Filed under: Bullying, Children, Crime, Humanity, Janelle Batkins, Life, News, Opinions, Peeves, Rant, Rants, Scandal, Sex, Sins, Uproars, World | Tags: , Children, creeps, Crime, Janelle Batkins, Sex, students, teacher pedophiles, Van Halen
Another teacher charged for having sex with a student, is making internet waves. Honestly.. at this rate I’m going to have to hire out the house painting and just sit here all day so I can post about all the teachers out there who don’t have the sense not to have sex with their students.
No sooner had I posted about Alenna but I learn about Janelle Batkins.
Batkins, 42, of Harrison Township was charged in 41B District Court in Clinton Township with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a 15-year felony. She was released on a $25,000 personal bond.Batkins, a married mother of two who taught French for about 15 years in the district, resigned over the summer.Police and prosecutors say she had sexual contact with the 17-year-old from December 2006 until the end of the last school year.”She has not admitted to having any sexual contact” with him, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said of Batkins who turned herself in early Monday.Batkins stood mute before Judge Sebastian Lucido with her hands in cuffs. Her mother and husband were the courtroom, Assistant Prosecutor Jean Femminineo said.The 17-year-old’s mother went to Roseville police in July after finding evidence of a relationship on her son’s computer. Her son told detectives he consented to sex with Batkins in Batkins’ home and a car, police said.
A 17-year-old can give legal consent in most cases, but charges were brought because Batkins was in a position of authority over the student, Hackel said.
I’ve noticed that often, these women are in their late thirties or early forties. Fracas is 43 and can’t imagine finding a 17 year old, a 15 year old, or an 11 year old to be the object of one’s desire so it makes a person wonder if this isn’t all about what we as a society, have been pointing a finger at men for, and laughing when Joe-42-year-old-midlife-crisis-man buys a hot car and tries to pick up 18 year olds. Is this about women wanting to feel young again, wanting to feel like when they were 18 and all the boys wanted them? Is there some way we can blame van Halen and their “Hot for Teacher” video for why women out there are suddenly thinking it’s acceptable to give an 11 year old a blow job?
Because if it’s not something we can attribute to misplaced reasoning skills due to an unhealthy fascination with song lyrics or something, then I’m going to be afraid… very afraid of what’s happening to the world I brought my children into. And you know… I don’t want to be that afraid of what my own children and their children are going to have to live with as a regular part of life. I want to think there’s something we can pinpoint and figure out so we can stop this kind of garbage in its tracks and make the world a place where parents can send their kids off to school without worrying that it’s not just the creep in the trench coat waiting in the alley for them that we have to teach them about, but that we have to teach our kids how to be safe from their teachers.
I read in the comments to one of these news stories, where the reader fluffed this off to the fact that the kid was 17. They’d posted how it’s not such a big deal because all boys in school would be thrilled to get laid by the teacher, (There’s that Van Halen thing again) rationalizing that it was ok. They posed the question as to whether or not women who get caught at this should be punished as harshly as the men.
Fracas says yes.
Fracas says that she thinks that commmenter was a stupid moron. Making the ascertion that because boys want sex it’s ok for the women to abuse their trust and their positions of authority and that it’s not ok for men to do the same (because they think girls don’t want sex I assume) shows the sheer ignorance of some of the people we have to share the air with.
Throw the book at these creeps, male or female. It’s biology that makes kids going through puberty to want sex… and we, the adults are supposed to know better than to exploit them during the years they need our guidance.
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what about the day before he turns 18?
throw the book at her?
Comment by diogenes September 25, 2007 @ 10:13 PMI do not believe the book should be thrown at her. I do not believe that women should be treated any differently than men in this situation either.
One thing is certain, she should never be allowed to teach again. I believe the severity of her sentence, if found guilty, should depend on the extent of coercion, if any, to encourage this student to have sex with her.
