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Dillinger
Joined: 20 Apr 2004
Posts: 13
Location: Vientiane, Laos
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 Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 4:27 pm Post subject: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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I work in a small SE Asian city and it has recently come to light that the former DOS/Managing Director of the school where I teach is a convicted paedophile.
To be more specific... he pleaded no contest to "attempted sexual assault" and did 5 years probation. At the time he was a 52 year old highschool teacher apparently exploiting a 15 year old student of his over the period of 6 months until they were found naked together in the woods by the cops. Her family later sued both him and the school district. The case against the district made it to the US supreme court back in 1999 which is why the story is still 'google'able.
My gut reaction is that this man has forfeited his right to be in the education business, at the very least so far as it concerns minors. Others at my school apparently disagree, thinking that the past is the past and we all make mistakes. The guy is currently in the process of setting up a new language school.
The information about the perp has been leaked and is apparently making its way around town at a rapid pace, including reaching the ministry of education. Just wondering what the thoughts of others are on this subject. As for me, this kind of confirms the worst fears one might have about some of the shadier characters one meets in this biz. |
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31
Joined: 21 Jan 2005
Posts: 1797
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:13 pm Post subject: Re: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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| Dillinger wrote: |
| this kind of confirms the worst fears one might have about some of the shadier characters one meets in this biz. |
Yes. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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It happens- background checks in TEFL, if they happen at all, are not nearly as exhaustive as in other fields of education. It sometimes lets the freaks in. It's been mentioned on this board that at least some of the people you run into in this field are running from something...
Justin |
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31
Joined: 21 Jan 2005
Posts: 1797
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 2:26 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
It happens- background checks in TEFL, if they happen at all, are not nearly as exhaustive as in other fields of education. It sometimes lets the freaks in. It's been mentioned on this board that at least some of the people you run into in this field are running from something...
Justin |
Do any tefl employers do background checks. Few even bother to check references or ask for anything more than photocopies of qualifications. Of course with many tefl mill owners/managers it is a ''don`t ask don`t tell policy when it comes to fake qualifications. What percentage of nutters and fake qualification holders would you say there are in tefl, or does it depend on the country?
Where I work I would say:
nutters: 10%
fakes: 20% |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:24 am Post subject: Re: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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| Dillinger wrote: |
I work in a small SE Asian city and it has recently come to light that the former DOS/Managing Director of the school where I teach is a convicted paedophile.
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The girl in question was 15 years old at the time. How does this make him a paedophile? It makes him unethical for abusing his position as a teacher, but it certainly does not make him a paedophile. |
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Ajarn Miguk
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 227
Location: TDY As Assigned
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:57 am Post subject: I Don't Think So |
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| The Great Wall of Whiner wrote: |
| Dillinger wrote: |
I work in a small SE Asian city and it has recently come to light that the former DOS/Managing Director of the school where I teach is a convicted paedophile.
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The girl in question was 15 years old at the time. How does this make him a paedophile? It makes him unethical for abusing his position as a teacher, but it certainly does not make him a paedophile. |
Really? Let us know how it goes convincing the U.S.Department of Justice of such a learned opinion:
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/citizensguide_porn.html |
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younggeorge
Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 350
Location: UAE
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 8:02 am Post subject: Re: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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| The Great Wall of Whiner wrote: |
The girl in question was 15 years old at the time. How does this make him a paedophile? It makes him unethical for abusing his position as a teacher, but it certainly does not make him a paedophile. |
15 is below the age of consent in every country I know: that makes him technically a paedophile.
As to whether he should be ostracised for it for the rest of his life, that's a contentious point. He presumably has been punished once for that offence and should be seen as having "paid his debt to society". However, to protect vulnerable young people from any possible repetition, he obviously needs to be closely monitored. I don't know how your school works, but maybe it could be arranged that he never gets left alone with any of the "young learners". |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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| The Great Wall of Whiner wrote: |
| Dillinger wrote: |
| the former DOS of the school where I teach is a convicted paedophile. |
The girl in question was 15 years old at the time. How does this make him a paedophile? It makes him unethical for abusing his position as a teacher, but it certainly does not make him a paedophile. |
What charge was he actually convicted of? I doubt it was child molesting, but probably statutory rape.
If so, he's not a convicted paedophile but a convicted rapist. Either way, do you really think he should be working in a school environment with underage girls? |
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Dillinger
Joined: 20 Apr 2004
Posts: 13
Location: Vientiane, Laos
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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A few more details, then.
The actual charge was "attempted sexual assault" to which he plead 'no contest' and received 5 years probation. In my opinion he got off pretty lightly. The details of the case, available in many news accounts and a supreme court judgement, state that he initiated sexual contact when he went to the young girls home ostensibly to return a book. The student testified later that she had been scared to tell anyone about it because she needed that teacher's AP class in order to get into college.
As to the whole 'paid his debt to society' approach; well, I agree that he is not a wanted criminal and that he should be allowed to live his life and pursue a career, happiness, and whatnot. However, I think teaching has to be out of the question. In most Western countries this would be the case because no school would hire him after doing a background check. Out here, the mechanisms and initiative to do such a check are just not in place.
One of this guy's defenders here plainly stated that he wouldn't allow this man to teach his daughter. I suggested to him, therefore, that the parents of the local children here at least deserve the same right to make an informed decision. |
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Celeste
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Fukuoka City, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| However, to protect vulnerable young people from any possible repetition, he obviously needs to be closely monitored. I don't know how your school works, but maybe it could be arranged that he never gets left alone with any of the "young learners". |
This is what the Catholic church used to try to do with "problem" priests. Didn't work too well. I would have to say that the guy shouldn't be involved in education at all, and that if the country has no legal way to prevent his involvement in education, then that is why the rumours are flying. Perhaps people who are feeling powerless to stop him are trying to insure that EVERYONE knows not to let him near their kids. |
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MoggIntellect
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
Posts: 173
Location: Chengdu, P.R.China
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| Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 12:24 am Post subject: |
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People people... let's be reasonable... so he has a little girl fetish... we cannot cast him out from the whole education system just because of his human animalistic urges! Don't prisons need educators too?  |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
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| Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 3:17 am Post subject: Re: When you find a paedophile in your midst... |
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younggeorge wrote:
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| 15 is below the age of consent in every country I know: |
Then I guess you are uninformed.
Canada's age of consent is 14. over a dozen European countries are from 12-15. Most Latin American countries are 12-16. Japan and South Korea are 13. Even in the United States there are states such as Iowa and Colorado where the age of consent is 15, and America's Puerto Rico is 14.
| Quote: |
that makes him technically a paedophile. |
Actually, no. Look up the meaning of the word paedophile. |
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Celeste
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Fukuoka City, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:59 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Canada's age of consent is 14. |
Technically yes, but I thought that meant that 14 year olds could have sex with 14 or 15 year olds, NOT with adults. |
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Babala
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 1303
Location: Henan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| Whatever you want to call him, I don't think he has ANY place teaching. Foreign students are even more trusting than ones in America so who knows what he could get away doing. |
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mlomker
Joined: 24 Mar 2005
Posts: 378
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:02 am Post subject: |
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| Babala wrote: |
| Whatever you want to call him, I don't think he has ANY place teaching. Foreign students are even more trusting than ones in America so who knows what he could get away doing. |
Justice is also handled quite a bit differently in these third world countries, wouldn't you agree? If he's rehabilitated then leave him alone, if he isn't then punishment won't be nearly as lenient as the United States. |
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