My first thought after the interview this morning on the Today Show with the student who had a sexual relationship with former Brighton Charter School teacher Carrie McCandless – something doesn't jive. We'll get to that in a minute. First a minute of soap box preaching on how annoying it is when the media goes out of their way to publicly protect someone's identity (because he's a juvenile) and then he shows up on national TV. I won't use his name here because I don't want to be behind the publicity push for what is destined to be a Lifetime movie. Early suggested title – "The Eagle has landed." What bothers me about this morning's interview is the victim's (cough, cough) mother contending they complied with their son's wishes not to initially report the relationship because he was adamant about protecting the teacher. But the mother also mentions her outrage.
From an NBC story about the interview.
"The whole thing turned on him like it was his fault," Sheree Clay said. "We send our kids to school to be taught ... It's just wrong that a teacher would that. It shouldn't be acceptable."
The family's attorney, Gary Fielder, added, "We are talking about an older person in a position of power and responsibility manipulating a child into thinking that this child wanted sexual contact."
Don't get me started on the lawyer. But are the inmates running the asylum here? So outraged, it's so wrong and yet you held off reporting it to the police? Are you kidding me? If my kid comes to me with that, I'm going to the cops, I don't care if he never speaks to me again.
There's a risk in doing the media thing – plastering your face all over the TV. And I think this teen cashed in his victim card today. Though Carrie McCandless still needs to be rightfully punished for what happened (because she's in a position of power), this now seems about as consensual as it could get.
I know you're out there. What do you think? Let me know.
