Teacher Takes Student to Prom
macpatti
Posts: 4,280 Member
The question on Huffington Post was, "Do you think she should have been fired"? She lacked good judgment when dealing with a student, so I'd question her ability to work with students. Your thoughts?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/melissa-bowermantrack-coach-student-prom_n_1534444.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/melissa-bowermantrack-coach-student-prom_n_1534444.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
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I am not sure why a kid would want his teacher taking him to the prom, but she did have the parents approval, they were in public so I really don't think she had anything bad in mind just trying to help him out. But we also don't want to open the floodgate of that being acceptable. I don't think she should have been let go. A warning would have done in this situation.0
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You'd be surprised. I work at an all-boys school and the guys will joke around and ask female teachers to the prom all the time. I think it's nuts that she even entertained the idea. I can't imagine any of our teachers doing that, regardless of reason. I also have to question the parents who thought this was a good idea.0
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I would have a way bigger problem with what she did if the parents didn't know. But I also agree that these doors shouldn't even be opened. But to make her lose her job for trying to do something nice and encourage him to do better in school. We can't afford to lose caring teachers especially when it is obvious there was nothing underhanded going on. Just bad judgement. Reprimanded yes, fired no. Peoples livelihoods are important and shouldn't be thrown around lightly because of one mistake.0
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I think its fine that she was let go. You can not do any activities with a student that can be interpreted as a date or date like. Even if she did not consider this to be a date I'm sure the boy did. She is an adult and should have known when the boy asked her that he may have not looked at it as a favor but as a chance with this woman. I really don't think pity is a proper reason to go on a date with a student. I also don't think that the father giving permission should have any bearing on the decision to let her go because this isn't a matter of parents rights over school polices, this is about teacher misconduct. I wonder if the father would have given permission if this was his daughter going with a male teacher? I would really be shocked if he said yes. By only being let go I think she got off pretty easy, if this was a man I think they would be investigating him to press criminal charges, on the assumption this was a romantic relationship.0
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I agree that we can't afford to lose caring teachers. However, we cannot afford to have teachers who use poor judgment when dealing with students. Not only did she agree to go with him, but she didn't even have the sense to speak to an administrator at the school first. I don't understand that at all. Not sure how she thought it would be okay just because the parents approved.We can't afford to lose caring teachers especially when it is obvious there was nothing underhanded going on. Just bad judgement. Reprimanded yes, fired no. Peoples livelihoods are important and shouldn't be thrown around lightly because of one mistake.0 -
Yeah, I don't think she should have even entertained the idea for 5 seconds, not to mention actually going. An excuse that the deal was he study English? yeah... bribery... date for studying. Don't get it.0
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You'd be surprised. I work at an all-boys school and the guys will joke around and ask female teachers to the prom all the time.
It does seem that we have this idea in this country that a boy with woman is a right of passage and a girl with a man is perverted. Personally I think both are wrong.0 -
From my understanding of this situation the boy and her son were friends, she had the parents permission and she was only working with the school on a volunteer basis, so it would be more like a mom taking someone to prom than a teacher.
Should she have been reprimanded? Yes. But fired? I don't think so...0 -
Absolutely, they're both wrong! In fact, one of our female teachers gave the student a PH (penance hall/detention) for asking her. She said it was disrespectful for him to ask a teacher on a date. Dean of Students agreed, and he got to sit his butt in PH for 30 minutes for trying to be a funny-guy.It does seem that we have this idea in this country that a boy with woman is a right of passage and a girl with a man is perverted. Personally I think both are wrong.0 -
Was she a volunteer or an employee? Either way, she shouldn't be working with kids if she thinks this was okay.From my understanding of this situation the boy and her son were friends, she had the parents permission and she was only working with the school on a volunteer basis, so it would be more like a mom taking someone to prom than a teacher.
Should she have been reprimanded? Yes. But fired? I don't think so...0 -
It would be wrong for me to take a high school kid to prom. I'm 35 and an accountant, not a teacher. Still wrong.
Unless he's hot.0 -
Correct. And I hope you would not be permitted to work or volunteer at a school after that.It would be wrong for me to take a high school kid to prom. I'm 35 and an accountant, not a teacher. Still wrong.
Ha!Unless he's hot.0 -
Was she a volunteer or an employee? Either way, she shouldn't be working with kids if she thinks this was okay.From my understanding of this situation the boy and her son were friends, she had the parents permission and she was only working with the school on a volunteer basis, so it would be more like a mom taking someone to prom than a teacher.
