Monday, September 24, 2007

Teacher Erin McLean Who Allegedly Had Sex With Teen Sean Powell Has Apparently Fled With Her Two Sons Update 10-28-08


The Erin McLean story just gets worse each day. Erin was a teacher accused of having an affair with a high school student (Sean Powell). Her husband, Eric McLean, apparently found out and is accused of killing the young student. Erin McLean has checked out of a mental hospital and has disappeared with her two sons. Erin and her two sons, ages 11 and 8, have been missing since Sept. 15. (Photo courtesy of A.P.)

Attorney Gary Blackburn said his client, Erin McLean is emotionally distraught but not dangerous. "Erin's undergoing enormous pressure... She's unable to get or keep jobs. Anything she does is interpreted in a certain way. I fear for her. Anyone in that state, you don't know what might happen," said Blackburn.

Eric McLean is represented by Bruce Poston. Eric McLean has been charged with second-degree murder after he apparently shot Sean Powell on March 10 as he sat in his car in front of the McLeans' home. Powell had been an English student of Erin McLean. Eric McLean filed for divorce and contends that the shooting was an accident. He is free on bail. Trial is set for Jan. 14. Speculation is that Erin McLean may be heading to California to meet someone she met on the Internet. (Hope it is no one from Legal Pub!)

Poston said, "These boys are in danger. For now, this is the first time both families agree she is too unstable to have these boys."

Erin apparently was recently fired from a Nashville school amid new allegations of improper conduct with a student. Her attorney speculates that she is frustrated trying to find a new job and that "...there's two ways to deal with it - fight and flight. She chose the latter."
Update 11-29-07
Apparently, Nashville attorney, Gary Blackburn has shared with the A.P. that Erin McLean is in another state with friends and has enrolled her eight- and 11-year-old sons in school.

Update: 7-4-08: Keep in mind, no matter what actually happened that day, Sean Powell did not deserve to die!
Update 9-11-08: The jury found Eric McLean guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide! They deliberated 11-and-a-half hours. Eric McLean, 33, was charged with first degree murder. Fortunately for him, Eric was found not guilty of first or second degree murder or voluntary manslaughter. While he faces between two to four years in prison, he's eligible for probation and no prison time since he doesn't have a prior record. He'll be free on bond until his sentencing.
Update 10-28-08: "The boys are headed back to Tennessee," according to defense attorney Bruce Poston confirmed Wednesday. Erin had been accused of fleeing with the boys after she was accused of faking her way into a teaching job at a private Christian school last year. 4th Circuit Court Judge Bill Swann has approved visitation between the boys and their father. Allegedly divorce attorney Steve Sharp helped find Erin McLean in Austin. She apparently has a new 18-year-old friend. At a recent hearing Erin McLean apparently denied most of the allegations that have been made against her. She said she was on the run to avoid the media. at Erin McLean apparently fled with the boys when she wound up in trouble in Nashville and not because of Eric's legal problems. Erin McLean apparently insisted that the teenager who had been staying with her and the boys was just a "temporary helpmate." The boys have been ordered into the temporary custody of Eric McLean's mother, Tanya McLean. custody arrangement. Eric McLean faces sentencing next month before Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz.

Update 4-23-09: Back in the later part of 2008, A Knox County judge sentenced Eric McLean to 4 years in jail which was reduced to 47 days of additional jail time. The reduction in actual time served occurred because of sentencing guidelines concerning his conviction of reckless homicide involving Sean Powell's death. The guideline less the 43 days already served reduced the jail time to 47 more days. Eric began serving his time immediately and should now be out of jail serving the rest of his time "on probation." Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz actually did extend McLean's probation to 12 years at the request of prosecutors. If McLean violates any of the terms of probation, he may be required to serve the full four years in jail. Good luck to Eric and a sincere wish for closure for loved one's of Sean Powell who continue to mourn his death.

Update 4-24-09: And for those of you interested in the ongoing custody and visitation saga, Erin McLean's was sentenced her to 95 days in jail as part of her conviction on 17 contempt charges involving visitation and no contact orders. (For those keeping score, that's about five days more than Eric served for reckless homicide.) By most accounts, Judge Bill Swann was not impressed with Erin's failure to obey orders. Eric McLean was represented by Steve Sharp. Erin was represented by Brandy Slaybaugh. More judges ought to enforce visitation like Judge Swann and perhaps there would be a lot more joint parenting as a result.

Erin pleaded the fifth in court. She apparently contacted the children two times when the court issued a no contact order. There are possibly other violations by Erin of family law orders and therefor one or more additional contempt motions could be heard by the judge in the future.

69 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is one nutty teacher! She must have uncontrollable male like hormones!



Nancy

Anonymous said...

She is a fruitcake!

Anonymous said...

Not sure why any woman would want to have sex with an 18 year old boy. Let me explain with a story from my past.

