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by NinevehDinha from Salt Lake City, UT

Last Post 1 day, 20 hours Ago


Teacher Jailed
Sep 10, 2008 | 7:51 AM
Category: News
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Important discussion. A West High school teacher was arrested yesterday afternoon for ALLEGEDLY having sex with a 17 year-old student. 45 year-old Jose Fanjul, a social studies and world languages teacher at West High for three years has been booked into jail for multiple counts of forcible sexual abuse and forcible sodomy. The victim is a female student but it's not clear if there was an ongoing sexual relationship between the two. 

This issue brings up an important discussion about teacher/student relationships. This case aside, we can think of a number of other examples where teachers were found guilty of having sexual relationships with their students. Just last month, a guidance counselor at West High pleaded guilty to have a sexual relationship with a student. Is it that we're talking about it more or is it that these inappropriate relationships are more common now? 

An intersting question was posed on 96.3 this morning. Growing up, did you ever know about a sexual relationship between a student and teacher while you were in school?

The Salt Lake City school district says every teacher passes a background check before they're hired. But what about counseling them before they're hired? And during their teaching career? Maybe teachers should be required to attend a class every 6 months to a year that educates them about student/teacher relationships...about what is and isn't appropriate.  Maybe they already do depending on the district.

I just want to say this before we continue this discussion because I know many of you are educators and I don't want to make anyone feel like this blog is about bad mouthing teachers. Not at all. I have tremendous respect for teachers, and I'm confident that MOST are honorable people who want to educate the future generation. 

But I still have to ask: why would a teacher seek a relationship with a student?

This is where parents come in too. There needs to be an open line of communication. Chances are your daughter or son will talk to you about these issues. I remember when my sister brought up the subject of having a crush on her teacher!!! Seemed normal. We admire our teachers, spend a lot of time in school...so I'm sure it's natural (I certainly thought a couple of my teachers were cute growing up) BUT we need to draw the line. My sis continued to talk about her teacher telling me he flirted with her. That's when I picked up the phone, called me mom and had a big discussion with her about my sis's feelings. I'm not saying this teacher was guilty of anything...we figured she took his friendliness for flirtiness after long talks about what he said to her that made her feel like he was being flirty. It just made me think how careful teachers need to be these days about how they approach their students and interact with them. This is a good example of how a student can mistake a teacher's kindness for flirtiness.  

Any thoughts? Would love to share them on air this morning.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 14
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tooshortdog read my blog view my photos
Sep 10, 2008 | 8:13 AM

I think the problem stems froma a growing decline in our culture to do what ever feels good in the moment.

our cultural mindset is to tolerate and forgive... I am taliking about all the little things that is tolerated in our society that enable people to think they are smarter and more clever than all the rest. It snowballs after number of years to the grand finally.

We need to hold people accountable for the little things and then the big things will become a "No Brainer".

I know this is not a cure all for the ones who are deviant at the core. I wish to say that society is creating most of these situations. They evolve from our liberal culture.

Nothing is considerd bad tasde or tactless any more. The rule is do not judge. What a crock of horse pucky our society has become.

I think the yearly seminars on how to Keep your cool is a great Idea

Have fun, becareful and utilize boundries
NinevehDinha read my blog view my photos
Sep 10, 2008 | 8:51 AM

I just interviewed the principal...and yes they do train teachers once to twice a year about what is and isn't appropriate behavior with their students. The entire interview should be loaded on our website later this morning if you'd like to hear it.
motoxcoma read my blog view my photos
Sep 10, 2008 | 9:04 AM

I feel really bad for the recent Principal Ms Parker at West. She's had a bunch of BS thrown in her lap that Ms Gray would just ignore back when I went to West & when Mr Grover (old vice principal) would try to help me.. Ms Gray requested I change schools. Back in 1998 and 2000 I requested a change in Math Teachers cause he was sexually harassing me & requested a change in Counselors ( Marco was my counselor back then and told my mom she needed counselling cause she couldn't control my attitude, Obviously I had legit reasons to have an attitude towards these type of people)
Mariposa_Xochipilli read my blog
Sep 10, 2008 | 10:47 AM

Agreed, teachers for the most part are honorable people ... but without the proper knowledge and tools, they will fail just like any student who isn't given proper curriculum ... with the consequences affecting the child and their future.

The charges being 'forcible' indicate that he is believed to have been with a minor. Consentual sex is considered forced based on her age. Go figure, she can operate a vehicle and have a job, but can't legally make decisions about her own body ... not that this would excuse inappropriate/illegal behavior by this person in a postion of trust.

Regarding parental involvement ... there is a law that says no one can interfere with the operation of a school. All it takes to coverup a situation schools want to handle internally is to claim the parent is trespassing.

Of course, that law is written so that criminal trespass is toward a person on school grounds while not on school business. Checking on your minor child's welfare and adherence to an education plan would be school business. Schools can say it isn't; discrediting and criminalizing parental involvement.

Another problem is that schools are left in charge of how/when these laws are applied. Didn't work out so well in that pedophile Teacher of the Year situation did it? More children were victimized while the school handled it internally.
1climbingchick read my blog
Sep 10, 2008 | 1:46 PM

My dad is a teacher at west high and he talks about how careful what you say and what you do as a teacher around your students is very important. Just how you said your sister was taking her teachers kindness as flirting it can be a dangerous situation if not careful.
I personally believe that since there have been a number of student/teacher relationships recently the school district should be a lot more careful on who they decide to hire.
I know you can't watch everyone all the time, but maybe more rules should be placed, and actually enforced.
tooshortdog read my blog view my photos
Sep 10, 2008 | 6:39 PM

Comon People, all I hear is a bunch of noise, Blah Blah blah balah blah!

