Dynamics Changing Between Teachers And Students

The arrest of a Clovis East High School employee has parents on edge.

"Like wow it’s happening more often; it’s becoming common," Fresno mom Samantha Estrada said.

24-year-old Fernando Garcia is charged him with unlawful sex with a minor and lewd acts with a person under the age of 16. Garcia was a part-time campus monitor at Clovis East High School.

"They’re supposed to be someone you can count on, depend on. When you’re child’s not in your house, they’re at school, they’re supposed to be safe," Estrada said.

Parents concerns about inappropriate relationships have always been around, but with more and more cases popping up, their fears are heightened.

"When this kind of stuff happens in the school-house, it changes our whole image of the world because the safe place is no longer safe," Dr. Andrew Fiala said.

Dr. Andrew Fiala is the Director of Ethics over at Fresno State University. He says he doesn’t think these inappropriate relationships are becoming more common. He thinks we’re just becoming more aware.

"Every time someone steps over the line, we get shocked and that’s a good thing I think," Dr. Fiala said.

But he says there are many things making those relationships easier to establish.

"The environment’s changed. Technology kind of makes this stuff possible," Dr. Fiala said.

Facebook messages and text messages are making these teachers that much more accessible..

"In the past I don’t think anyone would’ve given a home phone number to a student," Dr. Fiala said.

And he says the environment itself is not helping.

"Despite the fact that we’re very nervous about sexuality, there’s sex everywhere," Dr. Fiala said.

In addition, he says teachers are becoming more informal, even through small things such as their clothes.

"Then the barriers break down and we have a little lack of respect. Its very easy to start imagining we’re all friends," Dr. Fiala said.

But when the lines get blurred, the teachers are the ones who should make them clear.

"There needs to be an authority in the class and that authority has to have moral obligations," Dr. Fiala said.

He says our society, including our teachers are facing new challenges we’ve never seen before.

"As we educate people about their professional responsibilities and about ethics, we have to remind them about technology and ethical norms for dealing with technology," Dr. Fiala said.