Gym Teacher sleeps with middle schooler

[JaJae]

Police Say Gym Teacher Had Sex With Student

By NATE SCHWEBER
Published: October 7, 2006
PERTH AMBOY, N.J., Oct. 6 — The police have charged a middle school gym teacher and cheerleading coach with having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old student, the Middlesex County prosecutors office said on Friday.
The teacher, Amy Burke, 32, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexual assault and criminal third-degree sexual assault. She was being held at the Middlesex County jail, where on Thursday morning a county judge set her bail at $300,000 and stipulated that she would have to post the entire amount to be released from jail.
Officials at the McGinnis Middle School learned of the alleged misconduct when they received a telephone call from a mother of a student on Wednesday morning. The Perth Amboy police questioned and arrested Ms. Burke that afternoon.
Ms. Burke has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, Superintendent John M. Rodecker said Friday.
The police are interviewing people in and around the school to “determine if there were others, or other witnesses,” said Andrea Carter, an assistant prosecutor for Middlesex County.
She added that there was no evidence that Ms. Burke acted inappropriately toward any other student. Ms. Carter said investigators believed the relationship between the suspect and the boy began in March and lasted through the summer.
Ms. Burke, who lives in nearby Carteret, N.J., with her husband and 3-year-old son, has worked in Perth Amboy schools since 1999, Mr. Rodecker said. On Friday afternoon Mr. Rodecker called the alleged affair “against everything you teach in our school system.”
Students at the middle school and their parents expressed outrage. Domingo Ramos, 43, whose two children attend McGinnis School, called the allegations “unacceptable” and added that before this episode he had warned his son and daughter not to allow teachers to touch them inappropriately.
“This is unbelievable,” Mr. Ramos said. “Every week I warn both my kids there’s a lot of sickos out there.”
Mr. Ramos’s daughter Stephanie Ramos, 11, had Ms. Burke as a gym teacher. She described Ms. Burke as a stern disciplinarian who would often yell at her students.
Neighbors of Ms. Burke, who lives in a two-story modified Cape Cod-style house with children’s toys on the front porch and on the side lawn, said the family kept to itself.
A man identified by neighbors as Michael Haskins, Ms. Burke’s father, refused to speak with reporters on Thursday and put a sign on his front door, stating: “We have no comment at this time.”
A neighbor, Aldona Hojecki, 73, said the Burkes had lived in the house for three years. She said she never noticed any young boys visiting Ms. Burke but, pointing at Carteret High School and Carteret Middle School, each a block from Ms. Burke’s house, “seeing them coming and going is not unusual.”

This happened in the town over from me. NJ has had some bizarre sex violations lately.

Recently a 12 year old boy and a girl got together with a tampon and touched themselves on their private parts. Neither one of the touched each other and neither of them was upset over the incident. The girl's mother overheard something about it from her daughter and called the police.

The boy was charged and sentenced to 72 days juvenile detention and is added to the registered sex offenders list for life. Nothing was done to the girl.

Now NJ fought Megan's Law tooth and nail. They didn't feel it was fair to treat criminals like that. Now they're abusing it to no end and even getting children involved. It was meant to be used for serious sex offenses and not these petty little childhood "show me yours and I'll show you mine" things. Some little boy's life is gonna be ruined because of this.

Now we have this case of a middle school teacher allegedly having sex with a 13 year old. The question is at what age is too young. When that mid twenties blonde teacher had sex with that highschool kid most people had the attitude of who cares, the boy likely didn't mind. But I think a 13 year old and a 33 year old adult might be different. At what age draw you draw the line for harsh punishments and what do you think this teacher should get for this if found guilty?

[KatKanPlay]

32 year old and 13 year old?? Punishment should be to the full extent of the law.

The 12 year olds,,, that is incredible. The boy got all the punishment and nothing for the girl? This should have been something each family took care of and had no business in the courts.

[JaJae]

I agree, 32 and 13 seems a bit too big of an age difference to mark off as not a big deal. 24 and 17 I can see and just chalk it up as stupidity. But this is too much.

