Destrehan, Louisiana is located 25 miles east of New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Destrehan High School, part of the St. Charles Parish School District, consists of grades 9 through 12.
Shelly S. Dufresne, a 32-year-old 11th-grade English teacher graduated from the high school in 2000. In 2005 she graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) with a BS Degree in secondary education. The daughter of 29th Judicial Judge Emile St. Pierre, she began teaching at Destrehan High in 2006. Dufresne resided in Montz, Louisiana with her husband and three children.
Destrehan High's 10th-grade English teacher, 23-year-old Rachel Respess, graduated from the high school in 2008. Shortly after earning her education degree from LSU in 2012 she joined the faculty of her Alma Mater. Respess lived in Kenner, Louisiana.
On September 26, 2014 school officials were informed that a 16-year-old Destrehan male student had bragged to his friends that he and the two English teachers, on two occasions, had engaged in threesome sex. Deputies with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, after receiving the complaint from the school, questioned the boy.
According to the student the first three-way tryst took place in early September in Kenner at Rachel Respess' apartment. The second episode occurred after a Friday night football game on September 12, 2014 at Shelly Dufrense's house in Montz. Deputies reportedly acquired videotapes of the sexual encounters.
On September 30, 2014 officers booked Dufresne and Respess into the Jefferson Parish Jail on felony charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The teachers posted their bonds but were under house arrest except for mental health counseling, doctor visits and church attendance. The school district suspended the suspects without pay.
In August 2016, the parents of the student sued the two teachers and the St. Charles Parish School District.
Shelly Dufresne, following her confession to the police, pleaded guilty in December 2016 to the minor offense of obscenity. In exchange for the plea the judge sentenced her to 90 days at an inpatient mental health facility. The former teacher also received three years probation and was fined $1,000. According to Dufresne she had instigated the sexual encounters with the student.
Shelly Repass pleaded guilty to the minor offense of failing to report the commission of a felony. For this she received one year of probation.
Several questions come to mind in cases like this. How stupid or desperate must a teacher be to place her career, marriage, reputation and freedom into the hands of a 16-year-old boy who can be counted on to spill the beans to his friends? Why would these teachers consent to being videotaped committing sex offenses? Were these teachers emotional basket cases or simply stupid? If they were not very bright, do they reflect the caliber of people entering the teaching field?
Shelly S. Dufresne, a 32-year-old 11th-grade English teacher graduated from the high school in 2000. In 2005 she graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) with a BS Degree in secondary education. The daughter of 29th Judicial Judge Emile St. Pierre, she began teaching at Destrehan High in 2006. Dufresne resided in Montz, Louisiana with her husband and three children.
Destrehan High's 10th-grade English teacher, 23-year-old Rachel Respess, graduated from the high school in 2008. Shortly after earning her education degree from LSU in 2012 she joined the faculty of her Alma Mater. Respess lived in Kenner, Louisiana.
On September 26, 2014 school officials were informed that a 16-year-old Destrehan male student had bragged to his friends that he and the two English teachers, on two occasions, had engaged in threesome sex. Deputies with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, after receiving the complaint from the school, questioned the boy.
According to the student the first three-way tryst took place in early September in Kenner at Rachel Respess' apartment. The second episode occurred after a Friday night football game on September 12, 2014 at Shelly Dufrense's house in Montz. Deputies reportedly acquired videotapes of the sexual encounters.
On September 30, 2014 officers booked Dufresne and Respess into the Jefferson Parish Jail on felony charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The teachers posted their bonds but were under house arrest except for mental health counseling, doctor visits and church attendance. The school district suspended the suspects without pay.
In August 2016, the parents of the student sued the two teachers and the St. Charles Parish School District.
Shelly Dufresne, following her confession to the police, pleaded guilty in December 2016 to the minor offense of obscenity. In exchange for the plea the judge sentenced her to 90 days at an inpatient mental health facility. The former teacher also received three years probation and was fined $1,000. According to Dufresne she had instigated the sexual encounters with the student.
Shelly Repass pleaded guilty to the minor offense of failing to report the commission of a felony. For this she received one year of probation.
Several questions come to mind in cases like this. How stupid or desperate must a teacher be to place her career, marriage, reputation and freedom into the hands of a 16-year-old boy who can be counted on to spill the beans to his friends? Why would these teachers consent to being videotaped committing sex offenses? Were these teachers emotional basket cases or simply stupid? If they were not very bright, do they reflect the caliber of people entering the teaching field?
And, would a 32 year old male English teacher have received only a few months probation if he'd had sex with a 16 year old female high school student?
ReplyDelete2013, Centerville High School teacher and girls golf coach: Michael Weaver was sentenced to five years’ probation. He pleaded guilty to having sex with a student during the 2005-06 school year.
ReplyDeleteWhat galled me after watching this case and the people involved appear on a Dr. Phil episode, was the attitude of, "I didn't think it was wrong because we didn't do it on school property." The female teacher had no qualms about her actions until it got her in trouble with authorities..
ReplyDeleteI spent ten years trying to get a full time teaching position after I earned my certification license. I went back to school in my 50s. This really jerks my chain when I would have given anything to get a teaching job and do what I do best. Later I found it was more than likely my age. I was a substitute and a teaching assistant for a long time.
If this is the caliber if the people they want teaching in their classrooms, God help us. Dr. Phil was dumbfounded this young woman didn't think she was breaking the law or doing anything wrong. Great morals!
The student got what he wanted, his mother was on the show and extremely upset with the situation and her son sat there with a Cheshire cat grin the whole time.
This is what the left thinks is ok to have a person with the morals of an alley cat teach in your child's classroom. I eventually changed fields due to the education system bring so far left it wasn't funny. Another area the government has destroyed and our students are paying the price.
Thank you for that.
ReplyDelete