U.S. cracks down on female teachers who sexually abuse students

A combination image of booking photos show teachers convicted of sexual assaults (L-R)
Nicole Dufault, Kathryn Ronk and Erica Ann Ginnetti in Essex County Department of
Corrections, Michigan Department of Corrections, and Pennsylvania State Police photos

NEW YORK - A "Saturday Night Live" skit about a male student having sex with his female high school teacher painted the relationship as every teen boy's dream, but drew a firestorm of criticism on social media.

The reaction to the comedy sketch reflected a growing view among law enforcement and victims' advocacy groups that it is no laughing matter when a woman educator preys on her male students.

In U.S. schools last year, almost 800 school employees were prosecuted for sexual assault, nearly a third of them women. The proportion of women facing charges seems to be higher than in years past, when female teachers often got a pass, said Terry Abbott, a former chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education, who tracked the cases.

This year's numbers are already slightly ahead of last year with 26 cases of female school employees accused of inappropriate relationships with male students in January compared to 19 cases the previous January.  (more...)

U.S. cracks down on female teachers who sexually abuse students