There is a sharp difference between an 11 year-old and a 17 year-old – almost to the point of no comparison. Seventeen year-olds may vary greatly in their level of maturity depending on the individual but physiologically they are mentally developed enough to understand their choices and potential consequences.
This student was 17, which is consenting age in Michigan. This case is about abuse of power as a figure of authority over the student and has little to do with the consensual sex.
Comment by bman September 26, 2007 @ 11:42 PMDAMN! another Michigan story! i’ve been bombarded with bad stories involving michiganders for like a week now. I’m so fraccing proud to be from there!
Comment by joebec September 27, 2007 @ 1:04 PMdiogenes – We have laws and they apply. If a bar was fined for serving alcohol to a minor, and they made the argument that it was one day before the person’s birthday so the fine should be thrown out, they’d be laughed at. It may seem harsh, but seriously… people aren’t animals and they can control their sexual urges. If it was one day before the birthday, I’d ask the person why they couldn’t have waited that one day?
bman – By coincidence… I happen to have an 11 year old and a 17 year old (and a 20 year old too) right now. If you’re comparing physical characteristics, I’d agree with you. If you’re comparing mental and emotional characteristics, I’d have to say from experience, that there are times when an 11 year old can show more maturity than a 17 year old.
From my own experience as a parent, and the contact that’s given me with tons of teens, I can say that teens go through such physiological changes (brain changes… scientifically proven and validated these days) that they are often, not really “of sound mind” to make the choices. This is precisely why so many teens engage in behaviours that are harmful, risky and foolish. Medical evidence proves this. Knowing this… we as the ADULTS should make better choices when it involves a teen and when we don’t, we should be held accountable for our own failures because we are the ones whose brains have developed and should know better.
That’s my position and it’s not one I’m willing to change. As a parent, as an adult and as someone who’s seen the medical evidence, I believe the age of consent for many activities needs to be re-examined based on medical evidence and what we now know better about why our teens act the way they do.
joebec – Bah. Maybe it’s Michigan that should be proud to have YOU!
Comment by fracas September 28, 2007 @ 11:24 AMwhy not blame the teacher why blame vh they did not stick a gun to the folks head and make them do it
Comment by duane sealy September 28, 2007 @ 3:41 PMfracas, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion but it just strikes me as odd to have such a narrow view on the distinction between adolescence and adulthood. Turning 18 doesn’t endow you with any more wisdom or maturity. It’s an arbitrary value selected by our society.
You’re telling me at 17 this student has no clue about making decisions about if or with whom he should have sex with but a few months later when he’s 18 he’ll clearly be wise enough to make decisions about whether to smoke, he’ll know who should lead our nation and he’ll the maturity needed to kill on the battlefield.
Unless this student was mentally disabled in some way he was old enough to know what was going on and he consented to being in a physical relationship with this teacher.
Sure it was inappropriate – no doubt about it. She should never teach again. However, should she be penalized to the full extent of the law for having consensual sex with a 17 year-old? I certainly don’t think so.
As I stated before if she is found guilty her sentence should be based on whether she coerced this student and abused her position of authority. If she did then yes she should be given a moderate sentence appropriate for the charge. If not though, I don’t really think it’s a big deal as far as the criminal justice system should be concerned.
Comment by bman September 29, 2007 @ 12:47 AMWe get the question “Is it ever ok to have a relationship with a former client” in welfare alot. Theres much discussion about it. The agreement is its not ok to have a relationship with an active client but when it comes to what happens when you meet them ten years later it becomes a grey area. It shouldn’t be.
Comment by kate isis September 29, 2007 @ 7:45 PMSchool students are much like welfare clients, totally off limits. Theres a huge world of people out there, to have sex with someone who has been or is in a vulnerable position makes you a monster and a predator. Doesn’t matter if they are 11 or 40.
Teachers having sex with their students, its criminal, not love not ever.
