Why are teachers sleeping with students?

By: Isabel Mascareñas

Tampa, Florida — What's the attraction between teachers and students? Does the school system need better screening? Do educators need more ethics training? Those are just some of the questions raised Tuesday at the Hillsborough County School Board's workshop.

Members have also agreed to hold a special meeting April 15, from 1 - 2 p.m. to further discuss inappropriate teacher behavior.

During the workshop Tuesday afternoon, board members discussed reviewing the district's hiring practices, background checks and teacher ethics training such as what is and isn't appropriate behavior between teachers and students.

School Board member Doretha Edgecomb says some things are too basic to teach, “The fundamental thing missing here is morals. We can't legislate them.”

“I'm appalled, in part because they give a black eye to every great teacher in this district,” says School Board member Candy Olson. She adds, “It's not a test of ethics and morality, it's an intelligence test. If you're a woman and you prey on a middle or high school boy, he's going to brag. You're going to get caught.”

Some school board members say it's virtually impossible to measure at the time of hire if a good teacher may stray. But keeping an eye out for any strange behavior may be one answer.

“If you see someone hanging out with students and saying inappropriate things to a young man or woman, it might be a red flag,” says School Board Member Jennifer Faliero. “We do have due process, but there has to be a way to let people be aware they're being watched, it's about the kids.”

Just yesterday, authorities arrested 40-year-old Lisa Marinelli, a substitute teacher at Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, and charged her with having a relationship with a student.

Pasco County Sheriff's detectives confirm they have evidence of hundreds of text messages and phone calls between the two.

Earlier this month, Freedom High School English teacher Mary Jo Spack was arrested for having sex with a student. She's charged with one count of unlawful sex with a minor. Tampa Police say she bought alcohol for a minor and took the 17-year-old boy to a hotel.

Supposedly, the victim text messaged his friends who also went to the hotel and they say they heard Spack and the student in the bathroom having sex.

Back in 2005, Debra Lafave plead guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old student. Her attorney kept her from serving any jail time arguing she was too pretty for prison. Lafave was married at the time of the affair and remains on house arrest.

Parents at one middle school say they are baffled at how some teachers are acting. "Why can't they find somebody their own age. What's the deal with the kids," says grandfather Chris Peattie.