Last week, according to the New Trier News, the New Trier Board of Education voted to dismiss a New Trier teacher for an inappropriate relationship, and unprofessional relationship, with a student. Incidents such as this occur around the country, and when there is a female student involved with a male teacher, the female student immediately becomes a victim in the eyes of the public. To many people, this is not necessarily how they view it when a female teacher and male student have an inappropriate relationship. On the NBC sitcom 30 Rock this week, a character on the show was found to have had an affair with a teacher when he was 14. (You can watch the clip here four minutes in). The show mocks the relationship of a female teacher and male student and even calls a male teacher’s relationship with a female student “wrong”, but a female teacher and a male student having a relationship is “awesome”. This to me is an unfair double standard. I wonder if many others would agree.
I saw the episode of 30 Rock last Thursday, and I got a sick feeling in my stomach because I thought the timing was horrible due to the recent accusations. When Frank was applauded, I had a similar reaction because I do not feel the same way about a teacher student relationship, regardless of gender. I did not find that part of the episode funny at all, probably because I will miss Mrs. Rossmann, but I definitely believe this double standard exists based on the comments I have heard from my peers.
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