A Maryland dad could face charges after striking his 15-year-old daughter's 42-year-old teacher with a baseball bat, after seeing a string of what were considered by the girl's mother as "inappropriate" texts between the daughter and her male teacher at all hours of the day and night. Just to be clear, in my world, any texts between a 15-year-old girl and her 42-year-old male teacher are inappropriate.
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The mother reported the situation to the authorities but while investigators agreed that there was clearly some sort of an emotional relationship between the two, there were no official criminal charges that they could bring against him. The teacher then took it upon himself to go to the student's house to talk to her father. Why he thought that was a good idea, I have no idea. Instead of a calm conversation and parental permission to mount their underage daughter, "Mr. Robinson" was struck with a baseball bat. He sustained minor injuries but did not press charges.
I don't know what the authorities deem "inappropriate" but as the mother of two daughters, I'd say any texts between my daughter and a 42-year-old man is inappropriate. In no world does a 42-year-old man need to be having an "emotional" or any other relationship with a 15-year-old girl, unless she is his daughter.
I think the father was completely in his rights to hit this man with a bat. As a parent, it is our duty to keep our children safe from predators and people who could potentially take advantage of their naiveté. As far as I am concerned, this guy is a pervert. I know if a grown man would have tried to text me when I was a teen, my dad would have broken his legs.
It's a slippery slope when an authority figure indoctrinates himself/herself into the personal life of a child; lines get blurred and people can be taken advantage of. This girl may have been pursuing this older man or this man could have just been innocently trying to help a troubled girl but the problem is we don't know what was going on and as a parent you can't trust your child's innocence and wellbeing to strangers. You have to assume the worst and protect your child.
If it would have been my daughter's 42-year-old male teacher (or female for that matter) texting and emailing personal information, I would immediately find that inappropriate. If my child needs guidance, the teacher should point her back in my direction not step in and try to parent her. That is my job.
I know a young teacher who got too involved with her students. She had an affair with her male student and they still live together as a couple. She was in her mid-20's and he was 17. His parents thought it was innocent because she was a female teacher who seemed to really care about her students. She did. She was friends with the girls and dated the boys. Bottom line, it was inappropriate and I am pretty sure if his mother knew what "Mrs. Robinson" was really teaching her son, she would have beaten her with a bat too.
Image via Jhaymesisviphotography/Flickr
