Teacher seeks to overturn dismissal

Colleen Benton, of Cobleskill, was charged by the Middleburgh Central School Districta s Board of Education with a oeconduct unbecoming a teachera and a oeimmoral charactera in June 2007.

[Sunshine]

What the heck is the matter with this woman? Why doesn't she hit on someone her own age. I am a mother of a seventeen year old boy and if this had happened to him, I would be all over her. She wouldn't have the brains left to teach another day in school.And from Michael Breen, Colleen Benton's attorney:

“On the contrary, anyone with knowledge of 17-year-old boys would assume that most would accept the offer with alacrity and those who, from fear or embarrassment, refused the offer would soon and for the rest of their lives regret not having taken advantage of it,” Breen wrote in the petition.

The petition suggests the arbitrator should have gotten some expert opinion regarding any psychological harm to the boy “arising from a woman whose sole apparent purpose was to give him pleasure.”

Perhaps this young man's parents taught him respect in his upbringing and therefore that is why he refused the invitation. KUDOS to him and his parents. She is a sexual preditor. She should not be teaching children. She should not be around children. And to top it off, she has been getting paid since 2007...on paid leave. Your tax money is paying a sexual preditor. OUTRAGEOUS.

[Karma]

Of course, IF there were a predatory teacher at large, I too, as a parent of 2 boys, would want the teacher gone. However, we aren't talking about a 13 yr old here. In my experience, IF this offer was actually received by a 17 yr old, you would not hear about it until he was nearing 30 (whether he was traumatized or not) It is far more likely that a 17 yr old would be devious enough to know how to completely obliterate a female teacher's career with a few comments.

[Anne]

without knowing the character of this teacher, who are we to judge? Or the character of the 17 year old. For your information this is a boy who hit a classmate with his car because he believed the boy to be gay. This is a boy who is continually in trouble and who has been in trouble for making sexual comments not only to this teacher but other teachers as well. The school and the district are just doing what they have to do to keep out of court themselves. The minute something is said, whether it is true or not, it is too late. Unfortunately for this teacher she was the one he set his site on and now she is paying the price. The six years of school, her reputation, job, pension, gone on the word of one boy, how did he get so much power. I hope that no one else finds themselves in this position, if you do maybe you will think twice about judging others without knowing the facts.

[Schoharie Bar]

Breen is an IDIOT admitting to supposed acts of teacher at all, especially in a public brief. And the LOGIC besides!!! Welcome to the pinnacle of the Schoharie County Bar. He's acting more like a prosecutor ala Jerry Springer than a defense attorney.

Biggest mistake teacher made was letting a union lawyer misrepresent her in an arbitration no less. If the teacher was innocent, she should have pressed for her day in court and faced the minor who would have been an adult and lible to purjury under oath by the time of hearing.

Finding a competent lawyer in Schoharie County is the impossible task though.

[Amy]

"Finding a competent lawyer in Schoharie County is the impossible task though."
Enough said.

[gina]

I know i was not there, and i dont think anyone eles was there but the child and the teacher.They know what happen and only them.