What is the appropriate discipline here:

[AVID]

The scene: September 2004
7:30 am - large high school - In an area between the M and F locker rooms called "The Nest" where coaches, players, and students gather to watch game tapes.

A student walks in on two teachers (male and female) in a "compromising position". The student claims she saw the bare buttocks of the male teacher.

The student immediately walks out and heads away from the room. But the male teacher follows and asks the student to come into a separate room where he tells the student to be quiet about the incident - "do not tell anyone about this".

The student goes home immediately and tells her parents who call the principal before lunch on the same day.

A few days later, the teachers are relieved of their coaching duties, the male is suspended without pay for 4 days, the female suspended without pay for 2 days. They come back to work - case closed.

But players of the coaches who were relieved of thier coaching positions are upset about their coaches being unabel to coach and are vigorously seeking the name of the witness. The parents of the student seek assistance and more information from the superintendent - it goes on for weeks: independent arbitrator, investigations, etc.

More details of the case are released this week. The principal had warned the two teachers earlier about any contact between them after he had heard rumors about their affair.

Should they have been fired? Was the two and four day suspension adequate?

EDIT - added link---> http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/03/17/build/local/30-skyview-docs.inc

[autorank]

1. The snitch student should be mandated to counseling.

What a loser! Why on earth would he report the teachers? He could have gotten just about anything between that point and graduation if he weren't such a little pussy. I think the teachers should be reimbursed for their suspension days. After all, it's anti-family to stop intercourse. I think the student needs both professional and peer counseling.

[AVID]

3. female witness - counseling might help

[autorank]

12. Oh, well shut my mouth. In that case, bad move on the teacher's part.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. She should also get a failing grade for the day

for failure to take advantage of a situation over which she had complete and utter control.

She will never have the chance to have two people dancing like puppets to her whims like she just blew with these two teachers by snitching.

She should also be forced to read some Machiavelli and write a 20 page report on how she failed.

[autorank]

16. Rabrrrrrr...you tempt me back to the dark side.

Speaking of which, what are you doing on this side of the tracks. Are you a victim of:

Forum Identity Disorder, FID

[Rabrrrrrr]

20. Come, give in to your hate, then your journey to the dark side will

be complete!

I do often read GD, but so often it's full of useless shitty threads that mean nothing, so end up posting not anywhere near as often as in the Lounge.

[autorank]

26. Yes master, I shall obey!

[Arkana]

2. Longer suspension--solely because the guy tried

to intimidate the witness into silence. Firing? That I don't know.

[AVID]

5. according to the reports - thats why his susp. was longer than hers

[Arkana]

11. It still should have been longer...at least a week, if not more

If they've been warned for this type of thing already, then the punishment should have been more severe.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. I think the two and four day is apporpriate

Maybe even a week. If I were the principal, and had the authority to do what I felt was right, I wouldn't have fired them.

It's a nasty infraction, but, assuming they were otherwise without incident and proving themselves to be good teachers, good coaches, and good role models, I'd let the one instance slide. I'd tell them I was disappointed, and thought they could do better than that - especially the teacher tracking down the student and telling her not to say anything - and that, if they do it again, they're out.

But I prefer to err on the side of compassion and understanding.

Certainly the witness should never be publicly named.

And if it had been me, as a student in high school, who saw that - I seriously doubt I would have said anything, at least not to my parents or to anyone in any authority position.

Who cares? I wouldn't have.

[AVID]

9. I don't think I would have said anything either, until

the teacher said something to me.

And that would depend on the tone of voice - but a 15 yr old girl might feel more intimidated than I would.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Classic example of an N E I

Not Enough Information

How do we know this student is telling the truth? Teachers are suspended all the time when kids make false accusations.

Do you have a link to this story? It's tough to comment when your source appears to be rumor central.

[AVID]

10. The teachers admit to the incident, but deny the bare ass claim

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Do you have a link for this story?

Surely something this sensational made the local news.

[AVID]

29. link is in OP nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Thanks

Well, it says the teacher denies having his rear end exposed. So it's his word against the student's.

It's also a worse punishment than it may seem to lose the coaching position. That is an extra pay position and can be a lot of money in some districts.

And if these teachers are married, they have embarrased their families and spouses.

I think they have probably been punished enough.

As far as the student who witnessed the incident, I think her identity should remain confidential. She did nothing wrong so she deserves to remain anonymous.

[blue northern]

7. cut and dried

Should they be fired?
Absolutely.
I don't think they should get payed to shag on school property.
If things were kept away from school and on the down-low I might have a different opinion.

[Tansy_Gold]

18. I agree

Two adults who have no more control over themselves than to have sex on school grounds shouldn't be put in charge of teen-agers.

If they had been warned before and admitted what they'd been caught doing, no question -- out the door. Good riddance.

If this had happened on any other job, they'd have been fired. It's only worse that they're teachers.

[alarimer]

28. Most people would be fired for that sort of behavior

On the job. Geez, you'd think they could keep their hands off each other until they got home (or wherever).

[ultraist]

13. Assuming the story is true

Including the fact the teachers had been issued two previous warnings for the same unprofessional conduct, I'd say the suspension was fair.

This was the third time they had been told not to be so unprofessional as to fuck in their on the job where students can walk in. We don't pay taxes for them to have sex on the job.

If they lack that much self control, you have to wonder.

[NoPasaran]

14. The teachers' actions were incredibly unprofessional

Having been warned earlier, I think they should both have been fired.

[The Gunslinger]

15. The kid should have kept his or her mouth shut(nt)

[knight_of_the_star]

19. Why?

Please elaborate.

[The Gunslinger]

22. Well

Why would the kid narc on the teachers? What good did it do him? If I was in HS and caught my teachers riding the hobby horse, Id still be laughing, and would have good grades from those teachers.

[BuyingThyme]

17. Both teachers should be fired

for what the male teacher did after the incident.

They put the student in a position that is not acceptable under any circumstance. They are complete failures and are absolutely useless as teachers.

[bilgewaterbill]

24. I agree BT.

Dismissal is tough for a teacher's personal conduct. If they were to be dismissed, it would only be the male and it would be for intimidation tactics. The way things are now, the teachers would sue the day they were terminated, the school board would cave and settle allowing the teachers to retire comfortably at the expense of the kids.

[sandnsea]

21. Why can't they coach?

If they're still teaching, they should be able to keep coaching. I thought screwing on public property was an impeachable offense, throw them out of work and publicly humiliate them forever. :shrug:

[Goldmund]

23. I think the kid should be spanked with a paddle.

What a little taddle-tale shit.

[Orangepeel]

25. damn. I can't tell which posts on this thread are sarcastic (nt)

[ebayfool]

30. The ones that are dripping, of course!