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Student exodus in Michigan school district where teachers defended child molester
Fox News ^ | September 12, 2013 | Perry Chiaramonte

Posted on 09/12/2013 5:52:25 PM PDT by jazusamo

Enrollment appears to be nosediving in a Michigan school district where several teachers publicly supported a former colleague who admitted having sex with a middle school student.

The student body count in the West Branch-Rose City district, in northeast Michigan is down unofficially some 87 students following a tumultuous summer in which angry parents blasted seven teachers for writing letters in support of former teacher Neal Erickson. The letters urged a judge to be lenient in sentencing Erickson, who admitted to sexual misconduct with an underage, male student from 2006 to 2009. When the school board declined to take action against the teachers, many parents vowed to pull their kids out of the public schools, which have a total enrollment of just over 2,000.

“I can’t speculate as to why the students have left, but there were certainly parents who vocalized that they were pulling their children out of school because of the teacher’s support,” West Branch-Rose City School Superintendent Daniel Cwayna told FoxNews.com. “We addressed the issue as best we could without infringing upon the teacher’s first amendment rights. There’s only so much we can do.”

Lower enrollment will cost the district under the state's funding formula. And it could get even worse, if other parents simply opt to keep their kids home on Sept. 25, when the official headcount is carried out. The school district stands to lose as much as $600,000 in state funding.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: arth; childmolester; education; michigan; nealerickson; rosecity; teacher; westbranch
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Fortunately there was a sane judge to counter the insane coworkers of this pedophile teacher.
1 posted on 09/12/2013 5:52:25 PM PDT by jazusamo
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To: jazusamo

The really sad thing here is that none of the people defending the Pedophile will lose their jobs.


2 posted on 09/12/2013 5:55:55 PM PDT by Fai Mao (Genius at Large)
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To: Springman; cyclotic; netmilsmom; RatsDawg; PGalt; FreedomHammer; queenkathy; madison10; ...
Wow, the loss of 87 students will amount to a serious chunk of change.

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Michigan legislative action thread
3 posted on 09/12/2013 5:55:57 PM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Fai Mao

Some of the enabling teachers could lose their jobs if enough parents can/will remove their kids from the school.


4 posted on 09/12/2013 6:00:41 PM PDT by opus86
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To: cripplecreek

It looks like the $600K figure includes the loss of those students whose parents choose to just keep them home on Sept 25, the day that determines federal funding for the school year.

It’s really, really important to schools to have their highest possible attendance that day. They might not care so much about other days.


5 posted on 09/12/2013 6:00:57 PM PDT by EDINVA
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To: jazusamo

Superintendent is a moron. First amendment rights of teachers doesn’t mean they have a guaranteed job for life. Fire them and they can speak out all they want.


6 posted on 09/12/2013 6:01:23 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: jazusamo

I would definitely yank my kid out


7 posted on 09/12/2013 6:03:07 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Fai Mao

Agreed, any teacher supporting this should be gone for good and credential pulled.


8 posted on 09/12/2013 6:04:00 PM PDT by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: Kirkwood
Superintendent is a moron.

Absolutely, Daniel Cwayna should be looking for a new line of work also.

9 posted on 09/12/2013 6:06:53 PM PDT by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: jazusamo
“Neal made a mistake," schoolteacher Sally Campbell wrote in a letter to the judge. "He allowed a mutual friendship to develop into much more. He realized his mistake and ended it years before someone anonymously sent something to the authorities which began this legal process.”


Translation: "Hey, maybe he put his hand down his pants, maybe he didn't. Maybe there was penetration, maybe there wasn't. What difference at this point does it make?"
10 posted on 09/12/2013 6:09:36 PM PDT by servo1969
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To: jazusamo

If I had any kids, there is no way in heaven or hell that I would send them off to public schools.


11 posted on 09/12/2013 6:11:45 PM PDT by fabian (" And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo in laughter")
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To: Kirkwood

Isn’t it odd how school leadership and teachers decide who has freedom of speech and who doesn’t?


12 posted on 09/12/2013 6:12:50 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: jazusamo
I loved this letter:

Teacher Harriet Coe weighed in with her letter.

“Neal has plead (sic) guilty for his one criminal offense but he is not a predator (How does she know he isn't a predator? She didn't know he was doing it, or was she complicit in his crime?),” teacher Harriett Coe wrote. “This was an isolated incident (Once again, how does she know? She didn't know what was going on under her nose, how does she know what he was doing outside her view?). He understands the severity of his action and is sincere in his desire to make amends.”

13 posted on 09/12/2013 6:18:11 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (The IRS--a softer Gestapo)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

No doubt that she’s a flaming “feel good” leftist that thinks ‘Neal’ is a great guy and closes her eyes to the fact he’s a pervert.


14 posted on 09/12/2013 6:24:22 PM PDT by jazusamo ([Obama] A Truly Great Phony -- Thomas Sowell http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3058949/posts)
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To: jazusamo
I was thinking of the more recent case where the girl committed suicide after being molested by a teacher. That teacher was sentenced to 31 days and received support from other teachers. There are some real scumbags teaching in our schools.
15 posted on 09/12/2013 6:29:20 PM PDT by peeps36 (I'm Not A Racist, I Hate Douchebags f All Colors)
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To: peeps36

I saw an article recently that said something like 60% of Detroit teacher moonlight as prostitutes.

It was shocking


16 posted on 09/12/2013 6:31:27 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

People like that rarely get caught the first time they do this. Odds are very good this has happened before.

The behavior of these other teachers is sickening. No doubt these are the same “teachers” that won’t let a student use the word “God” or take a non-liberal point of view in the classroom. Gotta all be smug liberal bigots.


17 posted on 09/12/2013 6:35:47 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: jazusamo

Well,..Let My Students Go!

not exactly an exodus of Biblical Proportions.

there is NO DEFENSE for pedophilia, and anyone trying to defend a pedophile is as guilty as they are


18 posted on 09/12/2013 6:38:28 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey (Block Captain..Tyranny Response Team / al-Kilab Division)
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To: jazusamo
A male teacher convicted of having sex with an "underage male student" and 87 students' parents vote with their feet when seven teachers align themselves with this homosexual pervert and beg for liency for the pervert?

Then we are told the seven teachers are "exercising their First Amendment rights," so we all need to understand they are entitled to their opinions. I'm surprised that there are 87 students left in that school, let alone only 87 quit!

What's with parents today, teachers having homosexual sex with underage students, seven other teachers write letters to the judge begging for liency for the pervert and you want degenerates like these "teaching" your children?

19 posted on 09/12/2013 6:49:22 PM PDT by zerosix (Native Sunflower)
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To: jazusamo

One criminal offense? He repeated that “one offense” from 2006-2009.


20 posted on 09/12/2013 6:58:19 PM PDT by stilloftyhenight (TEA baby! Let's roll!)
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