Regardless of Student's Age: Bill Makes Teacher Sex Tryst a Felony

Regardless of Student's Age
Bill Makes Teacher Sex Tryst a Felony

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten opposes a bill introduced by a Brooklyn State Senator and supported by the Department of Education that would make sex between a Teacher and a student a felony, even if the student had reached the age of consent.

CARL KRUGER: Firing isn't enough. "There is no need for this legislation," Ms. Weingarten said in a statement. "We took care of that issue in the contract with our 'zero tolerance' policy that says any educator found to have sexual relations with a student is automatically fired - age of consent or not."

'Travesty of Justice'

But Democratic Sen. Carl Kruger believes that just firing but not prosecuting a Teacher for having sex with a student is "a travesty of justice."

"I heard of a couple of incidents, and it struck me as odd that a prosecutor couldn't charge [the Teachers involved]," Mr. Kruger said in an April 6 phone interview. "Consensual or not, this is taking advantage of one's position. It begs the question of whether or not this is an abuse of authority."

Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein fully supports the measure.

"Sexual contact between school staff and students is absolutely unacceptable," a DOE spokeswoman said April 6. "The Chancellor has repeatedly called for legislation making it a criminal offense for a DOE employee to engage in sexual contact with a student, regardless of whether the student has reached the age of consent, and we will continue to work with the Legislature to get such laws enacted."

Mayor Unconcerned

The Mayor, however, has downplayed the proliferation of illicit encounters, pointing out that even a Daily News study detailing the issue showed just 19 incidents from a pool of 80,000 Teachers last year.

"When there's inappropriate behavior, [we] find it and do something about it," the Mayor said at a news conference earlier this month.

With the budget negotiations over, Sen. Kruger believes his bill will get a hearing in the Codes Committee, where the Chairman, upstate Republican Sen. Dale M. Volker, is a supporter.

"More and more Senators tell me they support the bill," Senator Kruger said. "The situation cries out for a remedy."