The Teacher of the Year and the football player: Sounds like a Lifetime movie
This sounds like the plot of a Lifetime Channel movie: Teacher of the Year has sex with football player.
But it’s a real allegation in a Gwinnett County high school.
The AJC story is very interesting in that it has quotes from both parents, those of the teacher and of the student. The teacher’s father understandably defends his daughter and casts the student as a “knucklehead,” but the story notes that the teacher admitted to the relationship, calling it consensual.
I still don’t get the teacher/student thing. When you read these stories, you assume that there is something unique about both the teacher and the student, that a teacher drawn to a student must be much more immature than the average adult and the student who is the subject of the teacher’s attentions must be much more mature that her/his peers.
But when these cases explode and you see the participants in court or interviews, they are just normal people who ended up in abnormal — and illegal — situations.
With all the negative publicity about these cases and the outcome possibly a prison term, I can’t see how a teacher ends up risking it all for what seems a small return. I taught at a community college when I was 25, and I never considered any of my students, some of whom were my age or older, as friends or folks that I would invite out for coffee. The classroom created a wall between us that I never thought about crossing.
Any insights from folks in the field?
According to an exclusive AJC story:
The Teacher of the Year at Shiloh High School has resigned after admitting to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student, according to records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Keenon Aampay Hall, 29, left a promising career as an English teacher at the Gwinnett County school amid allegations that she seduced a senior who came to her for homework help. An investigative file on the case compiled by the school system’s human resources division contains the student’s accounts of sexual trysts at a hotel, a friend’s home and in the teacher’s classroom during school hours. The report also says that pornography was found on Hall’s Gwinnett County schools laptop.
The student, a player on Shiloh’s football team who is to graduate Friday, claimed that Hall gave him gifts and pressured him to commit to their six-month relationship by giving her a baby, according to the file. When he declined, the student’s family said, Hall gave him a failing grade, prompting him to report the relationship to school officials.
“The allegation of the inappropriate behavior came to light because the teacher decreased the student’s grade,” Gwinnett schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach said.
Gwinnett County Public Schools police are investigating the incident. The governor recently signed a new law making it illegal for teachers to have sex with students, even if the sex is consensual. In addition, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which has the authority to revoke Hall’s teaching certificate, is scheduled to review the complaint next week.
Hall, elected by her colleagues as Shiloh’s Teacher of the Year, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Hall’s peers had voted her Shiloh High Teacher of the Year in the fall. Her name was touted in school bulletins; she gave inspirational speeches; and was recognized at a Gwinnett County awards dinner with other top district teachers. Her parents, who attended the banquet, said they were proud but wondered why she never got her Teacher of the Year ring.
“She earned it,” her father, Dennis Hall, said. “I believe this is the action of Principal [Gwen] Tatum. It definitely opens the county up for a defamation lawsuit. … How can seven years of teaching and a reputation be destroyed because of the word of one knucklehead? I think that’s wrong.”
Hall has a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and has completed her master’s work, her parents said. On an application for her Gwinnett job she wrote that she was “uniquely qualified” because she has “a passion for education and working with children.”
The student, now 18, relocated to Georgia from North Carolina to live with his uncle, Jason Pender, a football coach at Shiloh High. Ericka Pender allowed her son to leave home so he could focus on academics his senior year and graduate instead of getting distracted by old friends in Winston-Salem.
Coach Pender said his nephew had been dating a teenager at school and didn’t seem any more stressed than most seniors trying to get into college. “I wondered how he got the cell phone when he was not working,” Pender said. He grew concerned when the teen’s progress report in English “went from an A to a D or F.”
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134 comments Add your comment
Shawn
May 27th, 2010
10:29 am
I agree that her behavior was wrong, and she should be punished for abusing her position. But I think in the comments too much is being made over the mispelled word. Typos occur quite frequently, especially when under stress (or in a rush. See above comments)
Ed is an idiot, and a waste of air.
Atlanta Media Guy
May 27th, 2010
10:38 am
Remember folks in Georgia, it’s okay to have consensual sex with people who are 16 and older. However, you better not send a naughty picture via email, Georgia Law states sending an offensive picture via the internet, electronic means, to anyone younger than 18 is a misdemeanor. I can’t figure this out, it’s okay to have sex with a 16 year old however you can’t send a nude picture of yourself to someone 18 or younger. Maybe Georgia needs to raise the consent age to 18 or lower the misdemeanor internet law to 16 to match the consent law. I’m just saying…..
