a week to meet with a peer and talk. It could help stem the significant overturn of teachers who become disillusioned and leave the profession after only one or two years.

Schools also need to implement some kind of nation-wide background check. I know the school I worked for only needed to do a state background check. Unfortunately, all a child molester has to do is go to a new state. And this will not catch those teachers who have no prior criminal record. Perhaps if schools could keep notes on a teacher's personal file, such as sexual allegations/accusations, and it could follow the teacher from post to post, it might cut down on the issue. Just knowing a sexual allegation could go on your permanent work record might cause the teacher to not only think twice but also be much more aware of potentially risky situations. I realize this is the one area that could be disastrous to innocent teachers, though. Students have been known to not only make the first move but also accuse teachers falsely. But if precautions are taken, a teacher can avoid or repudiate allegations.

When all is said and done, teaching is one of those noble professions that is quickly becoming a lawsuit or a criminal trial waiting to happen. Innocent or guilty, a sexual scandal ruins a teacher's career forever.

Source:

http://www.wnbc.com/news/15719793/detail.html?rss=ny&psp=news