Sexual abuse among educators

JILLIAN SMITH PERSPECTIVES EDITOR JKS724@CABRINI EDU

MEGAN PELLEGRINO COPY EDITOR/WEB EDITOR MRP727@CABRINI EDU

Pennsylvania: A middle school teacher confesses his love for one of his female students so that he may sexually abuse her.

Michigan: A teacher goes to prison after filming himself molesting a boy. The teacher had already lost his license in another state, making this not his first sexual offence.

Nebraska: A 25-year-old teacher abuses, kidnaps and flees across the border to Mexico with a 13-year-old student.

An Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years where educators were punished for sexually abusing students.

In Pennsylvania alone, the number of sexual offenders to date, including, but not limited to educators, is 9,373.

“The definition for sexual assault for the purpose of teachers is different than what sexual assault would be if you were working at another job,” Dr. Dawn Middleton, chairperson of the education department, told Lo- quitur in an interview. “Teachers are held to very high standards.”

“Teachers don’t always quite understand the significance of their actions...You are now being seen in a light that is different from anywhere that you have ever been seen in before.”

- Dr. Dawn Middleton

“A teacher has a responsibility to be respectful for