When I was a rightous 18 year old surfer dude I lived with a domestic woman. One morning she was in the kitchen preparing to boil eggs. I walked in; She turned and said, You've got to make love to me this very moment."

I thought, "This is my lucky day."
Not wanting to lose the moment, I embraced her and we made love right there on the kitchen table.

Afterwards she said, "Thanks,"and returned to the eggs on the stove.

I was dumbfounded so I asked, "What was that all about?"

She explained, "The egg timer's broken and I needed to boil the eggs for 2 minutes."

Surfer Dude

Ms Calabaza said...

Love it Surfer Dude! Sometimes these women prefer quantity over quality . . .

Anonymous said...

Ms. C, was afraid you fell off the bucking bronco. Missed your wit in combating swine flew around these parts.

Shell

Anonymous said...

Debra Lafave is a lot hotter!

Anonymous said...

Keep em all away from my teen age sons!

Anonymous said...

Back when I was in school, sex ed was strictly video tape or movie. Now days, its apparently hands on lab instruction!

Anonymous said...

Back when I was in school, sex ed was strictly video tape or movie. Now days, its apparently hands on lab instruction!

Anonymous said...

Become a teacher by an internet degree! There are internet sites to show how you can become a big part of some student's childhood memories!

Such ads take on a whole new meaning when you consider our current state of affairs of teachers that go to far...

Anonymous said...

As a future teacher, I am absolutely horrified by this. The teacher/student relationship is supposed to be a professional one and nothing else. Something like this happened at my high school back when I was still attending where one of the gym teachers was accused of, and caught, having sexual relations with one of the students. Of course she was fired.

It is obvious that it is nearly impossible to assess these people at the beginning of their employment, so it should be essential for administrators to keep a closer eye on their empolyees. And it is also absolutely necessary for parents to discuss with their children the dangers of exploitation by people they know and trust.

Legal Pub said...

krissa O.

Excellent first post. We have a lot of teachers who read Legal Pub. You are probably correct. Screening of teachers may not work. But perhaps better preparing our students to resist advances and closer monitoring of teachers may work.

In the end, tougher penalties may help.

Legal Pub said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Erin McLEANS toward the young stuff!

Anonymous said...

Erin is one sick puppy.

Anonymous said...

See todays legal pub story about the ex teacher doing a teen ager in her basement while her husband slept...

crazy


Jill

Anonymous said...

These teachers are all sick!

Anonymous said...

This is why I dropped out of school! Well, not really. But it makes for a more entertaining excuse.

Anonymous said...

Eric McLean should have taken his case to verdict. He may have been acquitted. Temporary insanity should have been a defense.

Anonymous said...

Poor Eric... Boo Hoo. WAke up. He killed someone!

Anonymous said...

Eric killed an innocent boy!


Quincy

Legal Pub said...

Update 11-29-07 Apparenly, Nashville attorney, Gary Blackburn has shared with the A.P. that Erin McLean is in another state with friends and has enrolled her eight- and 11-year-old sons in school.

Anonymous said...

one word: EVIL



Brad

Anonymous said...

These stories give teachers a bad name!

Teacher

Anonymous said...

Bad, bad girl!

Anonymous said...

At least Eric is finally smart enough to file for divorce!

Erin is another Pam Smart....

Anonymous said...

Maybe next Eric will hook up with Debra Lafave, she is hotter.

Anonymous said...

No one knows how insane Erin may be. Where is she and their children. In my view, they both comited a crime but only he is the one paying for it. From rumors, it appears that she may still have engaged in one or more inappropriate relationships while his ass is rotting in jail.What happened to crimes of passion getting less punishment?

Wendi

Anonymous said...

It is the old double standards...

Jim

Anonymous said...

I disagree, Sean Powell did deserve his death. His actions precipitated it. In a healthy society, Erin Mclean would be on trial here, for her destructive behavior, not Eric Mclean.

Sometimes, murder is a justifiable action. This is one of those times.

Anonymous said...

Also, Wendi brings up a good point. Why hasn't the government kept a closer eye on this woman? Why haven't they made arrangements for the children? Why has Eric Mclean been in prison for over a year without yet having a trial? Why didn't the owner of this blog ask these critical types of questions?

Anonymous said...

Eric McLean is having his "day in court" this past week. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

Legal Pub provides opportunities for readers to place balanced comments as well as valid questions. Some do believe that Erin McLean should be on trial. Others believe that she has committed moral wrongs but no crimes. Ultimately, it is the prosecutor who decides who is charged with what. Lets see what happens to Eric...

Legal Eagle 3

Anonymous said...

Eric McLean is having his "day in court" this past week. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

Legal Pub provides opportunities for readers to place balanced comments as well as valid questions. Some do believe that Erin McLean should be on trial. Others believe that she has committed moral wrongs but no crimes. Ultimately, it is the prosecutor who decides who is charged with what. Lets see what happens to Eric...

