There is an increase in inappropriate student-teacher relationships.
Sexual offenses can carry a great deal of stigma especially when those who are charged with them are in a position of responsibility such as being a teacher.
Recently the Dallas Morning News reported on how an English teacher from Richardson High School English teacher has been arrested and charged with having an “improper relationship” with a student.
Police in Richardson say James Quigley, 34, an English teacher at the high school since 2009, was arrested Thursday night and charged with two second-degree felonies: Improper Relationship Educator/Student and sexual assault.
He was taken into custody just a day after the Richardson Independent School District placed Quigley on administrative leave.
Police started investigating the teacher after the parents of a 16-year-old female student called the department “in reference to her daughter being sent unwanted texts and emails by Richardson High School teacher James Quigley,” according to the Dallas Morning News report.
Richardson police released an affidavit on Friday evening stating the teacher would invite the student in question to movies and told her they could be “friends with benefits,” according to reports. The student is reported to have given officials at the school copies of the texts, according to the affidavit, which says the student said she felt she was being “harassed” by the teacher.
Police say they interviewed the student and discovered she “had engaged in sexual contact” with the English teacher between May 1 and June 30, 2014. However, the student told the investigators that Quigley started pursuing her in March, when he asked to have her email address and cell phone number. The report said he wanted the contact details to talk to her about an essay she was working on. The affidavit stated the teacher then started sending her messages saying she was “pretty” and had a “pretty neck.”
The affidavit stated that in May or June, 2014, he appeared at her house, kissed her on the forehead and “touched her ‘butt’ while he was hugging her. She also told officers the teacher would park in front of her house “on multiple occasions for no reason.”
On Friday, Richardson High School Principal Charles Bruner sent a letter to parents concerning the “serious and troubling situation,” related to Quigley.
Cases in which teachers are accused of having an inappropriate relationship with students invariably make headlines. Last year, a Wylie High School teacher was arrested following allegations that she had a relationship with a 17-year-old boy.
Due to the fact these cases attract a lot of publicity it can be difficult for a teacher who is accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student to receive a fair trial. However, the testimonies of students can be unreliable in some cases. It’s important to hire a criminal defense attorney with considerable experience in dealing with these kinds of cases.