Should she have been reprimanded? Yes. But fired? I don't think so...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/track-coach-nike-ties-fired-prom-student-article-1.1082469
She's a volunteer.
And I agree that it was bad judgement. But I don't think it was perverted as everyone seems to want to make it. (Not everyone here, general everyone)0 -
Maybe not perverted in a sexual way, but definitely weird.And I agree that it was bad judgement. But I don't think it was perverted as everyone seems to want to make it. (Not everyone here, general everyone)0 -
Correct. And I hope you would not be permitted to work or volunteer at a school after that.It would be wrong for me to take a high school kid to prom. I'm 35 and an accountant, not a teacher. Still wrong.
Ha!Unless he's hot.
You know I joke
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We know!
You know I joke0 -
Was she a volunteer or an employee? Either way, she shouldn't be working with kids if she thinks this was okay.From my understanding of this situation the boy and her son were friends, she had the parents permission and she was only working with the school on a volunteer basis, so it would be more like a mom taking someone to prom than a teacher.
Should she have been reprimanded? Yes. But fired? I don't think so...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/track-coach-nike-ties-fired-prom-student-article-1.1082469
She's a volunteer.
And I agree that it was bad judgement. But I don't think it was perverted as everyone seems to want to make it. (Not everyone here, general everyone)
This really has nothing to do with being perverted, its about really poor judgement and violating policy. I don't think she had in wrong intentions with him but every adult should know better. The fact that she knew the family doesn't make this right. When my daughter is in high school if one of her friends asked me I would never ever consider it, not under any circumstances because I know its wrong and want no part in misleading a child.0 -
It shows bad judgment. Teachers cannot allow even the suggestion of impropriety. The school should tell her that her volunteer services are no longer needed.0
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I agree she used poor judgment, as well as the parents.
I believe the articles I've read said she's a volunteer track coach and her husband & the parents were okay with it. The thing that really confused me is they're rewarding a kid who's doing poorly in school. Huh? How does that teach or motivate him to do anything? That's like giving someone a raise for doing a cruddy job, in the hopes they'll do better in the future. LOL
This is a bit off-topic, but I do have a point, I promise!
When I was a court employee, there was an ethics class we were required to take annually. One of the things that I always found interesting was the phrase "appearance of impropriety". The instructors were VERY clear that as court personnel you couldn't give the appearance of bias or misconduct.
Meaning, I shouldn't go to lunch with one of the deputies. Or as another example - court personnel was required to notify the judge if they became aware of one of their family members coming before the court (give the judge an opportunity to recuse themselves). The whole point of the class was to inform court personnel how to avoid any appearance of wrongdoing and what types of normal/everyday situations could be perceived by someone from the outside as inappropriate or biased.
Perhaps there needs to be more of a push to emphasize to teachers/volunteers, that it's not that something bad did happen, but that it just appears inappropriate.0 -
Peoples livelihoods are important and shouldn't be thrown around lightly because of one mistake.
Seconded. People make mistakes. Was anybody *really* hurt by this?0 -
I think in certain cases it IS appropriate. Such as an special needs student or an outcast that a teacher is wanting to feel accepted. I had two female teachers go to "prom" with students when I was in high school. One had downsyndrome and it was the sweetest thing, he was the life of the party and it was a great thing.
The other was the most popular "jock" in school going with the "hot, young, 25 year-old" former college cheerleader. She was hateful mean to the girls in school and wore completely inappropriate clothes. I remember once she wore skin tight dress pants with a slit that went up over half way up her thigh. The male student was also her "student aide" for 4 years and they displayed inappropriate flirting in the halls, classroom, etc. It was pretty common knowledge that they were having an affair, yet it was never questioned by authorities.0 -
Peoples livelihoods are important and shouldn't be thrown around lightly because of one mistake.
Seconded. People make mistakes. Was anybody *really* hurt by this?
Livelihood? She was a volunteer. A volunteer that may (I'm making an assumption here) have NO credentials for teaching children, and thusly her poor judgement IS perfectly acceptable reasoning for terminating her volunteer position... in my opinion 0 -
Peoples livelihoods are important and shouldn't be thrown around lightly because of one mistake.
When you work with children, you're held to a higher standard.Seconded. People make mistakes. Was anybody *really* hurt by this?0
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