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[Wag]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/teacher-convicted-of-raping-student-wants-to-teach-again/

SEATTLE (AP) — The former sixth-grade teacher imprisoned for raping a student she later married wants to teach again.

Mary Kay Letourneau, now 53, and her husband Vili Fualaau, now 31, discussed their lives together with Barbara Walters in an interview on ABC News’ “20/20″ Friday night. Letourneau is a former suburban Seattle teacher who gained notoriety in the 1990s when she was convicted of raping the then-12-year-old Fualaau. They later married and have two teenage daughters.

Does anyone agree this woman should ever be taken off the sex-offender registry? Considering what she did, she got off easy.

 

[EdibleKnife]

She should try distance learning then.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Well we do not always get what we want.

 

[LProtag]

Wow, the audacity she has to even say that.

 

[You Know Nothing]

Yeah, no. Not happening.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

She is a rehabilitated woman.

lol

 

[Biker19]

Good luck with that, because unless she's going to be teaching at something such as inside of a community college or at a 4-year college, she can forget it, not when she's registered as a sex offender for life.

 

[benjipwns]

It's been 19 years, I don't see a problem with ending the sentence finally.

Whole follow up story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/mary-kay-letourneau-fualaau-vili-fualaau-detail-path/story?id=30160737

 

[Wag]

The woman is married to her child victim. Why she would even think they would ever take her off the registry is beyond words. She is clearly ill.

 

[freenudemacusers]

i remember this story when it broke (lived in the area)... shit was crazy, she had his first kid during the trial, iirc she was only given a year or of jail on the condition they would have no contact. they got caught banging in a car a couple weeks later, and she had his second kid in jail.

 

[madmook]

Wow they have 17 and 16 year old kids!

 

[alfredofroylan]

Teaching adults right?

 

[Biker19]

Wow they have 17 and 16 year old kids!

Well, Audrey was born in May of 1997, & Georgia was born on October of 1998.

 

[You Know Nothing]

It's been 19 years, I don't see a problem with ending the sentence finally.

Whole follow up story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/mary-kay-le...ry?id=30160737

Would you feel the same if her name were Marty Kratz Letourneau? Honest question.

I'm not opposed to the idea that people can change. But I really don't think she should be teaching children again.

 

[benjipwns]

Would you feel the same if her name were Marty Kratz Letourneau? Honest question.

Why would that matter?

 

[Brakke]

wat

"Letourneau and her husband were the DJ and hosts for three 'Hot for Teacher Night' promotions at a Seattle night club."

 

[PRBoricua]

It's been 19 years, I don't see a problem with ending the sentence finally.

Whole follow up story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/mary-kay-letourneau-fualaau-vili-fualaau-detail-path/story?id=30160737

You're only saying that because she's a woman. If that were Moe Letourneau who repeatedly had sex with a 6th grade girl, I'm positive you would never suggest his sentence be ended.

 

[Slayven]

wat

"Letourneau and her husband were the DJ and hosts for three 'Hot for Teacher Night' promotions at a Seattle night club."

Hahaha I remember seeing that. Got to pay for those kids .

 

[You Know Nothing]

Why would that matter?

Because of the obvious rampant double standard that permeates our society when it comes to adults taking advantage of children?

I mean, if you honestly believe she's served her time and has been rehabilitated then whatever. I was just checking for hypocrisy.

 

[CountAntonius]

Did'nt know they were still together. He is 31 now. He was 13 when it first happened.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Did'nt know they were still together. He is 31 now. He was 13 when it first happened.

I'm glad this photo isn't creepy...

 

[Instro]

Interview was super awkward. He doesn't seem happy with his life.

 

[Wads]

Even if someone was crazy enough to give her a job and she was allowed, the circus that would come afterwards would quickly end it. Never going to happen.

 

[FourMyle]

wow I remember hearing about this on TV in the early 00s. Fucking crazy.

 

[You Know Nothing]

wow I remember hearing about this on TV in the early 00s. Fucking crazy.

I remember the made for TV movie. lmao

 

[Lakitu]

She doesn't look creepy at all.........................

 

[benjipwns]

You're only saying that because she's a woman. If that were Moe Letourneau who repeatedly had sex with a 6th grade girl, I'm positive you would never suggest his sentence be ended.

