We put a lot of faith in teachers to both educate our little ones and keep them safe and secure while they’re out of our hands. That’s why it’s so troubling to hear stories of negligent or abusive educators — any breach of trust is worse when the safety of our children is at stake. Whether it was child abuse, recklessness, or worse, here are just a few of the very worst teachers in recent history.
UPDATED, AUGUST 2020: We’re a little over midway through 2020 and we’ve already added more people to this list — and that’s with school closures and a quarantine. Scroll down to see some of the more recent worst teachers in history.
Lisa Rothwell
Authorities caught this assistant principal from Cramerton, NC, sharing explicit texts with a 17-year-old student. During the ensuing trial, testimony revealed Lisa Rothwell had carried on an intimate sexual relationship with the student for months. She faces six counts of felony sexual activity between a teacher and student.
Sara Damyan
One of the most recent stories surrounds Sara Damyan. The 33-year-old former special education teacher is accused of having given a 14-year-old boy marijuana-laced tea and candies, then sexually assaulting him as they watched movies at her place. The boy was not one of her students, but someone who went to her for after-school tutoring. The Sun-Times reported that Damyan told of her exploits to a friend who reported the event to authorities. Her trial is still pending.