Court Warns of Campus 'Police State'
Parents who sue schools over student-faculty relationships threaten to turn campuses into a "police state," a state appellate court warned in overturning a $640,000 award to the parents of a former student who had a three-year affair with her Orange County teacher.
In overturning the award, the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana said the parents of the former Cypress teen expected too much from the Anaheim Union High School District.
The affair between the 13-year-old and her 51-year-old instructor was discovered when love letters were found in the girl's bedroom by her mother.
The teacher ultimately spent 13 months in prison and the school district was ordered to pay $2.3 million to the student, a judgment upheld by the court. But the award to the parents, who argued that the district failed to detect the romance, was overturned.
If school districts are expected to uncover relationships between instructors and students, the court ruled, campus camaraderie would suffer, student gifts to teachers would be viewed with suspicion and a simple hug or pat on the back would have to be reported.
"It would be a reign of terror
"Student-teacher camaraderie would not only suffer, but would have to be virtually outlawed. No hugging, ever. No being in the same room alone, ever. No unchaperoned rides in a teacher's car, ever. No gifts, ever."
But an attorney for the girl's parents said the ruling could represent a ominous swing of the pendulum in the responsibility that courts expect of school districts.
"My concern and what I'm alarmed of is [the opinion] gives free license for teachers to turn their heads to inappropriate behavior by teachers," said attorney Sharon Cusic, who represented the family at trial. Cusic asked that the family not be named, to avoid identifying the victim.
While the appeals court made its ruling last month, the opinion was first published Wednesday at the request of school districts statewide.
The case revolves around a relationship between the former middle-school student and a former teacher, Clifford Scofield, from 1995 to 1997.
Scofield, who lived in Costa Mesa, transferred to Cypress High School, which the girl attended, and taught science and was a track coach. He pleaded guilty to 19 counts of child molestation.
A key factor in the case was that neither the student nor the teacher told anyone about the relationship. The girl complained to no one, according to court records, and kept it secret from close friends.
