Two teachers guilty on child pornography charges
A Virginia teacher, Robert Hatcher, was sentenced to 17 years for one count of knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography. He was arrested in May 2006. A schoolteacher and coach in Texas pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. He will be sentenced in April.
Molestation
Also pleading guilty, a Sylmar, California teacher, Eduardo Colocho, who pleaded no contest to molesting several teenage boys will be sentenced Feb 7.
Teacher's Aides
Teacher's aides continue to be in the news. (And about half the time the media spells "aide" correctly.) In Tennesee, Pattty Jo Singleton, a teacher's aide was indicted for solicitation of a minor - a 15-year-old. They are wondering in Alabama how teacher's aide Patrick Epkins was considered acceptable with a criminal record that included theft, a restraining order, several bad check charges, and still hire him to work for at-risk children. He's now accused of raping one.
March 7th is the trial date for Michigan teacher who is accused of sending pornographic pictures to a former student.
Special Education
In an unusual and disturbing move, a judge in Florida ordered that five severely disabled autistic teenagers must testify in the trial of Kathleen Garrett. None of the children is mentally competent, according to court records and (according to) attorneys for both sides. Some cannot talk. The teacher was arrested in 2004. The defense lawyer just wants the jury to "to see how they look and behave."
Lawsuit
Meanwhile, another family is suing a school district in connection with a teacher who pleaded guilty to "a relationship" with a 16-year-old girl.
Bizarre, but Massachusetts
Oh, and that Massachusetts teacher who drove under his brother's name? Seems he had more reasons than just eccentricity.
