Still Legal for Teachers to Have Sex With Students

RI Legislature Refuses to Do Its Job to Protect Kids

It’s so easy to get caught up in all things COVID-19 but we can’t allow the pandemic cloud to eclipse the very real loopholes in state laws that leave children vulnerable to sexual predation. Despite the filing of bills to finally make it a crime for teachers (and others with custodial care of children) to have sexual relations with those in their care, it again appears that they will not see the light of day. As our legislature prioritizes campaigning over actually doing their job at the statehouse, hopes are dim that we will get a bill passed that will finally make it a crime for teachers to engage in sexual touching with 14-year old students and sexual intercourse with 16-year old students.

The unions will again get their way and continue their insidious practice of keeping disciplinary records sealed and sending creepy and yes, abusive and dangerous, teachers on their merry way to victimize students in other states.

The irony is that now, in the age of COVID-19, all the union leaders can talk about is safety. Their push to keep schools closed is centered around safety. But they are steadfast in their opposition to making it a crime for their members to sexual prey on students. The cognitive dissonance is quite something.

The bills that would finally protect students have all been budget neutral. An actual fiscal freebie and still, the powers that be refuse to get it across the finish line.

I tip my hat to state house of representatives house for passing a bill last year and to all who have called the failure to pass the bills a disgrace. (The only nay votes were members of the progressive reform caucus—make of that what you will.)

When the legislators who think it’s safe to door knock for votes but not safe to do the job of actually legislating finally come back to work, they will have to answer to parents about why they continue to refuse to make sex between teachers and students a crime.

They may have forgotten all about the issue but we haven’t.