Comments on: Diablo View MS teacher confesses to unlawful sex with minor

By: Nextset

Nextset — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:33:22 +0000

What a wonderful teaching moment.

1) Sex is for adults, not kids.

2) There are penalties for illegal activity (or being accused of same). It starts with being perp marched out of your job in shackles.

3) You have a right to an attorney, etc etc.

4) Now back to your work.

End of problem.

In a large school district you are just going to have to expects arrests of students and staff on occasion across the school year. Maybe there will be a conviction, maybe not. This one doesn’t look good.

I think the kiddies will survive this experience just fine. The school needn’t overreact. I don’t think grief counseling is called for. They should get a reasonable explanation of the legal process without explicit comment as to the accusations in this case. Like I said, in a large district you have to expect something generally like this to occur. Sometimes it’s stealing, sometimes it’s DV, sometimes it’s drugs. Life goes on and there is work to do. Move on.

The school certainly should not have the kiddies allowed to obsess over the incident or discuss on campus who did what with who. But the protocol of what happens when accusations are made should be made known (ie it’s turned over to the police and the school counsel and they do their jobs – end of story).

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:57:02 +0000

FYI, the district has canceled the Parent Advisory Council meeting that had been scheduled on Wednesday.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:49:46 +0000

Yes, here’s our story: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19538693

By: anon

anon — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:43:32 +0000

the Patch just reported that Cottrell is now facing 20 counts.. and needs to get an attorney before he enters a plea… hearing rest to later in December. Theresa, was the Times at the hearing?

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:23:22 +0000

We’re working on a story about the governor’s budget and I’m looking for a community college student’s reaction to $10/unit fee increase starting in January. Please call me at 925-945-4764 if you would like to comment on this.
Thanks.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:51:00 +0000

CDE Web Link on Coping with Tragedy
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/tragedy.asp

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:49:58 +0000

@Anon #21 EVERY parent at Diablo View and probably every school should be provided the link on Parent Guidelines for Crisis Response. Please pass it around. Lawrence and his staff don’t even know what resources CDE provides. He is pathetic. And apparently none of his staff do either.
http://www.aaets.org/parentguidelines.pdf

By: anon

anon — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:28:05 +0000

According to my son, Bannister and another person (possibly a counselor) went to his class. Spoke for about 1 minute and said they can get help if they need it , but they didn’t say when, where or how. I do agree with the one parent that said it isn’t appropriate to keep going and going and going with this. Please tell the kids where there is anonymous help. Tell the parents too. But they don’t need to create special counseling sessions throughout the rest of the week for kids which seemed to be what others were suggesting. Some kids are FINE! Most kids will do fine with assurances and a frank discussion from their own parents now, not continuing to have the inept school district counsel their kids. Think about it! Parents , YOU talk to your kids. The school addressed it the way they’re going to address it, stop pushing for more. He will not return to teaching, you do not have to explain in detail what O**L CO******* is, or any of the other charges. (yes one parent wanted to actually know what she should call it!) Speak openly and honestly to your kids, your kids already hear it at school. You don’t have to go through the charges with them. You only need to reassure them they are safe, the school is taking precautions, that they can come to you for anything, and YOU will answer any questions they have.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:55:04 +0000

Did I understand correctly — NO trained counselors were on campus Monday as promised in the Principal’s verbal message Sunday night ? And Lawrence called it the district’s “crisis team” — OMG, a few administrators that volunteered on Sunday afternoon because they didn’t have any other meetings planned. What a crock ! Lets get to the TRUTH. The district doesn’t have a Crisis Plan. The district doesn’t have a Crisis Team. This was all shoot from the hip. Then in Monday night meeting Lawrence flip flops and says he won’t send crisis counselors without checking with his staff ? This event happened on Friday at noon. What was he doing for 3 1/2 days ? No wonder he excluded the CC Times — he doesn’t want the TRUTH to come out.

By: Wait a minute

Wait a minute — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:07:46 +0000

So Stevie Lawrence deliberately excludes Theresa but not other members of the press?

This is very telling IMHO.