Michael's Story
The story begins in a small town in South Central Pennsylvania in 1976. A young, impressionable 10-year-old boy enters the 6th grade at the local elementary school. His teacher was a married woman, with no children, who became fond of Michael, who was struggling with his studies
The story begins in a small town in South Central Pennsylvania in 1976. A young, impressionable 10-year-old boy enters the 6th grade at the local elementary school. His teacher was a married woman, with no children, who became fond of Michael, who was struggling with his studies.
The teacher was very friendly to other students in her classes, inviting them to her house.
Michael's parents, naively feeling that a professional teacher-student relationship would be good for the student, became friendly with the married couple.
During the next two years, the relationship continued with the family and the married couple.
At about Michael's 15th year, this relationship ended when the teacher's marriage failed, and the parents became concerned about the influence she had on their son. Michael had become very defiant about protecting her against rumors circulating throughout the school district and teachers.
In this era, school district administrators seemed to protect the teachers and did not offer any resolution to the problem. County officials would not prosecute the teacher without a statement from the victim.
Michael omitted that he was sexually involved with her but was bound to protecting her.
Later, we found that she was supplying alcohol to Michael and other students during his senior year, 1980.
At age 18, Michael enlisted in the US Navy, returning from basic training to marry the teacher.
He remained in the Navy for 12 years, and they had two children, a boy and a girl.
He left the service and went to a US Army base in a European country where she accepted a 6th-grade teaching position.
This is when things began to unravel for Michael. During this period, he began to witness the same pattern of relationships with her students that he experienced as a child, and he became suspicious.
He abused alcohol, became defiant, and was finally asked to leave. Upon returning home, he was unable to hold a job, spent time in rehab, social services, and on the street. For many years, he continued not to bear witness against her. She continued her control over him by degrading him to his children. Finally, after 13 years, he admitted to himself and his family the perverted nature of their relationship that began when he was a child.
She had robbed him of his youth, destroying his adolescence and accelerating him into a destructive lifestyle.
Finally, after years of depression, feeling worthless and a failure, Michael committed suicide.
Thankfully, we live in a better world that offers much better protection for our children.
Our story illustrates the long-lasting effect on a child/adult. Hopefully, it will help someone recognize a predator before damage can be inflicted on the child and family.