Posted on 02/20/2008 5:57:25 AM PST by day10
BENTONVILLE - A Bentonville High School math teacher is behind bars after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.
Bentonville police arrested 32-year-old Melissa Monroe of Bella Vista Tuesday, after an investigation led them to believe Monroe had recently been involved in a sexual relationship with one of her male students.
Bentonville Police Chief James Allen explains, "She had texted another teacher, you know, the thing about, 'I can't believe the mistake I've made,' and 'you won't believe what I've done.'"
Based on text messages Monroe sent to a fellow teacher, Bentonville police say Monroe may have planned the incident. They say she did provide the minor with alcohol during the encounter, which occurred at Monroe's Bella Vista home.
Chief Allen says, "This happened to be on a date back in late January, which, uh, happened to be the boy's 18th birthday."
Bentonville High School Principal Steve Jacoby says he and the faculty were stunned by the news of the teacher-student relationship. "They were shocked. They were disappointed. There were tears, because she was a well-respected faculty member here on campus."
Jacoby says he's never had anything like this happen before. "This is my 38th year, and this is the first incident of this magnitude that I've been involved in."
Allen says situations like this make it hard for other teachers, trying to do their job. "They're playing with, not only their career, but their life, marriages. All that goes out the window when criminal behavior like this takes place. This is just a black eye on all those good teachers who are out there doing their job."
Monroe is facing charges of a Class B Felony for sexual assault, as well as knowingly giving alcohol to a minor, a Class C Misdemeanor. If convicted, she will face from 5 to 20 years in prison.
Hehe. You brute, you.
LOL! I live in rural NC, so I know EXACTLY the mindset you're talking about.
My favorite birthday present.
It may be legal, but it isn’t ethical.
I know, I know. Ethics, shmethics. /s
Should there be a penalty for such a relationship? Yes.
Sexual assault on a CONSENTING ADULT? I think not.
All right. I concede that this is not sexual assault.
I am just getting so tired of reading stories about teachers that are goofing around with their students. Is it really that difficult to find someone your own age, and who is not sitting at a desk in your classroom?
I could see her getting administrative punishment because of her role as a teacher—definitely fire her and rip her teaching credentials. But if she did it with the boy on his 18th birthday? He’s legal. Not a felony, not even a misdemeanor.
And not guilty, either.
}:-)4
It’s not a classroom to them - it’s a buffet table
Guilty. Sentenced to braces.
Hmm - I searched....I failed.
Apologies.
No worries...
” “They’re playing with, not only their career, but their life, marriages. “
And because of this new trend, young horny teenage boys have become bolder in hitting on older women.
Now they think every woman over the age of 25 is a “cougar”, and their flirting is not appreciated by normal women.
Yeah, I feel cheated.
Not Guilty!
Her and Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, need to really think about who might be reading their text messages...
Sweetheart, you have to understand teenage boys. Sometimes the tailpipes of cars look good.
As a former teacher, I’m always horrified when stories like this make the news. A teacher sleeping with a student is about as inappropriate as it gets (except a President sleeping with an intern, but I digress).
That said, I don’t think a sexual assault charge is warranted here. The student was legally an adult, and barring any mental/emotional problems, was able to give consent. Prosecute her on the alcohol offense, revoke her teaching license, and call it a day.
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