Glad to know you know me better than I know myself.

I don't support sex offender registries. They're an avoidance of actual sentencing, serve mostly to create panic, are applied too often to victimless crimes and children and have serious consequences that are ignored. If they're dangerous people, then keep them in jail. Otherwise their sentence should lapse like any other crime.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Glad to know you know me better than I know myself.

I don't support sex offender registries. They're an avoidance of actual sentencing, serve mostly to create panic, are applied too often to victimless crimes and children and have serious consequences that are ignored. If they're dangerous people, then keep them in jail. Otherwise their sentence should lapse like any other crime.

Bless you.

 

[way more]

She and him have been married for 10 years now and they have two teenage children. I think there is something to be said for that.

 

[Abinash117]

What makes her think she should be teaching again and I wouldn't get why some people would be okay letting her teach again.

Glad to know you know me better than I know myself.

I don't support sex offender registries. They're an avoidance of actual sentencing, serve mostly to create panic, are applied too often to victimless crimes and children and have serious consequences that are ignored. If they're dangerous people, then keep them in jail. Otherwise their sentence should lapse like any other crime.

Then she would probably be in jail for a long time. I don't know how rules of sexual offenses work or how the government put them together. But I guess the idea is even if they are let go they is not guarantee they won't do it again and additionally some people would want to know if a person molested a child or an adult is in the neigborhood, especially parents. And I don't know what you mean about avoidance of sentencing since those types of people do spend time , decades or sometimes life.

 

[benjipwns]

Then she would probably be in jail for a long time.

Yes, she's so dangerous that the state offered her a six month plea that didn't require her to register as a sex offender.

She only went to jail for six years due to violating the no-contact order. Not the original crime.

 

[vypek]

Interview was super awkward. He doesn't seem happy with his life.

Yeah. When I saw it, all I could think was that this guy looked like he had a lot of regret. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[MIMIC]

She "waited" for him while she was 12? That's kinda fucked up, IMO.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Everyone in that photo looks like an animatronic

 

[LQX]

Did'nt know they were still together. He is 31 now. He was 13 when it first happened.

Now he looks like the adult going after a younger hotty. He looks way older than her. And Barbara's face looks like putty.

 

[Transhuman]

“I don't support younger kids being married or having a relationship with someone older,” Vili said. “I don't support it.”

Yikes.

 

[Biker19]

Interview was super awkward. He doesn't seem happy with his life.

Yikes.

For Vili, the journey to get where he is today has not been easy. He said he battled depression over the years.

“I’m surprised I’m still alive today,” Vili said. “I went through a really dark time.”

Vili grew up impoverished without a father and had a tumultuous relationship with his mother. When his affair with Mary began, and after she became pregnant with his child, Vili said he felt that he had no support system to help him through it.

“It was a huge change in my life, for sure,” he said. “I don’t feel like I had the right support, the right help behind me ... from my family, from anyone, in general. I mean, my friends couldn't help me because they had no idea what it was like to be a parent, I mean, because we were all 14, 15.”

Vili said he had counseling sessions, but even then he struggled because he said counselors wanted him to take antidepressant medication to "even him out."

“I don’t even think the counselors knew how to deal with it. It was just weird,” he said. “I was like, ‘Why do I need to be on an antidepressant pill?’ And they said it was to level you out so they can have a conversation with you. ... It just kind of just really annoyed me through the years.”

Should've been the first clue right there. It's like he felt trapped & didn't know what to do while missing out on his teenage year childhood.

This was from the link that benjipwns had posted earlier, by the way.

 

[benjipwns]

But I guess the idea is even if they are let go they is not guarantee they won't do it again

There's no guarantee for anyone put in prison. Yet we let them out and don't put them on very strict probation for life.

Or we keep them in prison if they're ruled too dangerous to be out in society.

And I don't know what you mean about avoidance of sentencing since those types of people do spend time , decades or sometimes life.

Mary Kay was sentenced to six months. Then seven years for violating her probation. She didn't serve all of the latter but we'll combine them to say she served seven years.

She's also served an additional 12 years of a lifetime sentence that the courts are unwilling to hand down in a normal manner.