Legal Eagle 3

Anonymous said...

I agree that Sean Powell deserved it.

Anonymous said...

The alleged words of Erin McLean which likely lead to Sean Powell's death: "Erin yelled to her husband, 'Sean is 10 times the man you are. I don't want my boys around you. I am leaving with Sean."'

Anonymous said...

The old insult to manhood technique!

Anonymous said...

the wrong person is on trial here..yes eric did it but he was just the weapon of choice..Erin should be on trial because if her and sean had never had an affair none of this would have happened..Sorry folks but if i was on the jury i could not find this man guilty of murder!!!!

Anonymous said...

Sean did not deserve to die, nor do the rest of us. That is precisely why we wear seatbelts, avoid cliffs, and refrain from sleeping with married people, let alone flaunting it and rubbing it in the spouses face. What Erin did to Sean was terrible, what Sean and Erin did to Eric was terrible, and what Eric did to Sean was terrible. In the end, if you kick a dog long enough, eventually, it either bites you or dies. My take from the trial is the shooting was accidental. That is more than I can say for the behavior of Erin and Sean, who were getting their jollies taunting and humiliating this man. What a tragedy.

Anonymous said...

I agree with both of the above comments! :)

Legal Pub said...

Update 9-11-08: The jury found Eric McLean guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide! They deliberated 11-and-a-half hours. Eric McLean, 33, was charged with first degree murder. Fortunately for him, Eric was found not guilty of first or second degree murder or voluntary manslaughter. While he faces between two to four years in prison, he's eligible for probation and no prison time since he doesn't have a prior record. He'll be free on bond until his sentencing.

Anonymous said...

JUSTICE!

Anonymous said...

Congrats to ERic and his defense team!

Anonymous said...

"Now that the verdict came out, I feel like people won't be afraid of me," McLean told The Associated Press on Friday.

Not me, I am still scared of him...

Anonymous said...

ERin is the one to fear!

Legal Pub said...

Update 4-24-09: Back in the later part of 2008, A Knox County judge sentenced Eric McLean to 4 years in jail which was reduced to 47 days of additional jail time. The reduction in actual time served occurred because of sentencing guidelines concerning his conviction of reckless homicide involving Sean Powell's death. The guideline less the 43 days already served reduced the jail time to 47 more days. Eric began serving his time immediately and should now be out of jail serving the rest of his time "on probation." Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz actually did extend McLean's probation to 12 years at the request of prosecutors. If McLean violates any of the terms of probation, he may be required to serve the full four years in jail. Good luck to Eric and a sincere wish for closure for loved one's of Sean Powell who continue to mourn his death.

Anonymous said...

This sentance illustrates how bad our justice system can be. Eric and Erin shall be judge before God.

Eric could have called the cops. Instead he pulled the trigger.

Legal Pub said...

Update 4-23-09: Back in the later part of 2008, A Knox County judge sentenced Eric McLean to 4 years in jail which was reduced to 47 days of additional jail time. The reduction in actual time served occurred because of sentencing guidelines concerning his conviction of reckless homicide involving Sean Powell's death. The guideline less the 43 days already served reduced the jail time to 47 more days. Eric began serving his time immediately and should now be out of jail serving the rest of his time "on probation." Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz actually did extend McLean's probation to 12 years at the request of prosecutors. If McLean violates any of the terms of probation, he may be required to serve the full four years in jail. Good luck to Eric and a sincere wish for closure for loved one's of Sean Powell who continue to mourn his death.

Update 4-24-09: And for those of you interested in the ongoing custody and visitation saga, Erin McLean's was sentenced her to 95 days in jail as part of her conviction on 17 contempt charges involving visitation and no contact orders. (For those keeping score, that's about five days more than Eric served for reckless homicide.) By most accounts, Judge Bill Swann was not impressed with Erin's failure to obey orders. Eric McLean was represented by Steve Sharp. Erin was represented by Brandy Slaybaugh. More judges ought to enforce visitation like Judge Swann and perhaps there would be a lot more joint parenting as a result.

Erin pleaded the fifth in court. She apparently contacted the children two times when the court issued a no contact order. There are possibly other violations by Erin of family law orders and therefor one or more additional contempt motions could be heard by the judge in the future.

Anonymous said...

Erin just Mcleans in such a fashion as to rub a judge and jury the wrong way.

Anonymous said...

Eric McLean may be no saint, but he is a far better influence on those kids then Erin, in MHO.

Historian said...

There is long history of students and teachers. To name a few:
Mary Kay LeTourneau and Vili Fualaau first met when she was a 34-year-old school teacher and he was her 12-year-old sixth-grade student. At the time, Mary Kay LeTourneau was married and the mother of four children. The relationship between Mary Kay LeTourneau and Vili Fualaau quickly became sexual and culminated in Mary Kay LeTourneau being convicted of rape.

