Bad Love

The other day, we heard about the arrest of Lawrence Major, a Brooklyn high school gym teacher who had a three-year affair, of sorts, with a female student.

Apparently, the pressure or humiliation from his arrest was too much for him to handle: he committed suicide today, shooting himself in the head near his home.

The NY Post reported that Major was featured in a documentary film about mentors, and his students seem to have liked him: "The way he teaches you, you are able to talk about your problems," said one studen. "He was very understanding." Another added, "He was our friend. He treated us like we were his kids. He inspired us. He was very truthful and he kept it real."

Well, maybe the problem is, he didn't keep it real enough. We get the impression from reading these kinds of stories that the adult figures involved get completely in a fantasy life where it's okay to have sex with 13-year-olds because you understand them and they understand you. Your sex drive, or your neediness, or your despair tricks you into ditching painful or inconvenient reality in favor of an unreality where everything is ok and you make the rules.

But, sooner or later, reality is going to catch up with you, usually in the form of a police investigation. Major might have been okay after the criminal justice system was done with him, but it seems that what he couldn't handle was the reality in which it's not okay to sleep with your students and there are consequences for your actions.

I think that's why we call this site "Bad Love." We know it's not love, but in many cases, the people involved don't.

[Cross-posted on ScaryNY]

Posted by ADM at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today's news brings us the story of David John Miller, 40, a former elementary school teacher in the Philadelphia area, who was busted in 1995 along with his wife Maryanne for giving beer and drugs to young boys, and for having sex with two 13 year-old boys. David was released on parole two years ago, and was arraigned on Wednesday for downloading child pornography. Local paper The Morning Call reports, "Miller's laptop computer was turned over to Detective Raymond Kuter of the District Attorney's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He found more than 300 pornographic images, including images of boys — some 9 or younger — engaged in sexual acts, according to court records."

There are some great detectives out there who bust people for looking at internet kiddie porn. But then, there's also former NYPD detective Brian Tuitt, 38, who yesterday faced charges for a case of molesting two girls he was babysitting in the Bronx, and was also indicted for raping two girls in a hotel in Yonkers. The Daily News writes, "According to court papers, hours after Tuitt allegedly raped the two girls in Yonkers, he was arrested on a complaint by a Bronx woman who charged he had sexually abused her daughters in her home. Defense attorney Peter Brill, who represents Tuitt in the Bronx case, said yesterday his client maintains his innocence. "'I think this is a case of greed and copycats. Brian Tuitt was friends with the mother who filed the case in the Bronx. He babysat her children and tried to be a father figure to her daughters.'"

Tuitt had been a part of the NYPD's first cyberspace patrol team, and worked to identify people who download child pornography.

Posted by Amy at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pam Smart. Joey Buttafuoco. Mary Kay Letourneau. What do they have in common?

Bad Love.

What is Bad Love? It's a combination of many things - bad judgement, abuse of authority, uncontrolled lust and usually, incredible narcissism on the part of at least one party. And it always, always, involves a teenager who doesn't know better, and an adult who really should.

This is their blog.

Posted by ADM at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)