And yea, I was a bit confused as to why the boy got the punishment. He didn't initiate it, nor did he force himself. And he didn't touch her. They both decided one day to strip down and touch themselves and show each other their parts. When asked why they did it they said "I don't know." It seems like simple case of childhood curiousity. Yet, the boy is now flagged registered sex offender for life. Every job, every time he moves, etc...

[KatKanPlay]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I agree, 32 and 13 seems a bit too big of an age difference to mark off as not a big deal. 24 and 17 I can see and just chalk it up as stupidity. But this is too much.

And yea, I was a bit confused as to why the boy got the punishment. He didn't initiate it, nor did he force himself. And he didn't touch her. They both decided one day to strip down and touch each other and show each other their parts. When asked why they did it they said "I don't know." It seems like simple case of childhood curiousity. Yet, the boy is now flagged registered sex offender for life. Every job, every time he moves, etc...

That is just wrong on all levels.

[IminWonderland]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I agree, 32 and 13 seems a bit too big of an age difference to mark off as not a big deal. 24 and 17 I can see and just chalk it up as stupidity. But this is too much.

And yea, I was a bit confused as to why the boy got the punishment. He didn't initiate it, nor did he force himself. And he didn't touch her. They both decided one day to strip down and touch themselves and show each other their parts. When asked why they did it they said "I don't know." It seems like simple case of childhood curiousity. Yet, the boy is now flagged registered sex offender for life. Every job, every time he moves, etc...

I agree with you. Since when is curiousity illegal? Why can't parents talk to their kids about their sexuality? What on earth is this country going to with some of this stuff?

And the teacher student thing, why can't these women find someone their own age, like seriously?

[Donkey®]

Some people need to get it any way they can.

[Kytro]

The 12 year olds....wtf?

As for the teacher...that sort of relationship isn't appropriate for teacher and student, at least at that age.

[Scrum]

What the hell is wrong with people?

[kinggovernor]

anyone else strangely semi-erect by reading that

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

What the hell is wrong with people?

People make poor decisions all the time. Sometimes they are very poor, sometimes not.

Unfortunately in some cases people simply do not stop to think "is this a good idea?"

[7960]

Originally Posted by Kytro

The 12 year olds....wtf?

As for the teacher...that sort of relationship isn't appropriate for teacher and student, at least at that age.

no relationship between a teacher and student is ever appropriate

teacher: jail, lose her license to teach, barred from contact with minors until parole is done

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by 7960

no relationship between a teacher and student is ever appropriate

Almost always not, but I can see in some circumstances it may be more acceptable than others. I'm talking primarily about older students (university and the like).

The major issue is conflict of interest arises and the power balance.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Kytro

Almost always not, but I can see in some circumstances it may be more acceptable than others. I'm talking primarily about older students (university and the like).

The major issue is conflict of interest arises and the power balance.

I don't care if it's a non-trad 40 year old student and a new 27 year old prof... it's unethical for a teacher to date a student and (obviously) illegal if that student is underage.

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by 7960

I don't care if it's a non-trad 40 year old student and a new 27 year old prof... it's unethical for a teacher to date a student and (obviously) illegal if that student is underage.

I agreed that it is almost always the case. There is always room for special execptions. Not everything can be placed into a box

[DosEquis]

The 12 year olds story just reminds me of playing "house" or "doctor" with the neighbor girls. The appropriate action for mom would have been simply to call the other parent and say "look our kids are doing this, I am talking to mine about it before she turns into a whore. Just an fyi and I am not sure they should hang out with each other for awhile." and let the other parent take care of their kid.

Most of the time they are just 12 and curious about things because they walked in on mommy with a set of berries in her poop chute.

[Diamond Cross]

I guess it's just best for guys to stay away from girls After all, girls are better character just by virtue of being girls and guys are nothing more than potential rapists. Gotta lock 'em up before they're old enough to start raping women.