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
10:42 am
Shiloh is certainly not the creme de la creme of GCPS so no suprises there. Even though it would impact my children, I wish GCPS would do more house cleaning. No need for teacher to resign, she should have been fired.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2010
10:46 am
“I wish GCPS would do more house cleaning.”
Can we houseclean parents and students too?
Dina
May 27th, 2010
10:49 am
i do not this Ms. Hall did that.. she was my teacher sophmore year and me and her were really close. words can be spread like that.. .. its all just false information to me. hard to believe
HS Teacher
May 27th, 2010
10:57 am
“Teacher of the Year” is a meaningless title. It is a popularity contest among teachers and/or with the administration. It has absolutely no connection to how good of a ‘teacher’ that person is inside of the classroom.
Pitiful.
No Sir
May 27th, 2010
11:00 am
I’m sure this has already been stated, but “Teacher of the Year” awards at individual schools rarely have any thing to do with achievement or superior service (no pun intended regarding her “servicing” of students). It is a popularity contest, plain and simple. At my school last year’s T.O.Y. was a PE teacher whose course load included two periods of ISS duty, two periods of P.E., and one health class. In his defense, however, I don’t think he screws his students.
drew (former teacher)
May 27th, 2010
11:08 am
Why didn’t the student come forth before he received the failing grade? Probably because he didn’t “suffer” until he received a failing grade.
As a matter fact, if the teacher doesn’t use her position to retaliate against the “victim”, this story never sees the light of day. It’s hard to believe a TOTY could be so stupid.
John
May 27th, 2010
11:11 am
Dina obviously did take English under Ms. Hall. She supports my earlier comment that this teacher should never have been hired anywhere to teach English to any student.
EnoughAlready
May 27th, 2010
11:27 am
John, please check your sentence structure.
Pic: ‘Teacher of the Year’ Keenon Aampay Hall accused of sex with student
May 27th, 2010
11:38 am
[...] cheerleading coach at the school for six years prior to her resignation- a move that her parents told the Atlanta Journal Constitution came due to medical reasons and not the allegations of the unnamed [...]
Pic: ‘Teacher of the Year’ Keenon Aampay Hall accused of sex with student
May 27th, 2010
11:38 am
[...] cheerleading coach at the school for six years prior to her resignation- a move that her parents told the Atlanta Journal Constitution came due to medical reasons and not the allegations of the unnamed [...]
Shiloh Grad 2009
May 27th, 2010
11:45 am
It’s INSULTING for Rebecca to say that “Shiloh is certainly not the creme de la creme of GCPS so no suprises there”. Ms. Hall was my Sophomore Honors English teacher, and she was an amazing teacher. It was shocking to hear that she would engage in a sexual act with a student. She never overstepped her boundaries in the classroom while I was a student, and no one expected this. Realistically, it has happened at other schools; search ‘teacher relationship’ on AJC.com. Judge Ms. Hall’s actions because she did cross the line. Don’t hold Shiloh or GCPS responsible for her misconduct.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
11:47 am
I am now concerned with many of the comments by “teachers” that continue to degrade the Teacher of the Year title. Sour grapes from average teachers? Are you expecting us believe that this is solely a popularity contest?
d
May 27th, 2010
11:48 am
Just a note — when I attended Shiloh High School in the mid 90s, it was ranked 8th best academically in the state. It saddens me to see comments like Rebbeca’s at 10:42. Here’s hoping a reputation of a once great school can be restored!
catlady
May 27th, 2010
11:49 am
Our dress code would never allow teacher or student to wear a top with straps like that, BTW.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
11:53 am
@ Shiloh Grad 2009 I believe you are INSULTING the intelligence of anyone that knows the best and the worst of what GCPS has to offer. Shiloh is near the bottom of that list.
Vivian
May 27th, 2010
11:55 am
Hi folks,
Even though she is the teacher in the situation, is it possible that the student seduced her? The two may have the titles of “teacher” and “student” but does that not make them human? Just something to consider. As far as admitting the relationship, to whom was it really admitted? Did she appear on televison saying,” I did not inhale?” People like to jump to conclusions without knowing true information. His grade suppossedly went from an A to failing? Yeah right. This football player who had gotten into trouble in the past maintaing an A average. I would like to see that one. Perhaps he earned a poor grade. Where was his mother, in North Carolina? Yes, she was there to make sure that he completed homework nightly. That’s true what another blogger said about a conflict of interest with the football coach uncle and the football player coming to play. Too many conflicts here. Wanting a baby by a kid and on a teachers salary. Could this woman not find another willing participant? I think not. Once again, this does not fit. If something does not make sense, it is not true. According to the article, the teacher did not comment. So who has the full story? Certainly it isn’t the media or us. So let’s all move on to something that really matters.
