Earlier this week, news broke that a 26-year-old teacher from Florida had been arrested following a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy. The story shocked many people, especially once it transpired that the middle school teacher was married.
Now, the same thing has happened again - though this time in Alabama. Stephanie Henry Pruett, a 28-year-old high school teacher, was arrested by Calhoun County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday after it got out that she had been having an affair with a 17-year-old student.
Pruett, who is married and teaches a "Bible as literature" class, had been teaching at the Weaver High School for less than a year, and now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for her crime.
Sheriff Matthew Wade has spoken to reporters about the incident, and stated that information provided by both Pruett and the student was enough evidence to lead to her being formally charged. According to him, their relationship had been going on for approximately five months, during which time the teacher was still living with her husband and their 4-year-old son.
"It's sad that a woman who has a family and went to college to become an educator is giving that all up,'' said Sheriff Wade. "I just don't understand why she went down that path. It's very disturbing and troubling."
Even though the relationship was consensual, it still counts as sexual intercourse with a minor - otherwise known as statutory rape. As well as potentially being slammed with a two-decade prison sentence, Pruett will also have to register as a sex offender, and will never be allowed to work with children again.
Astoundingly, Pruett has not been fired from her post at Weaver High School. In fact, according to the director of safety for Calhoun County Schools, Randy Reaves, the teacher has been placed on leave with pay. "That’s standard operating procedure for us," he said, adding that Pruett will remain on leave until the county school board decides to take further action.
In her bio on the Weaver School website, Pruett wrote:
"My goal as an educator is to provide students with the opportunity to engage and learn inside and outside of the classroom.
"Each and every student that walks into my classroom is an unique individual. This requires a differentiated approach to instruction, involving tools, techniques, technology, and hands-on experiences to reach each and every student where they are academically."
Puett had been married for 12 years, and - if she is convicted - will miss out on seeing her son grow up. Though many people often joke about female teachers engaging in sexual contact with male students, this is just as serious an issue as it would be if the genders were reversed.
No matter the ages of the students or teachers involved in cases like these, the problem is the breach of trust between an adult in a position of responsibility and a child that they have been tasked to care for.
