Former Northwestern High principal Dwight Bernard
Associated Press – June 6, 2007:
A former high school principal was indicted Wednesday on charges that he failed to report on-campus sex crimes to protect a star running back who eventually led his team to a state title.
The misconduct charge dates back to last September, when Antwain Easterling, then an 18-year-old senior football player, allegedly had sex with a 14-year-old freshman on the floor in a school bathroom. It was described as consensual but, because of the students’ ages, is considered a crime under state law.
The indictment claims Bernard was alerted about the incident by other school employees about a month later and was told it needed to be reported. It was not.
“They hoped that it ‘would all go away’ and allowed for the glory of football to trump the needs and safety of a little girl,” the report said.
perhaps they didnt see that as a problem – I know this sort of thing happened in MY high school…
besides, this: “…It was described as consensual…” is ok, the rest of it “…the students’ ages, is considered a crime…” is just adults freakin out!!
Can you imagine where the US would be if it valued academics anywhere near as high as it values athletics?!
I was so hoping that this wasn’t Florida…..
Oh well. Welcome to the “Second Chance State.”
#2 – Jerk-face – You had me at imagine…. đ
1. Maybe adults have a small problem with the creation of a new human life and then having to un-create it.
RBG
#2, J-F
I got nutten to add.
#2
It’s quite pathetic that it is this way.
I was always under the impression that turning a blind eye to athletes was a time honoured tradition.
2. Profs would be making 5 million a season.
RBG
#9, RBG, and they’d have a staff of 10 each making a million apiece, and the average knowledge base for the U.S. would go up tenfold.
I’d like to point out that this post as well as the complete originating AP article completely lack the word at the heart of the matter: “rape”.
What does that say?
A high school senior, who is the stud running back, has consensual sex with a high school freshman, and I am supposed to give a shit? I know this is techniclally against the law, but there’s a big difference between this and a 14 yr. old having sex with a 40 yr. old teacher. One is normal, and the other is sick.
Thank you #11, always nice to know who our resident feminazi member is here. Glad to see you acknowledge that consensual sex is rape. Just curious, is there any time having sex cannot be called rape by you feminazi types?
1 and 12: It simply does not matter whether it was consensual. Sex is complicated. While it feels good it also leads to STDs and pregnancy. We as a society have decided that children lack the capacity to do certain things. Drive. Drink alcohol. Enter into legally binding contracts. And have sex.
You may think that an 11 girl fully understands the ramifications of having sex on a bathroom floor, but the rest of society strongly disagrees.
But if you really do believe that, are you actively fighting to change the law? You think it’s an injustice but yet you’re doing nothing about it? You’re not protesting your state capital for the right to screw 11 year olds?! If that’s the case, shut up. Because if you’re not actively fighting for the right to have sex with 11 year olds, you must not really believe it.
Furthermore, this comment makes no sense:
thereâs a big difference between this and a 14 yr. old having sex with a 40 yr. old teacher
How can it be that an 11 year old girl can give her consent to 14 year old boy but not with a 40 year old man?! You’re basically admitting that there should be statutory rape laws! If you’re argument is all about consent, a 100 year old man should have the right to have sex with a 2 year old, if the two year old gave consent!
#14,
And in other states, and other contries, the age of consent *IS* 14. Some contries itâs even lower.
Uuhh, but this isn’t other countries, or even states. The law in Florida says 14 is below the age of consent. Second, the Principal covered up the âcrimeâ. Even if the two had both been of age, then there would have been the indecency aspect of sex on public property.
J-F makes a good point I hadn’t thought of. If a 14 yr old can consent, then why can’t an 11 yr old, or even a two yr old. Our legislators made an arbitrary cut off age for consent. They also made similar decisions in regard to joining the military, working in mines, drinking alcohol, and driving 18 wheelers.
In Florida, having sex with a female under 18 is a felony.
#16 In Florida, having sex with a female under 18 is a felony.
But not a male?
And if both parties are under 18?
what abou young lesbian lovers? Girl A had sex with Girl B, ergo both are felons for having sex with a girl under 18?!?
WTF is wrong with the country? Not enough sex obviously
Well, this thread involving sex, football, and a teenage girl has done as expected… it has devolved to sheer stupidity.
Just assume for a second that we all agree that this was consensual. Do you still think its okay for a two students to have sex on the bathroom floor in a public school? Really?
I don’t care about the sex. Kids have sex, I can’t stop them, and if Xian zealots didn’t block liberal attempts to have quality sex ed in schools and distribute contraceptives, STDs and pregancy would be far less of a problem.
But I do care about the fact that in a nation in such steep decline, where all the wealth in concentrated at top, where we live in fear of our police and government, where jobs are harder and harder to get and pay less and less while requiring more and more time and energy, where education is faultering badly, where we all throw up out hands in despair at least once a day…
…that some son of a bitch put FOOT FUCKING BALL in front of executing his duty as a principal.