A. Parent
May 27th, 2010
11:56 am
drew, not hard to understand why you are a former teacher. you might also ask; why was the student not “failing” prior to the end of the relationship? again, throw out the sex, or the age of consent in GA and this teacher was still “harassing” the student.
Jennifer
May 27th, 2010
11:57 am
Happening in metro and rural communities. And kudo’s to Gwinnett if they were proactive in taking the complaint seriously, not every community reacts to take care of the student before the adult.
Dekalb Mom
May 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
@Atlanta Media Guy…two wrongs don’t make it right. It isn’t right for a teacher to ever have a personal relationship with a student and it isn’t right for an adult male to send nude pictures of himself to anyone. Question is, did you get convicted?
EnoughAlready
May 27th, 2010
12:11 pm
Rebecca – You can’t always judge an entire school or school systems by statistics. So, please give example(s) that you know about first hand; since you are an expert on Shiloh.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2010
12:11 pm
“Are you expecting us believe that this is solely a popularity contest?”
It is. In every district that I have had the fortune/misfortune to deal with TOTY are voted on by their fellow teachers. No classroom observations, student assessments, ect. are done. Just a popularity vote.
SallyB
May 27th, 2010
12:16 pm
In my experience, whoever said this teacher/student relationship thing has always been present is absolutely correct.
In fact, in the early 80’s in one of Atlanta’ s most esteemed high schools, a 10th grade student began dating one of his teachers. If anyone knew, and they did, they kept their mouths shut. As of today, they have been married [to each other] for many years and have 3 adorable children.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2010
12:16 pm
“Rebecca – You can’t always judge an entire school or school systems by statistics. So, please give example(s) that you know about first hand; since you are an expert on Shiloh.”
I submit that Rebecca’s only criteria for making that statement is that Shiloh is a majority minority school. Another tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) exposed.
http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps-mainweb01.nsf/FileAttachments/771FE4F5AC6EDE9C85256BCE004FEE94/$file/ShilohHS.pdf
Political Spectator
May 27th, 2010
12:44 pm
The average individual reads this blog and lose all respect for teachers. There are posters here finding a reason to blame the kid. The teacher is the adult, she admitted to having sex with a student…CASE close… Take her certificate and prosecute her!!!!!
KJ
May 27th, 2010
12:49 pm
If this were a Lifetime movie, it would be about the poor, downtrodden teacher of the year (portrayed by Connie Selleca) being corrupted by a vile, conniving, testosterone-infected student who forced himself on her (portrayed by Eminem).
Lifetime… Television for Idiots.
Texas Pete
May 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
GCPS is the SEC of Georgia school systems. Seriously, their worst schools would be near the top for a lot of school systems in the state. So people like Rebecca shouldn’t be so snobby towards Shiloh just because of this unfortunate situation. And like others have said already, all kinds of things happen in schools all over the state and country that never make it to a major news outlet if any at all. If you think your poop doesn’t stink it’s because you haven’t taken a sniff.
Maureen Downey
May 27th, 2010
1:07 pm
@Shawn, I appreciate the community censure of Ed, but I removed his comment as it crossed the line.
Maureen
Former Female Woodstock High Student
May 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
Does anyone remember when they fired the male teacher at Woodstock High for a consensual relationship with a student?
I think the standards should be the same across the board, regardless of the gender of the offending adult.
David S
May 27th, 2010
1:26 pm
And you parents don’t think you could do a better job educating your children than this? Man, you put way too much faith in government.
triumph110
May 27th, 2010
1:27 pm
This is happening all over the country. Go to http://www.schoolteachernews.com and click on the Scandal page. This year they have documented over 225 of these types of incidents. They also have a map of where the incidents have taken place. In 2009 they found 464 of these kinds of cases.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2010
1:44 pm
@ triumph110
I did and found that the OVERWHELMINGLY MAJORITY of said teachers are of the Caucasian persuasion. Why Maureen picked a lady of color, and so soon after the klan teacher debacle, can only lead one to speculate about her motive for doing so.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
2:11 pm
Those of you that are questioning my comments in regards to Shiloh obviously know nothing about GCPS. I won’t go into the multitude of issues that this cluster has. Compare and contrast them to Brookwood and you will see the difference. It is amazing what a divider line such as Hwy 78 can do. On that note, I have personally seen to it that at least one of those kids was sent back across the Snellville border.