She served over seven years in prison for her crime. She was released from prison in 2004 and married Fualaau a year later.

Since the Mary Kay LeTourneau story a number of other teacher-student sex scandals have made the headlines.

Melissa Moss was fired from her teaching job at a school in St. Louis after she was caught furnishing pornographic material to a minor (she sent topless pictures of herself to a 15-year-old boy).

In 2004, Debra LaFave was charged with statutory rape after having sexual relations with a boy.

Another teacher, Pamela Rogers, had a sexual relationship with one of her 13-year-old male students.

The list goes on and on...

Anonymous said...

Cougar?

Anonymous said...

Yup, full fledged cougar

Anonymous said...

Come on, Sean didn't deserve to die for what he did, he was an 18 yr. old kid. What 18 yr. old boy is going to say no to an older woman? Sorry, but if it were me, Erin would have been the one pushing up daisies, not Sean.

Anonymous said...

Definitely agree that Sean did not deserve to die.

Anonymous said...

Definitely agree that Sean did not deserve to die.

Anonymous said...

NO he did not deserve to die! But even the youngest teen knows it is wrong to sleep with a married woman.

No one knows how they may react under similar circumstances.

Anonymous said...

I don't care what Erin McLean did...she is drop-dead gorgeous and should get whatever she wants. I would gladly trade place with the dead kid if I could make love to her even once. She is literally to die for!

Anonymous said...

Let's assume Erin really is that attractive... that just means she has to be that much more careful where she points those weapons of hers...

Anonymous said...

"Keep in mind, no matter what actually happened that day, Sean Powell did not deserve to die!"

I take issue with that. There are plenty of Capital "T" Truths in this world (such as, "It is a bad idea to bang a married chick.") - and the rights to life and liberty after having sexual relations with another man's wife are far from guaranteed. In fact, if I were the husband, they'd be non-existent. I just wouldn't have run off afterward.

Anonymous said...

Adultry is truly wrong. The consequences of Adultry are devistating. But two wroongs will never make a right and they sure as heck won't erase the adultry.

Anonymous said...

Adultery is one of those words that is seldom uttered in public. It remains a backward derogatory remark that few have the courage to say in public.

Anonymous said...

unaltered, unquestionable adultry.

Felder said...

As a future teacher, I am absolutely horrified by this. The teacher/student relationship is supposed to be a professional one and nothing else. Something like this happened at my high school back when I was still attending where one of the gym teachers was accused of, and caught, having sexual relations with one of the students. Of course she was fired. It is obvious that it is nearly impossible to assess these people at the beginning of their employment, so it should be essential for administrators to keep a closer eye on their empolyees. And it is also absolutely necessary for parents to discuss with their children the dangers of exploitation by people they know and trust.

Teaching Fraternity said...

Felder: Welcome to the game of life. Teaching is rewarding but it can also be a mine field. A teacher must not cross the line with a student. Once the line is crossed, inappropriate conduct becomes hard to avoid.

Parents need to be aware, but so must school administrators.

Unknown said...

This was a travesty brought on by an unfaithful wife and a horny kid. I do think Eric only meant tho scare boom and Sean grabbed the shaft of the rifle. Face it he had already punked him by sexing his wife in front of him...so he felt he was more man then him and it ended with him being killed. The person who should have went to prison was Erin for a long, long time.

Unknown said...

This was a travesty brought on by an unfaithful wife and a horny kid. I do think Eric only meant tho scare boom and Sean grabbed the shaft of the rifle. Face it he had already punked him by sexing his wife in front of him...so he felt he was more man then him and it ended with him being killed. The person who should have went to prison was Erin for a long, long time.

Unknown said...

This was a travesty brought on by an unfaithful wife and a horny kid. I do think Eric only meant tho scare boom and Sean grabbed the shaft of the rifle. Face it he had already punked him by sexing his wife in front of him...so he felt he was more man then him and it ended with him being killed. The person who should have went to prison was Erin for a long, long time.

Unknown said...

Okay let's get some things straight here. As far as this accidental death bs goes, he made sure to do this on a night when the kids were at his parents house. He'd taken the gun from his parents a few nights earlier. He also had three rounds of ammunition. On the night before Sean had died, he asked erin to go outside with him she said no she was tired and just say it there. He also let Sean stay the night in their house. Eric had been an adulterer for their entire marriage, and he'd told Erin he didn't care what she did.

Unknown said...

By the way, a couple more things. In Knoxville on the news it said the boys were found with an 18 year old boy in Austin. That's not true. I was 39 at the time, and took them to school that morning myself. Walked Ian to school and got Eric on the bus for his. Also, Sean Powell was over 18. He was and adult. He was no longer attending that school. They met there but were still two consenting adults.