I say not guilty. Not by much, but not guilty.
waiting for Laz’s take before I commit.
Well, you've got to remember that we're talking about a 16-year old male. To them, even the crack of dawn looks exciting.
There is an updated to the story:
According to New York State Education Law, school district officials cannot fire a tenured teacher like Decker until she has a Section 3020-a hearing.
The law states that the only times a tenured teacher can be fired without a hearing is if they are convicted of a sex offense.
The law also states a teacher can be suspended without pay prior to the hearing only if they’ve been found guilty of a felony drug crime or a felony crime involving the physical abuse of a minor or student.
While Decker was accused of having physical contact with a 16-year old at East High School, she pleaded guilty only to sending sexually explicit text messages.
Endangering the welfare of a child is not a sex offense, meaning a 3020-a hearing is necessary to fire her.
According to the New York State School Boards Association, a 3020-a hearing takes an average of 520 days and costs a school district an average of $128,000. In that case, it could cost the district $200,000 or more in salary and expense before a final decision is made in the Decker case.
Guilty - but only probation.