Laurens, SC (TLS). An eleven-year-old African-American boy has been scarred for life in the fallout from a shocking teacher sex case that culminated today in Laurens, South Carolina.
Fifth-grade teacher Wendie Schweikert, a Caucasian, was sentenced to 15 years in prison plus 5 years' probation for engaging in criminal sexual activity with an 11-year-old Black student. The sexual activity took place right in Schweikert's own classroom.
Today during her sentencing a sobbing Schweikert apologized to the boy's family, her students, and the community for what she described as 'committing this horrible sin.' From the start Schweikert acknowledge that she had engaged in sexual activity with the boy and stated today in court that she 'was not herself' when she committed the acts.
The boy's parents spoke at the sentencing hearing today, and stated that their son had been scarred for life by what took place in Schweikert's classroom.
That is an understatement. Parents in this country are entitled to know that when they send their children to the nation's public schools they are not entrusting them into the care of sexual predators. Increasingly, parents have cause to worry. The Schweikert case is only one of many similar cases across the country.
The Judge who handed down Schweikert's sentence did not go easy on her, but neither did he give her the maximum under the law. She will be forced by law to serve 85% of her sentence in incarceration and then serve an extra five years' probation once released. She will also be registered as a sex offender.
We can take consolation in the fact that a sexual predator has been removed from the classroom, but our hearts go out to the victim and his parents who must live with the horror of what took place in that classroom for the rest of their lives.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
This does not surprise me. That one woman would do this to a boy has been documented to be more common than we used to think.
OTOH, the other Laurens woman (Mrs Ward) has been charged with something that doesn't pass the smell test. I have a feeling we haven't yet heard the truth in the Ward case, except when she uttered the "not guilty" at court back in April.
Post a Comment