Scarred For Life

  There is,  as I see it, a moral problem in several of our public schools. It seems not only do he public schools want to educate our children about sex as early as possible, now,  parents face,  the ever increasing possibility,  that their children could  be exposed to sexual advances from their teachers.
  I was watching the news,  a few days a go, I happened,  to hear about another teacher who was found guilty of  having sex with five of her students. In case you didn't hear that story, I will give you the highlights. A high school teacher named, Stacy Schuler taught at Mason High School  in Lebanon, Ohio. The teacher was thirty three and the five boys were seventeen. The teacher, Stacy Schuler, was found guilty of sixteen counts,  of sexual battery in addition, she was also found guilty of three counts,  of giving alcohol to minors. The teacher, was sentenced, to four and a half years in prison,  with the chance she might be released  in six months if the judge is satisfied with her progress  after receiving her psychological evaluation. As you might expect, she will now have to register as a sex offender upon, her release from prison.
  The problem that I have,  with this issue  is some,  focus on the wrong issue. Here is what I mean. Fox News's Geraldo Rivera, hardly seemed concerned that the five boys had sex with their teacher. He argued, that in the state of Ohio the legal age of sexual consent was sixteen therefore he said if miss Schuler had been anyone else besides their teacher no one would have thought much about as far as legal cases go. Geraldo went on to say, that he felt,  some boys,  at the age of seventeen would be flattered, to have made such a sexual conquest like their thirty three year old teacher. Geraldo said, he thought,  it was sad that miss Schuler,  would now,  be branded,  as a sex offender this he said will leave her scarred,  for life. Here however, is the point I wish to make, To me, it doesn't matter if the age for sexual consent is sixteen in the state of Ohio. Miss Schuler, was the boys teacher. This places miss Schuler in a direct position of authority over the boys. As a teacher,  she was expected, to conduct herself, in a mature and professional manner. The parents,  of the five boys,  had every right to think,  that they could send their children to that school, and not have to be concerned, that they would be approached in a sexual manner by their teacher. Geraldo, seemed  more concerned, with the scar that having to register as a sex offender was going to leave on the life of the teacher. I would ask him, what about the life time psychological scar  this encounter,  left on those young boys?
  At the sentencing, the parents had plenty to say, and they directed their remarks to miss Schuler. One parent said, their boy was now in a constant state of depression. Another parent said, that their boy could never trust an authority figure again. One of the boys,  told his mother,  he may never,  be able to relate to or think of girls in the same way ever again. It sure seems to me,  that these boys,  at least to some degree will be psychologically, scared,  for life.  As always, my friends, these thoughts remain, just, some words, to think on.