PBM is stirring the pot as usual
Pluto
May 27th, 2010
2:20 pm
I have always been amazed that the whole teacher of the year tag. Let’s see the best evaluation a teacher can recieve is satisfactory yes we are no better or worse than any old 2×4 at HomeDepot. Then the admin and BOEs select one 2×4 to hold up as the yard stick. A colleague and I nominated a “marginal at best” colleague for this charade knowing she was a marvelous self-promoter and guess what; she won!! Then she went way beyond the school candidate to be the district representative. That sort of put things in perspective for us.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
2:31 pm
@ Texas Pete If you cared to read my previous posts I most certainly acknowledged problems within my own cluster. That being said, I have a pretty good view of what Shiloh does not have to offer. This incident is the least of their problems, but does bring a harsher light to the many problems that have existed there for a long time. Call it snobby if you wish, it is what it is. TP if you lived in southern Gwinnett county, we would not be having this discussion.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2010
2:43 pm
@ Rebbecca
“Those of you that are questioning my comments in regards to Shiloh obviously know nothing about GCPS. I won’t go into the multitude of issues that this cluster has.”
Sounds like a busybody to me. Also possibly a divisive helicopter parent.
“On that note, I have personally seen to it that at least one of those kids was sent back across the Snellville border.”
I bet you have.
“Call it snobby if you wish…”
I call it and YOU racist.
“PBM is stirring the pot as usual”
Pot was stirred long before I was born. If tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) hasn’t totally destroyed your frontal lobes take the time to read a book about race in America. Heres a start:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS381US381&q=books+on+race+in+america&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=2929579035101298478&ei=orz-S8CPNcG78gbyoomoDQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC4Q8wIwAg#
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002E19JKU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0226744078&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0G71TJKK4X7EZ633WGDF
http://www.amazon.com/Education-History-theUnited-Beginning-ebook/dp/B000JML224/ref=pd_sim_kinc_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
2:44 pm
@ Pluto It is a pity that you, as a teacher, didn’t take this seriously. It’s obvious many hear don’t. It makes me appreciate the fact that there are some people that do the right thing and recognize the exceptional teachers. As I said earlier, my daughter’s science teacher last school year was nominated this year and won for the school, district and as a state finalist. Deborah Stringfellow is a great teacher and I am glad her fellow colleagues and students/parents appreciate her.
Shame on you Pluto, I feel sorry for your students.
Dekalb Teacher
May 27th, 2010
2:46 pm
For all those so called “concerned citizens, concerned parents, and self acclaimed know everythings: I abhor any teacher who in any way mistreats a student or allows a student to be mistreated by anyone. We are obligated by law to report such things. Now I have read several comments about how this stuff happens all of the time. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Since you say it happens all the time, and of course you know this for sure, what have you done to help solve the problem. I haven’t read any of you saying, “I reported it each time.” That would weed out the true bad ones. I teach middle school and have only once seen such suspicious behavior. It was from a custodian and not a teacher. I did report it and the custodian was terminated upon investigation. That is being part of the solution. If you say it happens all of the time, do something about it other than blog.
NC
May 27th, 2010
2:47 pm
@Rebecca
Perhaps it’s a good thing that you “personally saw to it” that that child was sent back across the Snellville border; at least one soul was saved from the horrid influences coming from the Brookwood school district. And way to go in terms of dividing the city into right and wrong side of the tracks. You fail to mention that schools such as Brookwood and the others (on the right side of the tracks) have their issues too. Need I mention Brookwood’s problems with rich kids and their refined, high quality, dangerous drugs or the fact that they have, on multiple occasions, made people feel so uncomfortable at that school that they have literally broken them down into persons with mental and psychological disorders? While in your personal opinion, you may believe that Shiloh is not the “creme de la creme” of GCPS, I will have you note that we were the first to produce a black salutatorian, one who decided to go to Harvard at that, and we’ve had very successful graduates like every other school in the county, and we continue to do so. Not to mention we have an award winning chorus. And in regards to Brookwood being so wonderful, let’s not forget that no matter how fine the bronco, the general always rides it.
V for Vendetta
May 27th, 2010
2:52 pm
EnoughAlready,
“I have been warning my daughter about teachers since elementary school. It’s really very sad.”
Comments like that are what is really sad. The fact that you’d feel that way after reading a story about ONE teacher with ONE student in ONE school . . . do I stop going to the doctor when I read about ONE instance of malpractice?
