Hot for Teacher Bill.

WTF! More government = less freedom and more problems.

But of course legislative pages are still fair game for elected officials. So is taking money from lobbyists to f*ck over taxpayers.

Maybe they could create a new special age which would identify the safe age for students to get poked (or to poke) at, say 28, which might be the age most students finally move out of the house and go out on their own? Or is it 30 now?

This is mrs m00tpoint. My first major was special education. I think there is a little known fact out there that sheds some interesting light on this topic. In IL, where the age of majority is 18 as it is in most states, a minor cannot have consentual sex. In other words, if a girl (or guy) is less than 18, there is no way anyone (teacher, other student, etc) has ANY protection even if they say yes. All they have to do is change their mind later, get mad because they get dumped or just decide they want to make trouble and their parents can legally press charges. That is why I always taught my special education girls and guys that under 18 was a really bad decision.

So, point one: It is not just illegal for teachers to have sex under the age of majority it is really anyone.

Now, of course, we all know that both sexes under 18 DO have sex and not just with each other. We also know that there certainly have been cases of persons having sex with individuals who did not have the mental capacity to understand what was happening. In that case, regardless of chronological age, the person cannot give legal consent because they don't understand the implications. Gray hair does not equal being an adult. Anyone who will tell you it does has simply spent no time with persons who have emotional or mental disabilities. The law defines an adult as someone who has the ability to discern between right and wrong and understand the implications of their actions. I had a studenet in my classroom once with Fragile X syndrome. Every year he got older but regressed in cognitive and emotional abilities. Should the fact that he is now 27 mean someone should have sex with what is essentially now a three year old in an "adult male" body? I don't think anyone here would think that is right.

I agree that big government is not the answer. However, I don't think this law would equal big government if passed. In fact, it would make it easier to prosecute those who break the spirit of the laws already in place thereby providing a better and more timely use of the already allocated resources. Yes, I am a republican. About as conservative as one can get. However, there are far worse things to be spending time railing against than this proposed law. Want to have a bitch session or talk about really eroding rights, then let's discuss mandatory health care, more taxes on small businesses and trying to spend one's way out of debt. What pisses me off is that legislatures across the country are spending time on things like this when there are every day issues that impact a far greater majority of people that could really makea difference and need looked at.

They complain about young adults remaining in an adolescent mind set (unless of course they are arrested of a crime - then they are adults) and yet do shit like this.

So this piece of legislation will forbid a person from having sex with his or her spouse if one is an employee and the other is a student. Since many universities and colleges give discounts for family members of staff, I can't imagine that's an uncommon state of "affairs", it you'll pardon the pun.

In Texas, a teacher was already prosecuted for having sex with an 18 year old student. This piece of legislation was passed with a companion piece that forbid sex between prisoners and guards, because this is a position of authority (like Teachers) and can be abused easily. Cops already this in a law called Oppression. Little cutie will do anything to get out of a ticket. What the hell-she's 21, she's legal, right ? Until she turns the situation around on you.

Yeah, it's nanny state, but adults often have to be reminded to be adults.

And here I thought it was LEGAL for consenting Adults of LEGAL age to have a Sexual interaction if they so wished, no matter what JOB (Or lack of Job) that they had. I guess I'm REALLY Fucking sadly mistaken!

Honestly I am not so upset with this bill because schools, in particular teachers, are in such a positio of authority that the concept of consent becomes distorted. This also make sense because legally schools assume certain parental responsibilities over their students.

Let the schools handle this internally. They all have codes of conduct policies, we don't need another law.

Deogol, sorry but I don't understand your post. Are you trying to say that you believe there is double-speak and the same person would be considered an adult if they were being prosecuted as opposed to them being the "victim?" Or am I missing your point?

Alucard,the job DOES matter. I don't think anyone here is going to say they think it is a good idea or right for a HIGH SCHOOL teacher to have sex with a student. And at least most universities here have rules about teachers being involved with their students as it is. My uncle is a linguistics professor at UIC and I know for a fact that there is a condition of employment that says he can't date or engage in relations with any of HIS students. And that is at the college level where one would hope both persons involved would be able to be considered legal adults. Same as police officers, doctors and ministers.

GMD, to my knowledge the majority of policies here in IL have to do with college professors and their students. Most colleges also will not allow a professor to have their child or spouse as a student. So, no, the likelihood of that being an issue is not a reality. Can't speak to other states but even workplaces with a no-dating policy usually allow the parties to go before a board of review and explain their situation for an exception.

Fuck the teachers (if they're hot)

m00tpoint: If the law is as stated by shadowcat, then a direct student-teacher relationship is not required. If it is truly "any employee" and "any student" then, short of an express exception in the legislation, my hypothetical scenario is covered and illegal. Not only that, but if a student has a relationship with someone unconnected to the school, and then that other person gets a job with the school, they are suddenly felons even though they aren't doing anything differently than they were the day before.

The Law of Unintended Consequences will not be denied.

The laws are slightly different in Pennsylvania. There is a 4 year window for sex being legal under the age of 16 which basically makes it legal for a high school senior to have sex with a high school freshman. It is legal to have sex with someone who is 16, but that person's parents can press charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor which is a misdemeanor and can result in jail time. The only positive is that charge doesn't include being required to register as a sex offender and the underage sex one does come with that requirement.

For certified teachers, it's a different ballgame. Teachers who have teaching certificates will lose their certificate to teach if they have sex with a student, even if that student is over the age of 18 and the teacher is a first year teacher who is only 22. There is an imbalance of power between any teacher and any student which is why I fully support those laws. It is difficult for a student to say no to a teacher, and that's why these laws are passed, to protect students from unscrupulous teachers who abuse their authority. I think that a teacher who has sex with a student, even one who is old enough that it is legal for me to have sex with her, will also face criminal charges, but I'm not positive about that. I just know that a local teacher lost his teaching certificate about 3 or 4 years ago and he was 23 or 24 and the girls were both 18 and they approached him and drove to his house. He was quoted in the newspaper as saying that he didn't think he was doing anything wrong because they approached him, they were both over 18, and they drove to his house.

College professors are the same as the rest of us though. There isn't anything other than policies at the colleges where they work that prevents them from having sex with students.

The laws are different in every state. I know Pennsylvania's because that's where I live and I've taken a law enforcement class where this was covered.

M00tpoint: I'm pointing out that society considers an 18 year old an adult, unless it comes to alcohol, purchase of a handgun, access to college financial aid (it's expected the "family" contribute until they are 21), etc. Regarding private companies, car rentals usually are not allowed, etc.

However, if they do something "young and foolish" the full weight of "being an adult" is laid down on them. Not to mention, if Uncle Sam needs their ass they can be put in front of a line of enemy soldiers to be shot - just to be sure not to take advantage of being an "adult" by that very same state and private companies.

There is a lot of talk these days about "kids not growing up" - well, I say we are not allowing them to be.

@canny sez..."It is difficult for a student to say no to a teacher, and that's why these laws are passed, to protect students from unscrupulous teachers who abuse their authority." So true.

The Catholic Church wasn't responsive to similar situations, and now a law that covers the timeliness of reporting suspected abuse has led to the indictment of a bishop.

"You can get into a strip club". maybe you can in Michigan, but here, if a club sells booze, the rules are the same as any other bar: you have to be 21 to enter.

Should only apply to male teachers. String 'em up and hang 'em.

If a female teacher has sex with a student no harm done. In fact, high fives to the student. You know he's the man.

What schools is this for? Maybe in high school it makes sense, but after that, you're on your own is my opinion. (For females that is. For males they are always on their own against those predatory Pamela Smart type hotties.)