Comments on: Does Brewster’s age matter?

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:54:21 +0000

If this was a 15 or 16 year old heterosexual having sex with an adult, heaven and earth would have been moved to find and arrest the adult. Jennings would have been labeled an enabler and fired by now. I see no difference in the gender or the sexual leanings of either of them. It’s just wrong. PERIOD

By: Debbie Thurman

Debbie Thurman — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:20:55 +0000

CNN now has this story on "Brewster" speaking out. And he (if he is real) is denying he even had sex with the "man" he met at the Boston bus station. So who is Kevin Jennings talking about in his various anecdotes over the years? Did he make the whole thing up? Is his Brewster a composite? The plot thickens. I'm not sure it is really helping Jennings.

By: Debbie Thurman

Debbie Thurman — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:13:23 +0000

I think you meant this link, a.mcewen.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:00:20 +0000

Well, in any event, the entire situation was legally shaky. It seems to me that Jennings may have been more intimidated by the exposure of homosexuality (even though he was out to some) than anything else. This is not an excuse for camplacency and rather just an observation. Teachers and counselors (especially young vulnerable counselors because 24 is barely experienced) need specific guidance and traning on how to report, regard, what actions to take, etc.. when such a situation becomes known.

By: hazemyth

hazemyth — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:20:10 +0000

It seems likely that Jennings embellished his anecdote (and inconsistently at that). Hardly rare. Of course, that’s why all anecdotal evidence should be taken with a grain of salt. Necessarily, that embellishment undermines the value of the anecdote as evidence of his point. Yet, I think there’s a mistake in treating such statements too literally.