NH - Bridgette Doucette-Howell, teacher, first state case for sex w/student over 18yo, Apr 2022

[GuyfromCanada]

In 2016, Bridgette Doucette-Howell was one of 8 finalists for Teacher of the Year in New Hampshire. Now, just six years later Doucette-Howell faces prison over charges of sexually assaulting one of her students.

She had sex with an 18-year-old student on two occasions in April and May at Sanborn Regional in Kingston, and once in Exeter while she was an employee, contractor, or volunteer, according to the indictment.

What makes this case even more noteworthy is that it will be the first to be prosecuted under the new "Howie Leung loophole” relating to such cases. Until last year, it was not against the law for educators to have relationships with students 18 or older. The statute was amended with the addition of the sentence: "When the actor is an employee, contractor, or volunteer at a primary or secondary educational institution and the victim is a student and up to 10 months after the student's graduation or departure."

Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway said if there is a conviction, the maximum sentence for each aggravated felonious sexual assault offense is 10 to 20 years in prison. The felonious sexual assault penalty carries a 3 ½ to 7-year sentence, according to the indictment.

NH theatre teacher charged with sexually assaulting a student — OnStage Blog

Not sure how I feel about the law. The student was 18 years old after all. Any opinions?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

NH teacher of the year finalist accused of sexual assault

 

[evilwise]

At this rate in another ten years it'll be illegal to have sex with anyone other than strangers chosen by social media algorithms.

 

[realanastasia]

Not sure how I feel about the law. The student was 18 years old after all. Any opinions?

1. At minimum, I think, teachers should be expected to demonstrate an adult level of self-restraint, so even if an 18-year old student and a teacher were mutually interested in a romantic or sexual relationship, the teacher should be mature enough to put a lid on that interest until such time as the younger person has graduated!
2. Any situation where a person in a position of power (i.e. a teacher) has a romantic or sexual interest in a person who is subject to that power (i.e., a student), there seems to be an awful lot of potential for the powerful person to (explicitly or implicitly) get whatever they want by threatening to withhold privileges from, or seeking to punish, the less powerful person. In this particular scenario, I think the law makes sense—whether or not the student was enrolled in classes taught by that particular teacher (because, in my experience, teachers do routinely talk about their students with one another, though usually in the context of academic performance or school-related concerns).

 

[realanastasia]

Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/bteachernh?s=21&t=CS1Aoe4jRs4K3Vq5yiswcw

 

[LadyL]

At this rate in another ten years it'll be illegal to have sex with anyone other than strangers chosen by social media algorithms.

Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/bteachernh?s=21&t=CS1Aoe4jRs4K3Vq5yiswcw

according to that she is a special-needs teacher so an 18 year old with special needs may be more vulnerable

 

[evilwise]

according to that she is a special-needs teacher so an 18 year old with special needs may be more vulnerable

I'm all for laws that protect people who are incompetent. The problem I have is that a seemingly ever increasing number of people want to be considered responsible adults sometimes and helpless children at other times depending on which one is advantageous at the time - and there seen to be more and more laws being written (and interpreted) to support this.

 

[curiouser_]

according to that she is a special-needs teacher so an 18 year old with special needs may be more vulnerable

Was wondering if that had something to do with it...