Teacher forced to resign over inappropriate pics on her phone. Something is just wrong here

[nkereina]

It's a different world now. Have you talked to a high school teacher recently? Some students still are taught respect, personal responsibility. Others? They know that no matter what happens, their parents are there to advocate for them. Plenty of special snowflakes.

I agree, and I hear you, but it wasn't as if she was teaching in a reform school. Leaving her phone is probably something she's done before and probably something many other teachers do when stepping out for a second. It's bad luck that one day one of her kids decided to be a bad seed, likely showing off for the class. It doesn't mean she should fall on the sword for it.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

It's a different world now. Have you talked to a high school teacher recently? Some students still are taught respect, personal responsibility. Others? They know that no matter what happens, their parents are there to advocate for them. Plenty of special snowflakes who think rules and respect don't apply to them.

I know plenty of high school teachers. You still are blaming the victim of the crime so how are you different from these parents? It's not fully the students fault? Yes it is, full stop.

If a woman walks alone down an alley way at night and is sexually assaulted, do you think the courts of law are in any way, shape or form going to blame her?

 

[morgan98]

I disagree.... knowing that teenagers will sometimes/often do things that teens do, is in no way defending this kids criminal actions.
Stating the obvious is not necessarily 'defending' or 'justifying'.
This was a criminal action, and IMHO, this should be addressed.

Sadly, the kid seems to be getting more consideration and due-process than the teacher.

I also very very strongly disagree that one should feel like they can leave a smartphone sitting around with ANY reasonable expectation that nobody is going to touch it.
Very much the opposite!

Well, I do not assume that teens are going to basically steal everything they see on a desk. If that is the case, that is very sad. I mean at the age of 16 this kid should have definitely known better.

You are right, perhaps she cannot have an expectation that no one would have touched her phone. However, that does not give someone the right to take her phone and start going through various apps, find the picture and then distribute the picture. I still contend the kid needed to keep his hands to himself and none of this would have happened.

 

[gwynne]

I agree, and I hear you, but it wasn't as if she was teaching in a reform school. Leaving her phone is probably something she's done before and probably something many other teachers do when stepping out for a second. It's bad luck that one day one of her kids decided to be a bad seed, likely showing off for the class. It doesn't mean she should fall on the sword for it.

Pretty sure I never said she should "fall on the sword." Consequences, yes. Firing, no. But, it's not up to me. It's between the teacher and her employer based on what is in her contract.

 

[nkereina]

Coffee table with guests: Well if I have guests they are friends so no I have a reasonable expectation my friends will not steal from me. If not I wouldn't have let them in.

A desk in the office... yeah I will leave my phone but its certainly going to be locked. I generally trust most of my coworkers but I don't know who is going to happen by, even in a locked off room of the office.

The restaurant or the party... yeah would people really do this? That is just as bad as in a class of high school kids.

These are merely examples of similar situations. The teacher knew her class, too. They weren't strangers. One kid caused this and if he hadn't been there, it probably wouldn't have happened.

As far as having guests over, I know my friends and family too but if one of them felt like being funny and changing my wallpaper or something, I could see them picking up my phone without my permission. Would it now be my fault if they stumbled across a nude? (I don't have any, for the record!)

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

The teacher was violated big time by the student and if I were her, I'd be working on setting up some sort of legal action for spreading my personal photos around. Also, I'd fight tooth and nail to hold on to my job.

 

[nkereina]

Pretty sure I never said she should "fall on the sword." Consequences, yes. Firing, no. But, it's not up to me. It's between the teacher and her employer based on what is in her contract.

I didn't say that you said she should fall on the sword... I was summing it up because you do think she should face consequences, which means you think she's to blame (or in part to blame). My position, opposite of yours, is that the kid is entirely at fault and she shouldn't take any of the blame.

 

[gwynne]

The teacher was violated big time by the student and if I were her, I'd be working on setting up some sort of legal action for spreading my personal photos around.

The teacher has already said she is pressing charges. I'm on record many times on this thread saying I support this.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

The teacher has already said she is pressing charges. I'm on record many times on this thread saying I support this.

How can you support this but still think she did something wrong?

 

[kaytieeldr]

If the school has a policy against images containing nudity then yes same opinion.

The school has a policy against pornography. Nobody has presented a convincing argument that semi-nude images are pornographic.

I support the rights of everyone to breast feed, even in public. But there is no reason someone needs a right to keep photos on school property where they can easily be accessed by other students, even if that access is criminal.

• Go to the teacher's desk
• Pick up the phone
• Move away from the desk
• Push the On button
• Clear any minimal security
• Find the camera app
• Select the app
• Scroll through photos
• Locate controversial images
• Remove own phone
• Press On button
• Unlock phone
• Photograph controversial images

Not overly strenuous or time-consuming, but requiring far more intent and effort than just, say, picking up and looking in an unsealed envelope (is the comparison a PP made)

Lets say someone owns a legal firearm. They are required to protect the firearm.

Not even close to being relevant. Photographs and phones don't have the laws and restrictions that firearms do.

