Teacher, Allena Ward, Admits Sex with Students

Allena Ward Pleaded Guilty

Allenna Ward was a teacher in South Carolina before she pled guilty to having sex with students. She admitted her guilt in the court room pleading guilty to three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and three counts of lewd acts on a minor. http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/14061114/detail.html

Any teacher should be able to realize that sex with a student is inappropriate. There are rules and laws in place to discourage sex between students and teachers. I can only address North Carolina Law in since that is the state I teach in. North Carolina General Statute § 14-27.7 (b) states:

If a defendant, who is a teacher, school administrator, student teacher, school safety officer, or coach, at any age, or who is other school personnel, and who is at least four years older than the victim engages in vaginal intercourse or a sexual act with a victim who is a student, at any time during or after the time the defendant and victim were present together in the same school, but before the victim ceases to be a student, the defendant is guilty of a Class G felony.

It does not matter if the juvenile consents to the sexual act because a juvenile is not deemed competent to make a decision in these matters. Teachers are viewed as guardians and as such should uphold the public trust.

All schools that I am familiar with have school rules against sexual conduct with students. Some school districts even forbid any touching or at least word their policy so that teachers are uncomfortable even a consoling touch for a tearful student. This is pitiful. I have both high school and college aged students in my classes. I treat them all the same. As teachers we must maintain a professional relationship with our students. I do not believe this means students should be pushed aside for rules sake, however; no teacher should lower their ethical and moral standards enough to have sex with a child.

Allena Ward, in most states, will have to register as a sex offender. She certainly should, because that is what she is. This is something that will follow her all her life. She has ended her teaching career.