Posted on 05/10/2005 5:39:21 PM PDT by Cagey
Mononucleosis, the class was told, is a disease that "whores" get.
Former students at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School say that was part of a lesson given by a teacher who disclosed a student's case of mono and explained it was spread by "sexually active girls."
Now, the target of those comments -- 2004 graduate Rebecca Alvarado -- has filed suit against two teachers, the dean and principal at the all-girls Chicago Catholic school, claiming her privacy was violated and her reputation damaged.
The lawsuit, recently filed in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks in excess of $450,000.
Alvarado claims English teacher Judy Neary drove rumors that Alvarado had a disease "whores" get. She also names math teacher Nancy Vandertuuk and dean Carolyn McGovern in her complaint.
School's lawyer vows fight
Alvarado, who was hospitalized in March 2004 and missed a month of school because of mononucleosis, hepatitis, jaundice and dehydration, provided student affidavits claiming teachers drove rumors of her illness. She said she doesn't know how she got mono.
"People were saying I was a slut because of this," Alvarado said. "Everyone was staring at me like I was a freak. And when I was walking in the hallway, they'd point at me and laugh or say 'There she is. That's her.' It was terrible."
Sister Rose Wiorek, Mother McAuley's principal, said she wasn't aware of anybody on her staff discussing Alvarado's illness with students. John Coleman, an attorney representing the school, said, "We'll contest this in every fashion."
Alvarado's mother, Maricela Herrada, said she called McGovern to explain her daughter's illness.
'What they did was wrong'
An hour later, the suit says, Vandertuuk asked a class to pray for Alvarado, describing her illness and where she was hospitalized.
An hour after that, the suit said, Neary led a class discussion about Alvarado, telling them the "number one" group to get mononucleosis was "sexually active girls."
When a student asked if "whores" get that disease, the lawsuit claims that Neary replied, "Yes."
More classes heard the same lecture from Neary, it says, including a discussion about whom Alvarado was friends with and sleeping with.
"Students from several grades were now discussing and gossiping about Rebecca," the lawsuit says, "claiming she was easy, sleeping around, a slut, and were writing in bathroom stalls that she possessed sexually transmitted diseases."
Herrada said it had a negative impact on her daughter's grades and confidence, breaking down as she said, "What they did was wrong."
"To make a student feel like she's a whore? That she has no values?" she asked. "No one should have to go through what she did."
ping
Don't they reach anything about the tenth commandment? Thou shalt no bear false witness (gossip) against thy neighbor.
If true as alledged
Called her a whore, and talked about who she may have slept with. That's more than just an "indirect" thing.
A "retraction" is cheap, as is an apology. The teacher should be fired, AND the girl should get some recompense.
I will stand by what I said though as I have called girls whores before and no, I don't think I owe them money.
The teachers are in an official position so it is a bit different but a lawsuit? When I was in college, the Profs would out me as a Conservative and frequently ridicule me causing (I would wager.) far more grief then she got.
So should I have sued? I am sympathetic to this girl's plight but I deplore the litigation that has run rampant in our society. As we have grown wealthier, we have also lost much of the greatness of the American people.
Let's say she takes it to Civil Court. What if they do prove that she is a whore, LOL! Would they still have to pay? If they were telling the truth, would they have to pay because they hurt her feelings?
Domb teacher... she confuse "mono" an "gono."
An apology and retraction would do no good at all, the damage was done. Besides suing I would want the teacher fired.
Of course no hanky or panky even in the months preceding.... It like to kill me.
I have no idea how I got it.
I hadn't been with anyone and I got it.A horrible teacher and "Christian" students, they need some more learning on what makes a Christian.
*You know I am kidding*
Did you like the course? I have a friend of mine that just finished Infantry. He is trying to get me to go enlisted Guard when I wanted an Officers course but don't have the credits yet.
He is now telling me to join the Guard as an enlisted Infantry guy. I went for the Guard because I liked it's Officer program. I have already been in an enlisted guy for the NAvy and if I want to go back to enlisted status, I would probably try for the Coast Guard if I could go to the Naval Dive School.
Yuma looked like a really interesting school though.
Arioch7 out.
When you bill by the hour, thst's the way to go.
I noticed there was no strong denial from the teachers or school that the comments were made.
Sister Rose Wiorek, Mother McAuley's principal, said she wasn't aware of anybody on her staff discussing Alvarado's illness with students.
If she was just drawing a link between whorish behavior and mono, and leaving the inference to the audience, then that is a fairly cut and dried statement -- not sure what the medical research has to say about that.
I hate to see people ostracized for simply stating the truth. Whether what she was saying is true makes a lot of difference here.
There is also the legal element that I find disturbing. I think the girl and her parents have gone to far and this case doesn't sound like a valid legal case to me.
Of course, the lawyers see ANY case as legally viable as it makes them rich. It's nice to know that these "Officers" of the court like to make money so much that they will tear society apart to do it.
Arioch7 out!
The weird thing is, my then fiance did NOT have mono and didn't catch it from me; he never was ill at all. I have NO idea how on earth I got it.
My sister came down with Mono from drinking out of a water fountain at school.
LOL! No. I went in 1991. Military Intelligence Officer's Basic Course was absolutely worthless: August 1991, the instructor said:
"Well, I guess by now you guys have heard the Soviet Union fell. The test on Soviet Engineer units and doctrine is still on Monday. Study hard this weekend." Utterly worthless.... The whole world found out on 9-11 how worthless our intell agencies were.
So...
Is she a slut, or what?
;^)
She won't get a dime.
Leni
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