1 My middle-aged, conservative self says 'Enforce the law, lock her up.' My inner teen still lives and says 'Where the H*ll was she when I was 14!' Maybe instead of wasting her in prison they should have her provide 'community service' to all the seniors after the last football game or something.

2 Make her perform her community service to the seniors at the community senior center.

3 Lock her up and give her 16 years - a man in her position that had sex with a 14 year old girl would get no such treatment or sympathy.

Equal treatment under law = women must face the same penalties for crimes that are metted out to men. No exceptions.

4 The issue with age of consent laws really stems from how piss-poor a science psychology is. Its an ad-hoc solution to the question: Is the individual minor involved sufficiently developed and mature to bear responsibility for his actions? This applied whether the person was male *or* female. If they are, its not a crime; if they aren't, its a crime.

The age of consent is a place holder in the abscence of legitimate scientific evaluation of a child's maturity level.

The difference is, most of the readers (male, almost universally) can think back to when they were 14 and, as Glenmore so eloquently put it, think "Where was she when I was 14?!" A girl, however, they have been taught by societal mores to protect and revere as an innocent being - certainly not one mature enough, at that age, to make a decision regarding sex! However, they do not have any problems at all thinking of their 14-year-old selves

It has highlighted that the age of consent is, indeed, an imperfect and unobjective place holder. However, a complete lack of objective psychological standards to measure these children by also exists. Given that, we must enforce the age of consent rule absolutely. This woman should be punished no different than if she was a male teacher having sex with a 14 year old girl, for that reason. In this specific case it is possible that the boy is emotionally stunted and was manipulated by the teacher - and it was also possible that he was just a kid having a good time. But its entirely besides the point. We have no way of evaluating that objectively, right now - so the age of consent law is proper and good.

When we do, perhaps some day that won't be a crime (and, for that matter, perhaps some day a 14 year old girl will get into a similar situation and be judged mature enough to account for her own actions,) and perahps it would still be judged a crime. It depends on the kid involved. But as it stands now this woman is getting off lightly for a dire crime.

5 Where was she when we were in grade school. All we had were two fat teachers and an ugly one with mental problems. Lock her up, WITH ME! lol

6 Teachers are put in a very important position of trust over our children. She violated that trust no matter how cool it may have been to a 14 year old. She deserves nothing less than the death penalty. A swift execution would certainly serve as a warning to other teachers not to defile our children.

7 USA Patriot, people look at me like i'm insane when I say that should be the penalty for defiling a child. Seems like we are on the same page atleast.

8 USA Patriot,

People like you scare me more than this lady does. Yah what she did was wrong, but you sound like the Taliban to me.