Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Did Teacher, Stephanie Ragusua Offer Tutoring In More Than Just Multiplication? Erin Baynard Stewart Commits Similar Misconduct?


Do you remember a time when a gentle hug from a school teacher was a good thing? Now such physical contact is likely an omen foreshadowing disaster. Stephanie Ragusa was a middle school math teacher. Her students say that she made math "fun." But when she tutored on multiplying, who knew that might include sexual reproduction? The administration, faculty and parents always claim suprise in these cases. But is such ignorance justified?
To be clear, 31 year-old Stephanie Ragusa pleaded guilty to inappropriate sexual contact with two underage students. She could be sentenced to as many as 10 years in prison. Sentencing will be heard on June 15. Specifically, Ragusa will be sentenced on her admission to three counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a 14-year-old boy and two counts of having unlawful sex with a 16-year-old student. According to prosecutor Rita Peters, Ragusa had intercourse with the teen on three occasions between October 2006 and May 2007. Why did she plea? The prosecution had a stacked deck. Evidence of her indiscretion included a recorded phone conversation with the teen. During the call, Ragusa told the boy to keep their relationship a secret. Ragusa was arrested in April 2008 as she was leaving a teen's home. Furhtermore, Ragusa wrote the teen letters and provided him with gifts. Ragusa's handwritten will even included the teen as the executor of her estate.

Ragusa entered her pleas just prior to jury selection. The victims and their families were satisfied with the plea. Robert Herce represented Ragusa who has been jailed since her April 2008 arrest. Ragusa has already spent more time in jail than several other Florida teachers with similar charges. Thus speculation is that she may be given house arrest with eventual probation after the June sentencing hearing. In the mean time, Legal Pub asks when will schools start doing a better job keeping pedophiles and cougars out of the teaching ranks? For other teachers see: Mclean Lafavre Peterson
Update 4-30-10: Erin Baynard Stewart, a Terre Haute, Indiana teacher, may soon join be added to the list of teachers who have exercised incredible poor judgment. Erin is facing charges for allegedly having sexual relations with a student that was 14 years old. Apparently, last year, the 30-year-old teacher allegedly had sexual relations with a boy. Ms. Stewart teaches Social Studies at Chauncey Rose Junior High in Terre Haute. Allegedly the sexual contact occurred
four times last December. One of the encounters allegedly occurred in the classroom.
Apparently the boy's mother called police after her son had been bragging about it to friends.
After word had spread around school, the boy decide to tell his mother. Stewart is on paid administrative leave. She has no criminal arrest history and is to be presumed innocent of all allegations unless otherwise proven in a court of law.
Update 5-3-10: Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt successfuly convinced Vigo County Judge Michael Lewis that there was probable cause for Stewart to be jailed until May 5 Stewart will face at least two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, a class-B felony, Stewart is held on $75,000 bond with no 10 percent allowed. A “no contact order” between Stewart and the student is also in place.
Update 5-21-10: John Beatty, a 75 year old retired Illinois teacher has pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor. Beatty of Martinsville, Illinois signed a plea agreement that reduced three class-B felony charges of sexual misconduct with a minor to one class-C felony count of the same crime.He will be sentenced July 29 and his possible sentence ranges from two to eight years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Beatty was arrested in May 2008 after officers believed that he engaged in sex acts with a minor male. Beatty told police he believed the boy was 18 and not a minor at the time of the consensual acts.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with women today? Can't handle adult relationships? Gees.

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with women today? Can't handle adult relationships? Gees.

Anonymous said...

well, with inexperienced partners, you can stay in control.

Anonymous said...

These young horny teachers today just can't keep their pants on when it comes to fresh meat. You see with the virgins, they can be the experienced one. But will real men, these ladies lack of talent in bed will soon be exposed.

Lock em all up in jail and let them experience prison relations...

Anonymous said...

Growing list of perv teachers?

Mr. Noface said...

Pedophiles and Cougars? Don't you mean pedophiles and pedophiles? To me a cougar is a younger woman who goes after younger MEN (emphasis on the "men" part).

Yono Senada said...

Again? Well, the kids did say she made math fun ...

Sue said...

Good point NoFace. But in the wild, Cheetas and Cougars eat anything younger and/or weaker than them. GRWL...


Sue

California Surfer Dude said...

What's so wrong with making school fun? Had I had such personal interest from a hot teacher, I may never have dropped out. In fact, I might still be in school today!

Surfer Dude

Anonymous said...

Used to be limited to the male teachers that could not keep it zipped...

Legal Pub said...

Update 4-30-10: Erin Baynard Stewart, a Terre Haute, Indiana teacher, may soon join be added to the list of teachers who have exercised incredible poor judgment. Erin is facing charges for allegedly having sexual relations with a student that was 14 years old. Apparently, last year, the 30-year-old teacher allegedly had sexual relations with a boy. Ms. Stewart teaches Social Studies at Chauncey Rose Junior High in Terre Haute. Allegedly the sexual contact occurred
four times last December. One of the encounters allegedly occurred in the classroom.

Apparently the boy's mother called police after her son had been bragging about it to friends.
After word had spread around school, the boy decide to tell his mother. Stewart is on paid administrative leave. She has no criminal arrest history and is to be presumed innocent of all allegations unless otherwise proven in a court of law.

Anonymous said...

No glamor in being either one of these teachers!

Legal Pub said...

Update 5-3-10: Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt successfuly convinced Vigo County Judge Michael Lewis that there was probable cause for Stewart to be jailed until May 5 Stewart will face at least two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, a class-B felony, Stewart is held on $75,000 bond with no 10 percent allowed. A “no contact order” between Stewart and the student is also in place.

Anonymous said...

Uhmmmm . . . For one, you're not perfect so quit judging other people for their mistakes. Mrs. Baynard is an amazing person and I'm pretty sure NONE OF YOU know her! Therefore, you have no right.

Brad said...

I don't care how nice and helpful the teacher is, you can't help male students in a sexual fashion.

If boys need help interacting with girls their own age, watch this video about a young man who wrote a book for boys to learn how to talk to girls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzouzhXSRzY

Anonymous said...

Come on... bad girls are so sexy!

Men that sleep with little girls are gross pedophiles. But hot teachers with teen age boys become
playboy models and legends among teen age boys on the verge of manhood.

Sad commentary perhaps, but nonetheless true in many minds.

Anonymous said...

AHEM . BRAD . Keep your negative comments to yourself. No one cares what you think. Just because someone makes a mistake doesn't mean that you can judge them. You aren't god, my dear! (:

Brad said...

You are right. But this is America. I am welcome to my opinion. I believe in innocent until proven guilty. But she reportedly admitted that she did it. That makes her a pedophile. The fact that the victim is a male doesn't change the crime. She is sick and needs help!

Anonymous said...

Now I have heard that the teacher may claim she was threatened or scared into the relationship. But Ms. Stewart should have known better than place herself in such a situation to begin with....

Legal Pub said...

Update 5-21-10: John Beatty, a 75 year old retired Illinois teacher has pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor. Beatty of Martinsville, Illinois signed a plea agreement that reduced three class-B felony charges of sexual misconduct with a minor to one class-C felony count of the same crime.He will be sentenced July 29 and his possible sentence ranges from two to eight years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Beatty was arrested in May 2008 after officers believed that he engaged in sex acts with a minor male. Beatty told police he believed the boy was 18 and not a minor at the time of the consensual acts.

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