Predatory Teacher Dodges Jail (Debra Lafave update)

The Smoking Gun ^ | today | staff

[Rodney King]

NOVEMBER 22--In a sweetheart plea deal, a former Florida middle school teacher who had sex with a 14-year-old male student escaped a jail term today. Debra Lafave, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior and was sentenced to three years of community control, or house arrest, and ordered to register as a sex offender. Lafave's plea came on the eve of trial and was approved by the teen victim and his family (in a court affidavit filed today, the boy's mother wrote that a trial would "negatively affect my son's emotional and psychological well-being"). Lafave, who will serve seven years probation following her house arrest term, was facing a maximum of 30 years in prison. A probable cause affidavit prepared by the Marion County Sheriff's Office details the predatory behavior (in her classroom, an Isuzu SUV, and her Tampa-area home) of Lafave, who is pictured below in police booking photos. A supplemental report from the Temple Terrace Police Department (which you can find here) included the boy's graphic account of his trysts last year with Lafave. "With about a week left in school she became affectionate," he told cops. (15 pages)

[Rodney King]

Honestly, would this be the woman you'd want to spend your life with? Have chilren with? Dude, your standards are way too low! Trust me, you can do a LOT better than that scummy loser. And I still say she's nothin' to look at. She's creepy!

You are obviously not a guy. I doubt that marriage/commitment/children even entered the mind of any guy that has read this thread.

[billbears]

Actually in the face, she looks better without her makeup. Doesn't excuse what she did though

[papasmurf]

Inappropriate for this forum, imo.

[derllak]

Well I'm feelin' pretty good about myself now! If you think she's hot, the I must be drop dead gorgeous! And all this time I thought I was just a plain Jane. Where's my mirror - gotta go admire my new-found beauty! :)

(damn near exploded? How would you have explained THAT to your mom? LOL!)

[Rodney King]

Well, if you post some pics of yourself, I'm sure we would be happy to judge.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Inappropriate for this forum, imo.

You are aware that this story is about a hot blond teacher giving private lessons to an apt pupil.

I'm sure there are some here who agree with you but when you get right down to it, the story in and of itself is offensive and therefore any remarks, however inappropriate, can hardly make things any worse.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Well I'm feelin' pretty good about myself now! If you think she's hot, the I must be drop dead gorgeous!

I wish I had a hit counter for your home page.

[Moose4]

She looks really creepy in that picture. It's the slightly unfocused eyes and the spaced-out look.

And c'mon. If you're 14, and THAT is coming on to you? She's the hottest thing in the world at that point. It doesn't excuse what she did, and I think she should be doing jail time for it, but let's get real. Compared to the rest of the rogue's gallery of teachers and aides jumping students, she's near the top of the list.

}:-)4

[DA740]

Can I have your phone number?

DA740

[DA740]

If you do a google search, you'll come up with her photo shoots. And I'll tell ya, if I were back at 14 and broad like that came after me to go all the way, no freight train on earth would have been able to hold me back.

DA740

[gitrdone391]

that could be a school incenctive tho

[HEY4QDEMS]

if I were back at 14 and broad like that came after me to go all the way

I hear ya, or 15, or 16, or ...

[TheSpottedOwl]

What would her sentence have been if she were ugly, or a male?

This is a travesty.

[A Texan]

When I was a senior in HS I hit on my World History teacher (she was hot) every day. It was her first year teaching and she was always real cool but she knew there was a line not to cross. Right after I graduated college I moved back to Houston and one night out I bumped into her. I called her Mrs. XXXX all night, and she laughed it off, but at the end of the evening when I was leaving she gave me her number. I called her up a few days later and we met out, and it turned out to be a good time. The karma police out there were real kind to me. Patience is a virtue.

BTW I like the tag line.

[Durus]

How would you feel if your 14 year old daughter was saying the same thing about her 25 year old male school teacher?
Would you be so understanding if the male teacher had sex with your 14 year old child?

[VRWCmember]

Most people don't look too hot in mug shot photos. She is a disgusting individual, but having seen numerous photos of her on several threads as this story has developed, it would be an absolute lie to suggest that she would be anything less than lustily desirable to most teenage boys.

That said, I do not excuse her in any way nor do I lament the lack of teachers like her back when I was in high school. There were several teachers that I knew of when I was in middle school and high school who were rumored to provide special tutoring to some of the students during off hours. I am glad that none of them ever made any suggestions or advances toward me during those years.

[Rodney King]

How would you feel if your 14 year old daughter was saying the same thing about her 25 year old male school teacher? Would you be so understanding if the male teacher had sex with your 14 year old child?

Of course, this has been argued a million times on this board, but I will take the bait. While this situation is always wrong, it is far worse when the adult is a male and the child a female. If that is a "double standard" then so be it. God made men and women differently, and there is no question that women, particulalry at that age, are more delicate then men. The boy in question in this story will likely not have any repurcussions from this episode. My guess is that a similar girl would be far more traumatized by it.

[HEY4QDEMS]

How would you feel if your 14 year old daughter was saying the same thing about her 25 year old male school teacher?

That's the whole point of this discussion, as much as some women and a few men don't want to face it, men and women are different.

It's simple to state that her actions are no different than if a man did the same to a 14 year old girl. But anyone who would believe that is living in a dream world.

If my daughter had a sexual encounter with a male adult teacher, I would not react in the same way if my son had the same thing happen with a female adult teacher. Plain and simple.

[LYSandra]

I like that she's wearing a cross necklace! Seems a little hypocritical doesn't it? Everytime people get busted they start sporting crosses don't they?!

[derllak]

Ummm, I forgot to add....for my age! I'm probably old enough to be your MOM! Lol! (I'm 40 blah blah.) I'll take that as a challenge though and try to get a profile page up during the long Thanksgiving weekend, just to give you all a good belly laugh. And be warned. I don't normally wear make up!
I think I'll do an age progression thing. That should be scary! LOL! I'm not putting MY pic up on this tainted thread, though!