Posted on 10/24/2013 8:27:33 AM PDT by markomalley
A chemistry teacher in northwest Indiana has been fired and criminally charged because he allegedly ferried a group of students to a strip club and gave them beer and hard liquor inside his home.
The sacked teacher, Travis Lechien, had taught for a decade at Hanover Central High School in the exurbs of Chicago, reports local NBC affiliate WMAQ. He was also a volleyball coach and a sponsor of many after-school activities.
Lechien, 32, had been suspended without pay since Sept. 10 before he was fired. Previously, the school board had refused to accept his attempt to resign.
We take this seriously, school district superintendent Tom Taylor told The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Taylor noted that he has received no complaints from parents concerning the former teacher. He also said the students will face no penalties.
I think the issue here is with the adult involved, he told The Times.
Lechien also faces a trio of counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Under Indiana law, the three misdemeanors carry a total maximum prison term of one year.
Locals interviewed by WMAQ sided strongly and squarely with the school district and the police.
Its morally reprehensible. I mean, it simply shouldnt happen, said one man.
He was trusted with our children and he just should never have done it, agreed a woman.
According to court documents, things went south for Lechien one particular night when police pulled his car over for speeding. Inside the car were some students he had taken to a strip club in Hammond, Ind. He was driving them home.
The occasion for the strip club visit was a students birthday.
An affidavit also alleges that a group of students frequently hung out at Lechiens house, reports WMAQ. They drank hard liquor and beer. They smoked tobacco from Lechiens hookah. They played video games.
Some of the students who spent time at the chemistry teachers house are 18. Others are younger.
Richard Wolter, an attorney representing Lechien, indicated that his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges.
The first court date is Nov. 19.
If it had been a gay strip club he’d still have his job.
just because?
He should be in prison
He was just teaching chemistry. LOL.
if ya hafta ask....
Were we in a just world, yes.
So, as he should be.
He’s a moron.
hmmm....back when I was in school, in the throes of puberty, with my hormones awakening....where WERE all these male teachers who would take you to strip bars, and all these female ones who would sleep with you?
Just born too soon I guess.
Leni
I went to a strip club once. The hamburgers were very good. The buns were even better.
It's called contributing to the delinquency of a minor and he should be in jail for it -- not just fired.
One way to boost school attendance among seniors.
I'll bet.
Is that law still enforced? Lock up the heads of Planned Parenthood.
Doesn’t sound like any minors attended the strip joint. Strip joints around here these days don’t even offer nudity.
Possible charges are supplying beer/liquor to those under 21 and tobacco to those under 18.
He associating with students was improper but hardly the type of scandal the NEA has been good at terming “isolated incidents”.
That reminds of this story:
Students at La Salle University in Philadelphia say exotic dancers were part of a professor's extra-credit symposium on business ethics....Students say the dancers kept their clothes on. Sophomore Brad Bernardino tells WPVI-TV that one dancer gave a lap dance to assistant management professor Jack Rappaport....Students say they have a new teacher.
-- from the thread Exotic dancers perform at Roman Catholic La Salle Univ., for business ethics class
And if we take into account the “near legal age” argument that is used for tolerating sex with a person below the legal age, then the drinking and smoking are no big whoop.
He doesn’t know the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.
Not a wise move on his part to expose students to this.
He was just teaching chemistry. LOL.
I think he went over the line when crossed into the biology teachers realm. You have to stick to your own subjects.
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