Committees advance teacher regulations

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 10, 2009 - Page: 8A

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Several lawmakers said Tuesday they would “reluctantly” agree to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s push to prohibit sex between older high school students and teachers.

Disagreement over House Bill 476 stemmed from whether legislators should curtail an adult’s activities.

The bill would raise the outlawed age limit on teacher sexual intercourse with high school students from 18 years old to 20 years old.

“We need to hold these teachers to a higher standard. You don’t do this with your students,” state Rep. Patrick Connick told the Senate Committee on Judiciary C. The panel forwarded the legislation without objection.

Connick, R-Harvey, is the bill’s sponsor. HB476 is part of the governor’s legislative package.

The prohibition would apply when “there is an age difference of greater than four years between the two persons.”

State Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, questioned why sex with a student would be OK for a 24-year-old teacher but not a 25-year-old teacher.

Jody Montelaro, a policy adviser to the governor, said the goal is to avoid a “Romeo and Juliet” situation.

Adley also noted that an 18-year-old can vote and join the military.

He suggested limiting the prohibition to special-education students.

“I don’t want to encourage sex in school but … I really have mixed feelings about telling consenting adults what they can and cannot do,” Adley said.

Connick questioned whether an adult can be consenting when the other person controls the student’s grades.

State Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, said teachers seem to be getting younger and younger.