If you’ve been wondering what’s going on in the wacky world of academia you’re not alone. Every week we read another headline of an educator somewhere in the country either tweeting something absurd on social media, or worst yet committing an unforgivable assault on students within their charge.
This latest incident is simply another example of a much wider issue permeating throughout our society that has allowed our institutions to become contaminated with a pervasive outlook, that encourages abusing those time honored boundaries between educator and student.
Elizabeth “Beth” Geisler, a 40-year old assistant principle was accused of raping and sodomizing a 16-year old male student, according to the Kansas City Star.
After the abuse become public Geisler was immediately fired from her job as assistant principal at Ste. Genevieve Middle School in Ste. Genevieve Township about 45 miles south of St. Louis.
Geisler was initially arrested and charged with sexual contact with a student, statutory sodomy and statutory rape, felonies punishable by at least 30 years in prison, if convicted on all counts.
However, according to the Kansas City Star, a plea deal was worked out and Geisler was given the option of pleading to something called a “Alford plea” reducing the egregious violent assault to second-degree harassment, moreover Geisler didn’t need to admit guilt, however she had to admit there was enough evidence to convict her. If this sounds on its face as an absurd plea deal by the prosecution, it is.
According to police records provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Giesler had sexual encounters with the student in April and May of 2018 at her home.
The student had been staying with Giesler and her family according to Genevieve County Prosecuting Attorney Wayne Williams. However a friend of the teen alerted school officials of the relationship, and that’s when the authorities intervened.
Initially the unnamed student denied having sex with Giesler, however after being questioned again he admitted to a state patrol officer that Giesler “performed a sex act on him” at the educators home in early April and then twice more later in April and again in May.
Giesler was subsequently picked up at home and arrested on May18th.
Williams said he took several factors into account, before agreeing to the plea deal which includes “zero jail time.”
Speaking to the Daily Journal, Williams explained his rational accordingly; “As a prosecuting attorney, I’m considering several things. No. 1 was the fact that the defendant doesn’t have any prior criminal history whatsoever.”
Williams also explained that Geisler had to give up her teaching credentials in order to qualify for the plea deal.
“Some people might not understand the bargain that was struck in this case unless they really understand what she had to give up voluntarily to get that bargain. That was basically her livelihood, and she had to surrender that,” he said.
However let’s pause a moment, and play “devil’s advocate” what if Geisler instead of being an attractive female, was a handsome male, who was convicted of the exact same crime against a 16-year old female student?
My suspicion would be that a 40-year old male assistant principal would be currently behind bars, serving a lengthy prison sentence.
The boy’s dad, spoke exclusively with Fox 2, regarding the incident, “She talked to us about my son and what she can do for him, through life like give him a better life because he’s a good football player so she was going to make sure he got on the right path.”
Adding, “She took advantage of him, she manipulated him because she knew what she was doing.”
“I thought she was a really nice person,” said the boy’s grandmother, “and I thought she was really going to do something for my grandson, but yeah she was doing something for him alright.”
The student is currently in protective custody of the state and could be held up to 90 days.