After sharing what this male teacher wrote to a 7-year-old girl, Fox asked its viewers if the teacher should be fired. A full 91 percent of voters said yes.
We are happy to report that the young girl is unharmed and safe but we share this story as a cautionary tale. Pay attention to who your children are surrounded with when you're not around.
Cary Reed, who previously worked in law enforcement, saw what many administrators overlooked in a teacher's messages to his daughter at Aurora Academy Charter School.
The teacher used his first name in the messages, gave the child photos of himself making funny faces, and called her pet names like "stinky butt."
“As I read over the letter, it was concerning since it had the teacher’s face and he was using pet names to refer to her," he said. "We felt it was inappropriate and grooming behaviors.”
According to the Department of Justice, "Grooming is a method of building trust with a child and adults around the child in an effort to gain access to and time alone with her/him… The offender may assume a caring role, befriend the child, or even exploit their position of trust and authority to groom the child and/or the child’s family. "
Reed was still unsure of what to do until his daughter received another suspicious note. The note asked for the girl's "friendship," and said things like "you make me smile."
“At that point, we felt like we needed to address it with the school,” Reed said. The school admitted the behavior was inappropriate and said it wouldn't happen again.
The school stands by its decision to keep the teacher employed but Reed isn't satisfied. See more of the story below.
Please SHARE if you think Reed's concerns were valid.
