Recently, a 27-year-old former teacher, Loryn Barclay, pleaded guilty to repeatedly having sexual relations with one of her students.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, she was able to avoid prison and received what many people would consider a light punishment.
Barclay began teaching at Monett High School in Missouri as a substitute teacher before becoming a paraprofessional – an aide that usually assists with special needs students – only a few months later.
She then became a teacher’s assistant but was fired soon after from this position when an anonymous tip was given about her relationship with the student.
When questioned by school resource officers, Barclay admitted to engaging in “inappropriate relationships” with the student who had recently turned 17.
The student revealed that there were multiple sexual encounters between himself and Barclay which included intercourse twice at his home as well as oral sex in the car at North Park.
As a result of these encounters occurring while Barclay was employed as a substitute teacher for the child’s school, she faced four charges under laws prohibiting sexual contact between educators and students in public schools.
Two counts were brought against her in Barry County due to intercourse taking place there while two other charges were filed in Lawrence County for oral sex occurring in North Park.
At the preliminary court hearing, it came out that the student had become interested in Barclay when she took over some classes as a substitute and started messaging her soon afterwards.
This led to them bonding over mutual interests and hobbies online and through texting until he asked if they could start seeing each other outside of school; she agreed.
As this boy was 17, Barclays agreement allowed her to plead down to harassment on someone under 17 years old (a class D felony).
Jasper County Circuit Court Judge David B Mouton decided not to put Barclay behind bars but instead gave her five years supervised probation along with sex offender registration requirements as well as preventing any contact with either him or his family during these five years on probation.