I only say this here because I’d get lynched in a non-anonymous forum… I advocate the total elimination of team sports funding from high schools so that the money can be channeled into arts and academics.
Wanna play football? Buy your own uniform, coach on your own time, use the public park, and quit wasting taxpayer money on this dumbass sport that only helps create a special protected class of athletes and undermines the educational needs of every non-athlete (read: the majority) student.
#18, OhForTheLoveOf, …helps create a special protected class of athletes and undermines the educational needs of every non-athlete (read: the majority) student.
It’s a shame this thread is old, I’m certain no one will ever read this, but I wholeheartedly agree.
18, 19. Yes, then maybe the major leagues would have a more racially preferable and economically more suitable cross-section of players when the players only come from the wealthy private schools. That’s what you were getting at, wasn’t it?
“I donât care about the sex. Kids have sex, I canât stop them, and if Xian zealots didnât block liberal attempts to have quality sex ed in schools and distribute contraceptives, STDs and pregancy would be far less of a problem.”
Condoms have a failure rate of 15%. http://www.4parents.gov/topics/contraception.htm
You’re ok with 15 out of every 100 instances of school-age sex having the potential to conceive children?
RBG
Looks like that principal can move up to college administrator in a bigtime school.
#20 – Your numbers are wrong. I wondered why the numbers were wrong, then I saw the .gov and wondered no more.
14. “did you READ the article.. where are you geting the 11year old girl from?”
Yes I read the article. I was merely responding to the comments that if the sex was consensual, it should not be against the law. I also picked the age of 2 years old to make a point. If consent is the standard, then age shouldn’t matter.
“If it was consentual, then there is no problem, other than possibably location choice. We donât know the full story.”
You simply do not understand statutory rape laws. If you have sex with a 14 year old, it is a problem and it is against the law. Consent has nothing to do with it.
“And in other states, and other contries, the age of consent *IS* 14. Some contries itâs even lower.”
Who cares?! In some countries it’s legal to stone women for not wearing the right clothing. We’re talking about the laws of Florida, not every single law on the planet.
“I personally disagree with having set ages for people to be able to do things. “
Have you ever fought for the right to have consensual sex with 2 year olds? If you have not, then you have no right to debate this issue. You cannot claim an injustice but then sit on the sidelines and do nothing about it. Right now, get off your ass, go to your state legislature with a sign that says, “I’m for consensual sex with 2 year olds!” If you don’t have the guts to do in on a public street, what gives you the right to do it here?
The crime #18 was statutory rape. It had nothing to do with two kids screwing in a bathroom. You and I may not like that but that is not the issue. As far as your academic versus athletic argument, when geeks can get 20,000 people buying tickets to attend one of their conferences then you may have a valid argument. FWIW, I learned as much about life playing sports as I did in the classroom.
#13 When you wrote, “Sex is complicated.”, I instantly thought that the only person who can write something like that has never had sex.
“We as a society have decided that children lack the capacity to do certain things.”
No, there are laws in place to persuade people not to engage in certain kinds of behavior. You make it sound like you never have gone 1 MPH over the speed limit yourself.
So what do you propose to do with your hypothetical 14 and 11 year old going at? Throw them in jail? If you want to spend all your money, locking horny kids up, be my guest.
What I found interesting about your rant is it’s the usual Christian nonsense. We can’t have kids drinking or having sex, but you left out the biggie, raising kids. This may be a surprise to you, but it is
a lot easier for a girl to be responsible with booze or sex than to raise a kid. If you want to tell kids they are irresponsible based on their age, then be consistent and force all women under 18 to give their kids up for adoption or have abortions. Puts a little damper on things, doesn’t it?
#23 holy shit, yer a crazy bastard arent ya?
#24,
#18 made a comment about where our priorities lay. Too many Americans think sports are better then academic achievement. Recently Indiana instituted a new tax to build a new sports arena for a pro team. Meanwhile roads are crumbling, schools are short books, etc., etc.,. So people living in Indianapolis will pay for a multi-millionaire owner to make more money while their needs are ignored with a âwe don’t have the moneyâ. Even if they never get a chance to use the arena.
I find your knowledge level very scary if you learned as much about life from sports as from the classroom. But, that could explain some of your arguments.
(quoting #13) âWe as a society have decided that children lack the capacity to do certain things.â
yes, very true.
No, there are laws in place to persuade people not to engage in certain kinds of behavior. You make it sound like you never have gone 1 MPH over the speed limit yourself.
False. Laws do not âpersuadeâ people to do something. They âregulateâ behavior. That is why your example uses the word limit. If you go over the limit you risk being caught and fined. That is why criminal laws and regulatory laws all have consequences.
Governments can use advertising campaigns to persuade people to do things. Such as obey the law or for social good such as buying saving bonds or using condoms to reduce STDs.
But then if you learned more about life playing sports that explains it.