How about defiante concrete non obstuctable boundaries... Like never, ever, NEVER being with a studant alone NOT for any reason.

Come to think of it there is not any reason in the world for a teacher ever to be alone with one student, or alone with even two or three for that matter.

you all make this in to some big complicated thing. It os not complicated at all. It is a matter of clearly defined boundries

The only thing said thus far even remotely proactive of the solving this problem is teacher training/awareness seminars.

comon people snap out of it!
Mariposa_Xochipilli read my blog
Sep 11, 2008 | 9:10 AM

Nineveh,

I was reminded of something when I read your answer to another blogger regarding not being able to trust teachers ...

Is it merely sexual impropriety that gives cause for teachers to not be trustable?

That's actually a rhetorical question because there are other means of betrayal that cause equally as deep wounds ... just not the physical scars.

Those betrayals don't get coverage because there isn't physical damage; abuse is abuse no matter what form it takes. Is deliberate emotional abuse any less harmful to the child?
1climbingchick read my blog
Sep 11, 2008 | 11:59 AM

tooshortdog
all I hear is blah blah, why can't you discuss anything without making yourself a god to everyone else?
tooshortdog read my blog view my photos
Sep 11, 2008 | 1:26 PM

climbingchick. I only claim to have a personal and active relationship with the concept of God. I do not desire to be God, with a capitol "G" I might add.
myselfagain read my blog
Sep 11, 2008 | 5:02 PM

No matter the circumstances, a relationship between teacher and high school student is inappropriate, period. A 45 year old man should know better, and have more respect for the female race than to take advantage of a young girl still growing into her own. This is an outrage and more steps than prosecuting the teacher need to be made. The school needs to be held accountable for what happens on it's grounds. The man, if found guilty should never be allowed to teach in any state in the country or hold any position of authority over children, end of story. Maybe if we let the punishment fit the crime, the perverts of the world will think twice before becoming teachers.
NinevehDinha read my blog view my photos
Sep 12, 2008 | 11:11 AM

emotional or physical abuse...no matter what it is mariposa, it shouldn't be happening (that includes in schools).
Thanks for your thoughts...
and myselfagain your comment leads me to another question...do you think female teachers accused and then found guilty of having sexual relationships with their students are punished less than male teachers accused and found guilty of the same thing?
myselfagain read my blog
Sep 12, 2008 | 5:58 PM

Ninevah - Female teachers who have relationships with students are just as preverted as their male counterparts, I think. But do they get less harsh punishment? I don't know, but it certainly seems that way....
Isn't Mary Kay Letourneau is now married to her student lover. Debra Lafave, according to wikipedia, got off with no jail time. She blamed her actions on mental illness. If a male teacher got off that easy society would be outraged, so yes, history shows they may be. Why? I'm not sure.
Mariposa_Xochipilli read my blog
Sep 13, 2008 | 2:08 AM

It does happen ... under the guise of keeping control in school.
Having a child arrested for manifestation of a disability sends a very clear message to that child.
Subjecting that child to juvenile court proceedings makes another very definite statement regardless of the child being fully exonerated.
Deliberately not meeting a child's documented medical needs sends a message to the child that they are not safe in that environment.
Having a police officer - in a previous incident - chase down and twist a disabled child's arm behind their back, until the child thought their arm would break, because the school 'neglected' to inform the officer the child was having a sensory overload meltdown during a fire drill (sharp sounds register as physical pain; the reasonable reaction would be to get away from the source of the pain) sends a message to the child. When the officer heard what had caused the running away, he said he'd never have handled it the way he did had he been given the proper information.
Eventually, the child begins to believe there is something wrong with them. The child slowly becomes an educational and societal invalid.
Do you realize that the regulation that allows schools to send students to the Juvenile Receiving Center only states that the student must have committed a suspendable offense ... not that the student has to be suspended? That loophole allows schools to circumvent federal law that protects disabled students.
To do that to any child, let alone an accomplished child on the Honor Roll is clearly emotional abuse.
Mariposa_Xochipilli read my blog
Sep 13, 2008 | 9:52 AM

I would add that the principal at the first middle school insisted in having daily physical contact with one of my daughters who felt she had to let the woman hug her because of the person's position of authority.
What we've never told our daughters was that the bus driver was making 'inappropriate' comments to me. We stopped putting the girls on the bus. The principal and district administration knew, but did nothing to stop this man. I was labeled an acusatory troublemaker. He was let go because he didn't show up at a meeting to address numerous sexual impropriety concerns from multiple female employees.
You tell me what could have happened had he seen that J was not yet capable of drawing a line between trusting a person in authority and what is or is not inappropriate contact.

Thanks for enabling me to express these occurrances in a place of safety and without being judged.
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NinevehDinha

I start off every morning waking up our viewers, and it's always a pleasure! I'm happy to be part of Fox 13's Good Day Utah team. I anchor bright and early from 5 to 6 a.m. You can also catch me on the streets reporting for both GDU and Live at 11.

Member Since: 2/20/2007


 

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