Rather than convict her to life, we convict her to six months and a lifetime "lesser" sentence. Much like felons and losing many of their rights like voting. And all criminals, especially felons and sex offenders face diminished life prospects regarding jobs, where they can live, move, etc. Homelessness increases. Their sentence continues after they're released.

Because no one will accept she and others deserve a life sentence for what she did. Or else all sexual offenses from indecent exposure to peeing in public to raping babies would be life sentences. Only the latter will receive a life sentence in jail. Not the nebulous life sentence post-jail.

No one is made safer by this, it's really as cliche as it is, a scarlet letter.

 

[Phased]

She should probably never be taken off the Sex Offender registry. It's fine that they're married now, but he was 13 at the time which is way too young to consent or even know or fully understand what you're getting into.

It's great that it worked out for them, even though he seems super uncomfortable but that could just be his personality. That said it's dangerous to get into the mindset of "Well it worked for these guys clearly it was true love!"

He wasn't some 16 or 17 year old kid who was a few months from being an adult in the eyes of the law, he was 13 years old. I was a stupid horny kid at 13, hell I didn't even start fully understanding that my actions have consequences until I was in my 20's, and I'd hate to feel trapped or obligated just because I was able to get lucky as a teenager with my hot teacher.

 

[GameGuru59]

Because of the obvious rampant double standard that permeates our society when it comes to adults taking advantage of children?

I mean, if you honestly believe she's served her time and has been rehabilitated then whatever. I was just checking for hypocrisy.

It's only hypocritical if you consider boys and girls the same.

 

[Chunky]

I agree with benjipwns that the sex offender registry, as it exists today, is far too focussed on revenge and fear-mongering. Like the death penalty, it deals considerable collateral damage to innocents and it needs to be reworked, if not abolished.
It's completely understandable why it is how it is, but criminal justice should always be about rehabilitation and protecting the public, not satisfying the need for vengeance.

I'm so conflicted about this story though. Obviously child rape is one of the most despicable things a person can do, but these two have spent almost 2 decades together at this point. Clearly there's more to their relationship than perverted lust on her part.
If she does teach, I still don't she should be allowed to work with children anymore; that's a one-strike sort of thing.

But if she can get someone to hire her to work with over 16 year old's and she can manage to keep that job without immediate backlash, then she should get a chance.

 

[tkscz]

They have been married for a long time. Not sure if creepy or cute... as for teaching, no. It's over for that.

 

[benjipwns]

If she does teach, I still don't she should be allowed to work with children anymore; that's a one-strike sort of thing.

But if she can get someone to hire her to work with over 16 year old's and she can manage to keep that job without immediate backlash, then she should get a chance.

From a general search on Google: She had attempted to teach at Community Colleges and Private Schools but the sex offender thing makes it a no go mainly because of liability reasons.

She does teach piano lessons to kids though (go figure) and I guess also does some tutoring.

 

[You Know Nothing]

It's only hypocritical if you consider boys and girls the same.

Yeah no, if you honestly don't believe underage girls have ever wanted to bang their male teachers, then I don't know what to say.

Except you must not have known many teenage girls growing up.

 

[Baki]

Did'nt know they were still together. He is 31 now. He was 13 when it first happened.

She fucked up his life and made him dependant on her.

 

[Marauder Shields]

Huh so he ended up marrying her. Glad it worked out for him.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

I am disgusted this was on ABC news and barbara walters is sitting next to a child molester smiling, like its ok.....

Imagine if a man slept with a 13 old girl and they were together when she was 31 after giving birth to 2 of his children.... disgusting

Nobody here would be saying give that guy a second chance. Forget if there still together a 13 kid is just a kid regardless of gender.

 

[Savitar]

Yeah, no.

I don't think she deserves that kind of chance again.

Mainly because I could see it happening again.

 

[benjipwns]

Imagine if a man slept with a 13 old girl and they were together when she was 31 after giving birth to 2 of his children.... disgusting

Nobody here would be saying give that guy a second chance.

Again, yes, I would. His sentence should be over as well after nearly 20 years.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

Again, yes, I would. His sentence should be over as well after nearly 20 years.

to teach kids? I can't co-sign that. If she could be hired to teach adults fine but no way should she be around young boys all day. This woman if I remember went and hooked up with her teenage lover on bail and became pregnant the second time. She obviously has some self control issues.