But the alleged dalliance didn’t last long. Once the boy’s mother learned about it, she called the police, who taped two calls he placed to the teacher and elicited his descriptions of some of her unique physical traits. He also told the cops, according to the affidavit, that she suffered from “sexual inadequacy problems” in her year-old marriage and was “turned on” by a taboo tryst with a boy. Two weeks ago LaFave was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior, which could each carry a 15-year sentence. She’s now on administrative leave and will likely be suspended. (LaFave’s attorney declined comment.)
If she’s convicted, LaFave will join a roster of transgressing teachers like Mary Kay Letourneau, who gave birth to two kids she had with a former sixth-grader in Seattle. That list may be longer than you’d expect. A report released by the Department of Education last week found that 6.7 percent of K-12 students reported that they had been the victims of sexual misconduct of a physical nature by school employees. A spokesman for the National Education Association calls the study “important” but potentially “alarmist,” and insists that schools have “extensive procedures” to protect children.
It’s unclear what kind of screening LaFave underwent. At 18, she posed in a bikini with a motorcycle for Makes & Models magazine. In her short career, she received glowing reviews. “Debbie is a mature and professional young woman,” wrote her internship supervisor in 2002. “She will be an asset to any school!” Unfortunately, it looks like she brought the wrong sort of assets.
