A Chronicle of teachers behaving badly, teacher sex scandals, and other indiscretions

32 year old teaching assistant at Fitch Senior High School in Groton, Connecticut, Shonna Couture has been arrested for violating her bond after she was witnessed around the 16 year old student she was previously accused of having sexual relations with. As a result of the bond violation Couture’s bond was increased to $35,000 and she was recommended for a psychiatric evaluation.

Couture was originally arrested in 2008 after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16 year old student, as well as providing alcohol to two other students. Couture was charged with two counts of second degree sexual assault, two counts of delivery of alcohol to a minor, and one count of risk of injury to a minor.

Couture has reportedly admitted the sexual relationship with the student, which she says lasted about 2 weeks.

Jose Fanjul, the 36 year old language teacher at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, who is also known for being one of fifty teachers in the country to obtain the No Child Left Behind 2007 American Star of Teaching award, is now standing trial on 5 counts of forcible sodomy and 5 counts of forcible sex abuse.

Fanjul was arrested after a 17 year old female student came forward with allegations against Fanjul saying that the two had maintained a sexual relationship between March and June of 2008, having numerous sexual encounters at the school and at Fanjul’s home. The alleged victim and her father worked with Salt Lake City PD to investigate and eventually arrest Fanjul.

The day before his arrest, Fanjul appeared on a TV Station talking about a class he is teaching about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Fanjul pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts, and a judge has allowed the defense attorney to offer evidence and statements from other incidents involving the school employees and the victim. Could this be the girl that cried wolf?

John Salamon, a 54 year old special education teacher and athletic director at Tavares High School in Tavares, Florida has been arrested on allegations of non-consensual sexual contact with a student. It is alleged that Salamon grabbed a young girls breast, told her he loved her, and attempted to kiss her while she was sitting at a computer in the school media center.

Salamon was arreted after a 2 week investigation, sparked by a witness who saw Salamon commit the acts and reported it to the school, who then called police. It is reported that the girl was not in any of Salamon’s special education classes.

28 year old Jared Wolfgang, a former music teacher and assistant band director in the Troy, Ohio school district has been sentenced to 30 days in the Miami (OH) County Jail, along with 2 years of probation.

Wolfgang was originally arrested after a call to police by an onlooker that saw Wolfgang “loving on” a young girl in a furniture store. He pleaded guilty to 3 counts of contributing to the delinquency/unruliness of a minor.

It is reported that police found love notes from the girl in Wolfgangs car. Wolfgang has willingly surrendered his teaching license and is reportedly attending sex offender counseling, though his sentence does not require it and he will not be registered as a sex offender.

44 year old Adam Friedman, a teacher at the ACT Magnet High School in Willimantic, Connecticut has been arrested on allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 15 year old female student. Friedman was arraigned on 11 counts of risk of injury or impairing the morals of a minor, 10 counts of 2n degree sexual assault, and 1 count of 4th degree sexual assault.

At his arraignment, the judge called Friedman’s alleged crimes “horrific”. William was ordered held on a $750,000 bond. It is being reported that Friedman told a colleague about having sex with the girl, and said colleague reported Friedman to the authories. Reportedly, the alleged victims friend said “she does tend to exaggerate”.

The girl has said that the two had sex as often as every day, in Friedman’s office or in the mezzanine of the theater while the girl was rehearsing for a play she was in. The school suspended and has since fired Friedman.

Michael Hungerford, a former special education teacher at Forsyth Middle School in Forsyth, Missouri has been charged with molesting a 10 year old female student. Hungerford, who has worked in the school district for 12 years, is accused of fondling the girls genitals through her clothing, in October 2008.

Hungerford was placed on administrative leave, shortly after which he resigned. It is reported that the revocation of his teaching certificate has been requested by the school board. Hungerford will be back in court on January 13th. If convicted, Hungerford could face up to 15 years in prison, as well as sex offender registration.

James Mayes, a former teacher at orth Forest’s Children’s First Academy in Houston, Texas has been found guilty of molesting a 12 year old girl twice. It is alleged that Mayes molested the girl when she was 12 years old, in 2003, on a school trip to Dallas. It is also alleged that Mayes had sex with the girl again a year later, this time in the girls home.

Mayes’ trial got out of hand after one of the jurors said that she was pressured into delivering the guilty verdict, at the time of the punishment phase, when jurors were electing a punishment suitable for Mayes’ alleged actions. 11 out of 12 jurors makes not a conviction. This juror was removed from the case after yelling at the judge and saying she wanted to rescind her guilty verdict.

After that, the rest of the 11 jurors returned a punishment of 2 years probation. However, Mayes’ case involved a 5 year mandatory minimum probation sentence, so the jurors went back again to “deliberate”, and came back with the 5 year probation sentence.

Clearly Mayes will be appealing his verdict. What a ridiculous way to handle justice in Texas.

34 year old David Earp, a former head wrestling coach and physical education teacher at Fike High School in Wilson, North Carolina has pleaded no contest to sexual battery. In return for his plea, Earp received a 60 day jail sentence, suspended with 1 year of probation.

Earp was arrested in January 2008 after the school principal was made aware of a text message from Earp suggesting inappropriate behavior between Earp and a student. Earp resigned from the school after being arrested on charges of felony sexual offense with a student, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In addition to Earp’s 1 year probation, he will also be required to complete 40 hours of community service, and register as a sex offender. Earp will not be allowed on any school property unless he is on business that directly affects his 5 year old son.

36 year old Michael Kozak, a former teaching assistant at Crescent Elk Middle School in Crescent City, California has pleaded guilty to molesting an 11 year old girl in his home. The girl was a member of Kozak’s “After-School art program”, which was not sponsored nor mandated by the school. The girl was reportedly a student at Crescent Elk Middle School.

The girl was molested by Kozak on two separate occasions at his home in Crescent City, California. Kozak is also reportedly a co-ed soccer team for the city. Kozak will be sentenced at a later date, not yet announced. He could face up to 8 years in prison at his sentencing.

Update — 03/13/2009

Michael Kozak has been sentenced to 6 years in prison following his guilty plea. At his sentencing, the alleged victim reportedly read a prepared statement, some of which included “You are the monster in my dreams, you are the one molesting me and its like reliving it all over again. I hope today justice will be served.”

41 year old Matthew Gantz, a former drama teacher at Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia has been sentenced to 6 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sodomy. Gantz was originally facing 5 counts of sexual assault and one count of tampering with evidence, from two separate cases.

Gantz was arrested in September 2008, on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17 year old female student. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested again after another girl came forward with similar allegations, accusing Gantz of sexual assault in 2005.

Gantz will be required to register as a sex offender, be under supervised probation after his release from prison, and pay a $2,000 restitution.