Six current and two former teachers, as well as one school board member at the small Rose City Middle School in Michigan, sent letters to the judge presiding over the pedophilia trial of Neal Erickson, who met with an eighth grade boy approximately ten times for oral sex in his home. Erickson pled guilty in a plea deal that allowed him to be sentenced for only one count.
One teacher, Amy Huber Eagan, who is also the wife of the school board member, Michael Eagan wrote, “I am asking that Neal be given the absolute minimum sentence, considering all the circumstances surrounding this case.”
Another teacher, Sally Campbell, wrote, “He allowed a mutual friendship to develop into much more. He realized his mistake and ended it years before someone anonymously sent something to the authorities which began this legal process.”
A third teacher, Harriet Coe, added, “Neal has plead guilty for his one criminal offense but he is not a predator. This was an isolated incident. He understands the severity of his action and is sincere in his desire to make amends.”
This caused Judge Michael Baumgartner to voice his indignation at the teachers and he told them, “I’m appalled and ashamed that the community would rally around, in this case, you. What you did was a jab in the eye with a sharp stick to every parent who trusts a teacher.”
The community is up in arms, especially the boy’s parents. The boy is now 21 and attending college. One pro pedophile burned the parents garag3e to the ground. he has not been caught as of yet. The parents are now demanding that the six current teachers and the board member be fired for condoning such behavior from a teacher. That is considered unlikely as any teacher who would be fired would sue under their first amendment rights and the tiny district does not have the money for a protracted court battle.
