The situation is far less cut-and-dry than the majority of straight people could ever realize.

I think you aren’t giving credit to the “messy” and non “cut-and-dry” situations in life most adults face on occasion and which educators, in particular, come across frequently. This particular situation in which a gay youth confided his sexual orientation and experimentation with a teacher is not, I repeat NOT a situation any more (nor less, I might add) difficult, than any number of other situations/scenarios that also present the educator with a conundrum because neither choice A nor B nor C seems a solution that offers both physical and emotional protection for the minor.

That this situation involved a gay young man makes it no different than all the other difficult scenarios I’ve seen.

The passage of time does allow for maturity and forgiveness. I can agree that he made a mistake, but perhaps one of the consequences of that one is to not be in the position he is in today.

In schools today, the student’s issue would unlikely go quietly before a teacher. It would have made the rounds through text messages and the student would have already had considerable feedback, most of it based on various levels of cultural awareness and acceptance of sexual issues. It might have hit My Space already and, who knows, You Tube. In some ways, today’s openness is more damaging than yesterday’s secretiveness. However, people like Jennings obviously abused confidentiality.

I don’t think “Kevin Jennings” and “Safe Schools” belong in the same sentence. Obviously he is gifted and has a great deal to offer. Maybe a more suitable position in education would be better.

Thom

Further, what does Jennings believe needs to still be done in schools to make them safer for ALL kids? He is going to be a policy maker, so what will that look like? Will it look like gay activism? Or will he be sensitive to needs across the board, like substance-abuse in schools — the other part of his title?

If his detractors are seeing the issues through a conservative (he would say prudish) filter, is he seeing them through his gay, progressive, “anti-authoritarian” filter? Is this just a diversity move or a blatantly pro-gay political one? Are his detractors all homophobes or do they have some legitimate concerns? Are we to simply ignore the controversial things Jennings has said and done in the past? And will the homophobic card be used in his defense as the racist one is used whenever Obama’s ineptness is mentioned?

Is a man like Jennings simply too controversial to do an affective job? Will he be anti-Christian? Anti-ex-gay? Will he always have to look over his shoulder? Or will the powerful, liberal NEA give him “diplomatic immunity”? Will teachers become so safety-indoctrinated that they will trade real teaching for anti-bullying sheriffs’ badges? Will they have to pass a progressive litmus test?

I imagine these questions are on the minds of many.

There ought to be plenty to focus on once the Brewster controversy has died down. I just hope reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic don’t get further lost in the shuffle.

We all can sympathetically consider confused, closeted or trying-to-come-out gay students. Are we in any way agreed on what will improve the school experience for them, while not making it more difficult for others?

Arguing for different rules for different kids is a non-starter.

As Mary notes, conventional responses to the student’s behavior were likely not an option. They may have resulted not only in the older man being prosecuted for statutory rape but also in the student (and even Jennings) persecuted for their homosexuality. As he tells the story, it seems that Jennings did try to address the central issue — the child’s internalized homophobia and resultant low self-esteem — as well as provide key damage control (regarding safe sex). If you’ve ever done outreach to at-risk youth, you’ll realize that’s often the best that can be done.

It’s sad to me that Jennings is being so facilely vilified for his supposed negligence. The situation is far less cut-and-dry than the majority of straight people could ever realize.

I would like to see the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools play a bigger role in helping to prepare teachers.”

Classic political maneuver, “my mistake is a reason for me to lead a political action to remedy this problem!”

Goofy.

They have moved into full CYA mode.

Wrong man for the job…unfortunately he proved it by the number of times he told the story without alarm for the child’s safety (from sexual predators)

@ Timothy,

One year is a lot of time in the life of an adolescent…In the Roman Polanski case, some used to same argument, “she was almost 14.”

Children all; exploitative…Especially in an extraordinarily marginalized minority as a kid with SSA is…

If something goes wrong, society is more likely to blame him than Roman Polanski’s victim…and many people blame her.