newsobserver.com projects - Bill would add teachers to registry - Comments

Re: Bill would add teachers to registry

greenswamp — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:38:52 -0500

There is not a different standard, but the problem lies with school boards and superintendents who don't want to prosecute because they are afraid of bad publicity. The teacher is then just sent away with no record of a violation to another district only to repeat the offense on another unsuspecting school.

Re: Bill would add teachers to registry

j1c2kp — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:56:36 -0500

I was not aware there was a different standard for school employees, that they can currently commit sex offenses with students and yet they are not required to register as a sex offender?? That is amazing.

Bill would add teachers to registry

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:39:02 -0500

A bill would add having sex with students to the state's sex offender registry.

The legislation filed this week by Rep. Bruce Goforth, an Asheville Democrat, would add taking indecent liberties with a student to the list of offenses that classify someone as a sex offender.

School employees who were convicted of that crime would be placed on the statewide sex offender registry.

People on the registry must file their current address, workplace and school on a registry that is publicly available on the Internet.

Goforth said the change was requested by school administrators who want to discourage misconduct and learn about potential employees.

"It would make people aware that they had a sex offense, so it would be up to them whether to hire that person to teach again," he said.

Under state law, teachers, administrators, student teachers and coaches, among others, can be convicted of a taking indecent liberties if they commit "lewd or lascivious acts" with students at their school. The crime is a felony.