“You’re telling me at 17 this student has no clue about making decisions about if or with whom he should have sex with but a few months later when he’s 18 he’ll clearly be wise enough to make decisions about whether to smoke, he’ll know who should lead our nation and he’ll the maturity needed to kill on the battlefield”
Actually, I didn’t say that at all. I’m sorry you were too busy focusing on thinking my view is narrow, to actually read what I wrote. My comment stated:
As a parent, as an adult and as someone who’s seen the medical evidence, I believe the age of consent for many activities needs to be re-examined based on medical evidence and what we now know better about why our teens act the way they do.
Clearly, I believe that turning 18 doesn’t suddenly make anyone mature enough for anything.
It’s a good thing you started off this last comment with “fracas, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion” because the very same thing should be said back to you. You are entitled to your opinion, and I am entitled to think your opinion is wrong.
Which I do.
Kate makes a wonderful point and it only prompts me to repeat what I said earlier.
we as the ADULTS should make better choices when it involves a teen and when we don’t, we should be held accountable for our own failures because we are the ones whose brains have developed and should know better.
Perhaps you should check out some of that medical evidence regarding the teen brain and how their decision-making skills are affected by the biology of the maturing brain? You might learn something and realize it’s your own view that’s narrowed by lack of current information.
Kate – You make sense, always do.
Comment by fracas September 29, 2007 @ 9:53 PMFracas Says;
Throw the book at these creeps, male or female. It’s biology that makes kids going through puberty to want sex… and we, the adults are supposed to know better than to exploit them during the years they need our guidance.
Whoot Whoot!
Ex-fuggin-zactly.
Comment by Hazel September 30, 2007 @ 11:51 AMblame the hornory mother fucker that suppsably fucked the teacher why always balmee the teacher. mrs batkins changed my life. if it wasnt for her i wouldnt of graduqted high school let alond colleged. i am a millioare because of here she shouyld be release from any leagility and be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE you american hypocrit fucks
Comment by johnny blue January 16, 2008 @ 11:27 PMMrs. Batkins hasn’t even begun to stand trial yet and all of these coments have already convicted her, I’m somewhat close to this case, and I know it’s easy to read a newspaper and form an opinion, the fact is I know she didn’t do the things she’s accused of. Anyone who has ever met Mrs. Batkins would agree. Please realize that if convicted, she faces 30 years for 2 counts, that’s the book you want to throw, a book that takes 30 years to read. If by some injustice she is convicted a small skinny school teacher will be in prison for 30 fucking years, and most of you people have already convicted her. Go fuck yourselves and the high horses you rode in on.
Comment by sv February 2, 2008 @ 11:16 PMFunny how all those defending this disgrace of a teacher have to use profanity. Johnny Blue, if she was your teacher, she should have taught you how to spell. I’m sure you are a millionaire…LOL….and sv…didn’t she have sex with the 17 year old? What is there to dispute?
Comment by L March 24, 2008 @ 7:50 PMWhew. Good thing this blog is called “fracas.” Here’s what I think.
1) Having sex with a sexually active 17 year old and introducing an 11 year old to sex are not remotely the same. Not even close.
2) A sexually active boy is going to continue to have sex. He has two options. He can have sex with a young girl his age and then leave her heartbroken when they inevitably break up because she thought he loved her… or he can have sex with someone older than him. Personally, I’d rather see randy little teenaged boys leaving the teenaged girls alone.
3) I don’t think anyone can convince me that a 17 year old girl and a 17 year old boy feel the same way about sex. While there may be a few exceptions to the rule, most teen girls want to be loved “forever and ever” and most teen boys are not ready for that kind of commitment, but want to get laid.
Was it right of a teacher to have sex with a student. No, of course not. But it’s not remotely the same as the teacher that introduced an 11 year old to sex, and it’s not even close to the trauma that a 40 year old man would cause sleeping with a 17 year old girl.
Just my opinion, of course.
Comment by linda March 24, 2008 @ 9:44 PMThrow both the kid and the teacher in jail both need harsh punishments
Comment by JB April 2, 2008 @ 11:31 PM