Nearly 20 years ago a 34-year-old schoolteacher became pregnant by her 13-year-old student. Now, after her rape convictions and prison stay, Mary Kay Letourneau wants to teach kids again.
Oh sure, why not! That sounds like a terrific idea!
We'll see Letourneau makes her case to Barbara Walters in her interview with now-husband Vili Fualaau. (Oh man, who else is on the fence over feeling morbidly curious but also too disgusted to watch?) It will be interesting to hear why she thinks she should get that child sex offender status lifted and be allowed to spend her days among our children. Something about how she's "learned her lesson," perhaps? Maybe some drivel about how she's so in love with her husband she'd never stray?
Yeah ... no. I wouldn't want her teaching my son, that's for certain. But then, even if by some insane miracle she were allowed to teach again, at least she'd be the devil we know. At least we'd be able to warn our kids against her. What's scarier is that there are other adults out there with the same proclivities as Letourneau, and we don't even know it.
And the saddest part of this story is that Letourneau preyed on a vulnerable child. He was just hitting puberty when they met, too young to exercise solid judgment. She took advantage of all those surging hormones.
Could it happen to your kid? Is it happening now, without your even knowing it? That's what I'm more worried about. We don't want Letourneau to teach because we don't want another teacher to seduce another child. Well, hate to tell you, but it happens all the time. Maybe pay more attention to your own kids and worry less about what Letourneau is allowed to do, you know?
How do you feel about Mary Kay Letourneau being allowed to teach again?
Image via ABC/Heidi Gutman