People need to get a grip.
Cover up
May 27th, 2010
2:58 pm
How are scores from districts involved in the cheating scandal still not out?
EnoughAlready
May 27th, 2010
2:58 pm
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
2:11 pm
Actually Rebecca you are incorrect, my child is a very successful student in the GCPS system and I know the system intimately. I also know students who have graduated and are currently registered in Shiloh cluster whom are very successful.
The only thing that Brookwood has compared to Shiloh; referencing the Highway 78 divide, is a little more money. It would be interesting to see the “ruckus” that would happen if redistricting happens the way it actually should; to the Brookwood cluster.
Pluto
May 27th, 2010
3:00 pm
@ Rebecca I didn’t get into teaching for the recognition and if that is important to you; you are probably in the wrong place. I got into the profession to improve the understanding by students of one of the most difficult disciplines to understand and gain an appreciation. As far as my students go, they love me.
Ros Dalton
May 27th, 2010
3:04 pm
The ‘where were these teachers when I was in school’ snickers are extremely distasteful. Be grateful you didn’t have them, or didn’t you read the part where the woman (allegedly) failed the student for not impregnating her? Is that really something you would’ve wanted to deal with as a boy? Or something you’d want your son to have to manage?
Relationships in situations of unequal power are always a bad idea. There are some exceptional individuals who can make it work, but the vast majority end up very badly for both parties. Shame on anyone who watched this happen and let it go with a wink and a grin.
EnoughAlready
May 27th, 2010
3:07 pm
V for Vendetta
May 27th, 2010
2:52 pm
Very funny….. it’s not just ONE teacher, ONE school or One School System or in ONE state. It’s NOT even a NEW THING. You get a GRIP.
If you read correctly; I have warned my daughter since elementary school and for good reason. You are a very sad person and a sad excuse for a teacher; if you think I would allow my child to believe that everybody she is in contact with is an honorable person.
Matter of fact, I don’t think I know any occupation that has maintained a high regards to HONOR and teaching is definitely on the list.
FYI…. If I can’t trust a priest with my child; I know I don’t trust any of you.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
3:09 pm
@ NC I am certainly glad you are able to stick it out and find a few redeeming qualities in your school. More parents should fight for their children and stick it out where they are at and not try to dump their problems onto another school. Again, you should have gone back and read my previous posts regarding Brookwood, I never said they were perfect. The statistics and information are out there about the Shiloh cluster, don’t shoot the messenger. Hope your rant towards me makes you at least feel better, though the problems at Shiloh are far from over.
Rebecca
May 27th, 2010
3:17 pm
Do people READ previous posts or do they just automatically start vomitting out rebuttals?
@ Pluto I am not a teacher, I am a parent. In your previous post you bragged about nominating a subpar teacher like it was a childish joke. Your students may “love” you, but to do something so immature you obviously don’t love them back.
Dekalb Teacher
May 27th, 2010
3:17 pm
I don’t know what happened to my comment that I submitted so let me try again. I am a middle school teacher. I have read several blogs stating that this type of thing happens all of the time. I abhor any teacher or anyone else who would mistreat a student, misuse their position to do any wrong to any student. This includes teachers, staff, parents or administrators. If you are now part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Since so many of you stated that this happens all of the time, why have you not reported any of it, even if only a suspicion. That means that you are part of the problem. You said you’ve seen it, and you did nothing until this blog, then you claim it happens all the time. In my teaching career, I’ve only seen it once, by a custodian, not by a teacher. The custodian was always giving gifts to female students and was involved in other suspicious behavior. I did report it, and he was soon terminated. I don’t know if anything else happened because I never heard about it again. We are required by law to report any suspicions of any type of abuse that we observe. Since some of you claim to be or have been teachers, and state that is happens all the time, did you report it or did you become part of the problem by ignoring it?
plc
May 27th, 2010
3:18 pm
For anyone who wants actual data on Shiloh’s performance compared to the district and state, here’s a link:
http://www.gaosa.org/FindASchool.aspx?PageReq=106&FromSection=report&TabRequested=SchoolScoreBoard&ScoreBoardId=2&DisplayOrder=1&SchoolID=43934&SY=2009
I just don’t get why teachers or students want a relationship with each other. I have NO interest in students nor would I EVER want to think of a teacher/professor that way. However, if she was pushing him for a baby, it seems there are much deeper psychological issues there. Maybe GCPS needs to add more questions to the screening survey they ask all hopefuls to fill out.