It is said love is blind. Love also can be stupid. Earlier this month, The Modesto (California) Bee reported on a 41-year-old teacher who left his wife and kids to move in with an 18-year-old student.
The teacher told the newspaper he knows people disapprove of their relationship. "Do we make everyone else happy or do we follow our hearts?" he asks.
Older men have been falling for younger women for centuries. And this isn't really the first time we've heard of a teacher falling for a student. In fact, one of of my high school teachers was married to a former student. We thought it was a little weird when she told us, but she said they didn't date until after he was out of college. Other stories have been reported in the news of teachers dating students after they graduated, and there are also the cases of downright sexual abuse.
So where does this case lie? Is this an 18-year-old woman making her first adult decision or is this an 18-year-old girl being taken advantages of my a person in power. The couple claims it is the former. Her mother claims it is the latter.
According to the student's mother, the teacher met her daughter when the girl was a freshman and pursued her which led to the girl having panic attacks and poor grades.
The Modesto police are investigating so you can be guaranteed this isn't the last we've heard of this story.
So what do you think? Is this a nonconventional couple in love, or a teacher abusing his power?
If it has been going on for awhile, then I am nervous for the young lady...she may be in over her head. Not so much in a way that she is in danger like death, but he may have a deep, deep control over her.
ReplyDeleteIf it were my daughter I would be very upset. Very very afraid.