 

[kamik86]

These are merely examples of similar situations. The teacher knew her class, too. They weren't strangers. One kid caused this and if he hadn't been there, it probably wouldn't have happened.

As far as having guests over, I know my friends and family too but if one of them felt like being funny and changing my wallpaper or something, I could see them picking up my phone without my permission. Would it now be my fault if they stumbled across a nude? (I don't have any, for the record!)

Yes but most high school and college classes I was a part of knowing them made me LESS likely to be willing to leave things alone.

In my high school class that was mostly friends if you left your computer unlocked having your background changed to something embarassing was the LEAST you could expect. Hopefully they didn't move all your files around.

If the person was malicious towards you work was getting deleted.

 

[declansdad]

I also very very strongly disagree that one should feel like they can leave a smartphone sitting around with ANY reasonable expectation that nobody is going to touch it.
Very much the opposite!

You must live in a very sad place.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yea, I don't know any high school teachers who leave out cash or valuable property (completely unattended and in plain sight) and think they have a "reasonable expectation of safety."
Would it be the teacher's fault if someone steals their property? No. But the teacher helped the process along by providing opportunity. The teachers I know try to avoid hassles, that includes being cautious and pro-active with cash and valuables.

So you're saying if a teacher leaves some tangible item of value either out in the open or in a place that would require a half-dozen or so individual steps to access and that tangible item is stolen it's not the teacher's fault but they should have been more careful, but when the item stolen (and distributed) is pictures, the teacher IS at fault and they should have been more careful.

I'm not asking, this is what's being said.

 

[Wishing on a star]

The teacher has already said she is pressing charges. I'm on record many times on this thread saying I support this.

Yes, me too!
She may have been a 'willing victim', but that is still a victim.
What this kid did was just unconscionable!!!
He sounds 'troubled'... and OFF.
He needs to be held accountable.

I still, however, can not muster any real sympathy for her, at all.

She might think she has the 'right' to whatever she has decided to do regarding her phone, the photos, etc...
But, her rights do not, in any way, erase her basic personal responsibilities.
IMHO, she was clearly negligent.

She has been in this classroom with this guy for a couple months, at least.
If she does not have any clue, whatsoever, that her phone and her privacy could, easily, be violated, then she needs a huge wake-up call.

 

[Wishing on a star]

You must live in a very sad place.

No, just the real world.
Seriously... Have you not seen the info and the stats... The news stories.
Phones are one of, if not THE, most at risk stolen items...
It is epidemic.
And, while I don't know specifics, I would imagine that a good percentage of these thefts are pulled off by teens and young adults.

Just going by the reality here.

 

[morgan98]

Yes, me too!
She may have been a 'willing victim', but that is still a victim.
What this kid did was just unconscionable!!!
He sounds 'troubled'... and OFF.
He needs to be held accountable.

I still, however, can not muster any real sympathy for her, at all.

She might think she has the 'right' to whatever she has decided to do regarding her phone, the photos, etc...
But, her rights do not, in any way, erase her basic personal responsibilities.
IMHO, she was clearly negligent.

She has been in this classroom with this guy for a couple months, at least.
If she does not have any clue, whatsoever, that her phone and her privacy could, easily, be violated, then she needs a huge wake-up call.

The other thing I can say, is that I guess you have never made a mistake. Perhaps the teacher did not intend to leave her phone out on her desk, but rather got distracted and walked away from it for a moment. For example, a couple of weeks ago on a Friday evening, by husband and I were at our local Mexican restaurant eating at the bar. I never have my phone out, but did that evening as I was texting my brother. Guess what, we paid the bill and walked out. I got to the car and remembered and ran back in. My phone was still there. I guess it would have been my fault because I left it there. However, my phone still would have been classified as being stolen.

You can call not leaving her phone out a "basic personal responsibility." However, everyone is forgetful now and then. However, for the kid to steal her phone and rummage through it. That is much more of a breach of a basic personal responsibility. That is stealing, which is a crime and trumps her actions, in my opinion.

 

[Wishing on a star]

We see it from two different angles here.
It seems that her phone was often out, and she let the kids use it.
That is not just a 'slip'.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I can remember threads here about people who felt comfortable leaving their keys in their vehicle.
Just for convenience.

I would consider that much differently than, OOPS, I was in a hurry and didn't realize my keys dropped there in the seat, or forgot to reach back and grab them.

 

[declansdad]

No, just the real world.
Seriously... Have you not seen the info and the stats... The news stories.
Phones are one of, if not THE, most at risk stolen items...
It is epidemic.
And, while I don't know specifics, I would imagine that a good percentage of these thefts are pulled off by teens and young adults.

Just going by the reality here.

Up here in the north we teach respect for others property. Are there thefts, sure there are but in places like classrooms a teacher can reasonably expect that their personal property will be respected in a classroom full of people.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Ohhhhh, so now respect is a Northern thing.
Really???
Are you flipping kidding?

Try telling that to my husband, who was from the Detroit area... Hahahahahaha!!!!
TOO funny!
Thanks for the laugh!
You just made my morning!!!

What a clearly false and unwarranted statement.
Are you seriously going to denigrate me and the South in one sentence.
Wow, your goooood!!!!!