Learning Mentor at my school accused of sexually touching a boy.
 

A learning mentor at my school had been took through court for 15 months because he had sent another boy (don't know him) texts and touched his knee. The boys mother had been really shocked by the texts and he was immediatley suspended, at first i was on his side with the whole thing, not believing he did a thing, it all started last year, and a few weeks ago it was brought back up in the local paper, as the trial went on i wasn't sure what to believe, everyone was calling him a peado and things, but i didn't know what to think of the matter, he was very touchy feely all of the time, he was my mentor before he had got suspended and for months on end we were told he was off ill. On Monday he was cleared of all charges, some people are fuming about this and some believe he didn't do anything. I believe now he didn't do anything, and i think that poor man has been put through so much trauma through the whole thing, and now our school has to do its own investigation over it. He's fighting for his job back but may not get it, if he does come back i don't think he'd stay long because he would get insults hurled at him all day long, parents going mad ect.... But, i was talking to my mum about this earlier, and she pointed out that if he was guilty, he'd be free to do it again, i don't know what to think about the matter, and i don't know if i'd be the same around him ever again, it's a weird thing though


What are your thoughts on the matter lol, sorry to blabber on...



Edit:: the texts were 'i promise to behave myself' (i think they were going on a trip, he was also a boys brigade leader)and 'your a nice looking lad' i can see why the boys mother could have been shocked, but i can see how they could have been taken out of context too.

If he sent dirty messages then he should lose his job and be found guilty, if he didn't then he shouldn't. Did anyone else see the messages apart from the boy and his mother?

OMG, Nothing interesting like that has ever happened when I was in school. lol

But no seriously, OMG, Why would the boy let him do that.


(I love your avatar)

Edited the post ^^

BTW, I go to the same school as Ben, and I was in two minds all through the case. The mentor was touchy feely and just came across to everybody as that, but when something like this got brought up, especially involving the Police and other things - it was worrying, to think you knew somebody accused of stuff like this. Fair enough, nothing happened between him and the boy, but in the last week of the trial, the texts all came out and were in the paper, and there were a few other things.

I would just think very sceptically upon him because I simply can't say whether he was guilty or not guilty - in my personal opinion.

Now you've posted the texts I can see the major issue.

The texts don't seem as bad because it's a known technique for paedophiles to gently/subtly groom their targets rather than just be outright smutty.

I'm not saying he's guilty, but I'm saying because he's been found not guilty doesn't necessarily mean he's not guilty, but can mean they couldn't otherwise prove the texts weren't innocent.

If I were you, I wouldn't treat him any different. Obviously, if he gets touchy feely with you then it's a little different, but I mean in general.

The justice system is such a sham in some respects.
For example, I know an 18 year old boy who got this 15 year old girl horrifically drunk (by plying her with vodka and saying it wasn't full alcohol and was just an alco-pop) and then taking her into some woods when she was passed out and having sex with her. She said she came around halfway and said "no" several times. He claims otherwise.

He was let off completely, but only cos they couldn't prove that he was the one that plied her with the alcohol. For some reason they ignored the fact that in technicality it was statutory rape since she was under 16. He's now completely free, and brags freely about the fact.


/Woops, just realised I've spent like 5 paragraphs ranting.

I can see where your coming from that he might not be completely innocent, and i completely agree about the justice system being crap in england.

there was a teacher at the shcool down the road and she tapped a girl on the shoulder to get her attention, and the girl claimed she "hit" her

luckily these were dropped

i felt really sorry for the teacher, she's lovely as well, and one of my mum's friends

Them texts do sound very odd. And i'm not sure how they could have been taken out of context.

I'm surpriced he wants to go back to the school, he'll just get grief.

Oh the world these days lol, im glad I am older haha. I flirt with my tutors ever day :P
And I have all my tutors numbers and facebooks...

It was me :bawling:

Uhooh.

"i promise to behave myself"
"your a good looking lad"

just aren't things a teacher says to a pupil.

My school had a teacher like that mr, bland

and he had porn on his school work laptop and he had pictures of girls in my year like as they had bent over.

he got fired then... months later he was accused of murder.

Was in the papers a lot but was only around reading i think

Mr Bland.. what a hilarious name. We have a teacher in my school called Mr Ward, apparently hes a perve. **** teacher though :(

We have a PE teacher called Mr Perkins and ok fair enough he is good looking but my God he flirts with all the girls and he loves the fact that most of the girls like him! He really is so pervy unless hes just a flirt that cant control himself lol x

I did teacher training a number of years ago - so looking at it from the other side, we were paranoid as the pupils have so much power.

A child can make up something malicious, and have their identity protected where as the teacher is convicted by the media before he gets to court.

Even if the case collapses, there wil be some who say "This dosen't mean he was not guilty" and assume he must be guilty and the jury were idiots.

He is probably trying to get his old job back, because otherwise the malicious pupil who lied about him will have won and managed to get rid of a teacher.

Is that what you want? I thought teachers were hired and fired by the school board and the LEA, not malicious pupils who feel spurned when their adolescent crushes are not reciprocated.

BTW I left teacher training as it was clear, I did not command authority and I did not hold to so called modern techniques. I'm glad I got out when I did.

"I promise to behave myself" Im sorry if I saw that on my sons phone I'd be pretty disturbed!! I cant see any innocent explanation given the other message with it

Why would a teacher be sending a pupil text messages anyway?

yeh exactly! already crossed the line, he should be sacked, enough evidence to sack him without an actual act being commited!!

I would be in two minds weather he is guilty too
but those texts aren't something which a teacher sends to a pupil.

I don't think he's guilty. it's clearly wrong he was just touchy feely with people, i think it's shan and pathetic. I didn't know him personaly but from what i hear he sounds like a mentor who looked out for people. Yeah he looks guilty but i don't think he is.

EWWWW!

EWWWW! What?

The texts there so creepy and horrid.