Why Having the Truth on Your Side Means Very Little These Days

“We can all say that we are never going to commit a crime, but we can never guarantee that someone will never accuse us of a crime. And if that happens, well then . . . you know, good luck.” -Jerome Buting, Criminal Defense Attorney for Steven Avery, Subject of the Netflix Documentary, Making a Murderer

Being good doesn’t mean a whole lot when the system you live in is not inherently good. I only say this because my first-hand experience has proven this to be true. I never imagined that I would become entangled in the criminal justice system. I have always tried to do the right thing as a law abiding citizen and that is who my parents raised me to be. I honestly thought that outlook would be enough to keep my life on the right path, but I was sorely mistaken.

It was one year ago that I was falsely accused of a crime by an individual who was angry with me, a woman, for firing him, a man. In spite of an investigation and all the witnesses’ statements being in my favor, charges were filed, starting a downhill tumble from which it has been very difficult for me to recover.

Since that time, my life, has been impacted in such a way that it might be difficult for some to understand unless, of course, they have been through it themselves. In essence, this type of an experience with the criminal justice system is, essentially, a trap that creates a societal fringe group that I never really even knew existed until I was forced into membership. I am one of those who was falsely accused and tried in the court of public opinion before I ever stepped into a courtroom.

I’m sure someone is thinking, “So what. Get over it.” Well, if I could, I would, but it’s just not that easy. Although I really want to move forward, there are several factors that prevent me from doing so.

Public Perception: Sometimes what people think does matter.

The way my case was devoured by the media had an immediate impact on my employment. Simply put, I had to resign my teaching position to save my career. Because it was an eccentric story, one news station after another reported it, adding their own spin, damaging my image and making me into a perceived liability for those with whom I was affiliated. Since that time, this case has continued to hinder my ability to move forward with my career, resulting in the loss of: a wonderful reputation, members of my social circle, and the support of my professional community. People who used to respect me and those who had confidence in my ability, still give me the “side eye.” To this day, I am still approached by individuals, strangers, former colleagues, and former students alike, asking how I could do such a thing, none of them considering the idea that just because someone says you did something doesn’t mean you did. Most of us say we don’t care what others think and we really don’t. . .until we do.

There is an ongoing attack on teachers in an attempt to defame Public Education.

Because of the availability of social media we have become a highly voyeuristic society that seems to crave the fall of those we once used to value and respect. As a teacher, a public servant, I have always been taught I am expected to maintain a certain level of respectability. Any question about my character in any way can prevent licensing, hiring, re-certification, and advancement in the field of K-12 education, especially in public school settings. Although many folks believe that to be true of any job, teachers are one of a hand full of professions held to a higher standard than everyone else, specifically by an overtly critical news media.

Consider this: although most attorneys, bankers, and barbers could easily post or tweet pictures of themselves enjoying a beer while tailgating or a glass of wine while socializing, that’s a post most K-12 teachers and administrators would avoid and many who did not, have been fired. In fact, most teachers and school administrators are trained to avoid socializing and doing other human things in the communities in which they serve in order to prevent being caught in compromising situations. Why? Because there is a tendency for these occurrences to be unfairly scandalized in the news and there are countless examples of this. That said, I believe my case was treated differently because I am a teacher. Why else was it necessary to post my teaching philosophy alongside my mugshot? The case had nothing to do with my treatment of students or athletes, my competency in the classroom, or the school day. Had I been an accountant or a chef, no one would have cared about my case and it certainly wouldn’t have been considered newsworthy. Someone might argue this is fair, but this type of treatment is insulting to a group of people who are held to such high standards, but are not at all fairly compensated or well treated when compared to other professionals. Summarily, teachers are relegated to a moral pedestal, but we are not really respected or valued by the masses we serve. It is not really my character that determines whether I am a good person, but rather the public’s perception of my character. . . especially since I am a teacher.

The Internet: There is always a way to find dirt on someone, even if it’s not all that dirty.

Although I was not convicted, I still have a mugshot online and it will always be there. The availability of my image in such a negative light breeds automatic judgment about my character and my value system. In fact, I have applied and interviewed for several jobs over the course of this year, and I have been told I was not a viable candidate because a search of my name produced an unsavory image of me. An internet search maintains an image that says, there must be a criminal background. To some, that means I have a criminal value system.

Until last January, googling my name would only produce sports clips and interviews associated with my coaching. A week before the accusation, I was named Teacher of the Month in my school for the second time that year. I was also being nominated for a coaching award after taking a team to the state cross country meet. Unfortunately, none of those things were widely publicized or reported and to the uninformed eye, I look like any other common criminal.

There is absolutely no accountability in the news media.

Various stations and outlets can sensationalize stories to draw viewers or followers without emphasizing or even acknowledging the concept of innocent until proven guilty and very little effort is put into getting the actual facts of the story so that what is presented to viewers is real and true.

Although my story was important enough for news reporters to show up at my private residence, not one of them aired or requested an interview or statement in November to find out how the matter was resolved. No one thought about doing a story on why I didn’t want this guy working with our high school girls program in the first place? My guess is no one cares because it’s not the scandal people are interested in and for that reason there is no public restoration or acknowledgment of my true character.