Mr. Morrell witch hunt

Give me a freakin' break, who the hell cares what this teacher does on his private, off time, at home, on his computer.  This is what you should care about; if the Board of Ed lets this happen, this talented AP physics teacher from Columbia High School will no longer teach.  In other words, you, the parents of ultra-smart middle-schoolers and ivy-headed ninth and tenth graders, should be concerned.  My son had him for AP physics and guess what, this teacher somehow taught him well enough to get all fives on his AP exam and get into Cornell and other top tier computer science schools.  


But you parents who have truly bright AP kids should be concerned.  Let's see how easy it is to replace this caliber of physics teacher.  


Depends on the nature of the porn, imo.  Does it involve non-consensual contact of any kind?  Does it involve people who are unable to give consent?  


nakaille said:
Depends on the nature of the porn, imo.  

 Nothing more?  Assuming it's just his own personal time spent on his computer, he may lose his job (not imo)


nakaille said:
Depends on the nature of the porn, imo.  Does it involve non-consensual contact of any kind?  Does it involve people who are unable to give consent?  

 ok I see you just added more content.  Well of course if it involves any of the above then it's a different matter.  But assuming it doesn't and is solely his own time, on his own computer, his reputation is still ruined and we probably lost him as a teacher.  Any comment about that?


I don't think we can assume anything at this point.  


nakaille said:
I don't think we can assume anything at this point.  

 nakaille you can safely assume we lost a valuable teacher.


Can someone link to some background?


Witch hunt? It was child pornography. I don’t give a hoots *** how great a physics teacher he is! What does that have to do with it??


Innocent until proven guilty of course, but I’d take a mediocre, non-depraved physics teacher over a great physics teacher who has sick ____ tendencies any day of the week. 


Given the nature of the charges, and understanding that everyone is entitled to a presumption of innocence, I have to believe Sender is a troll. No one could possibly be stupid or craven enough to see collecting child pornography as ok if it’s something someone does “on their own time” “in private”.


But I’ve been wrong before.




Jackson_Fusion said:

But I’ve been wrong before.


Inconceivable!



sender said:
Give me a freakin' break, who the hell cares what this teacher does on his private, off time, at home, on his computer.  This is what you should care about; if the Board of Ed lets this happen, this talented AP physics teacher from Columbia High School will no longer teach.  In other words, you, the parents of ultra-smart middle-schoolers and ivy-headed ninth and tenth graders, should be concerned.  My son had him for AP physics and guess what, this teacher somehow taught him well enough to get all fives on his AP exam and get into Cornell and other top tier computer science schools.  

But you parents who have truly bright AP kids should be concerned.  Let's see how easy it is to replace this caliber of physics teacher.  

Congratulations, sender, on your son’s AP scores and admission to Cornell and other top CS schools. He does sound like a truly bright kid.

Personally, I don’t believe that truly bright kids require high-caliber teachers to matriculate just fine; if the loss of quality is the concern, I’d be more worried about the students for whom excellent teaching matters most.

That difference between us aside, there are good reasons that possession of child pornography is a felony and not just someone’s private matter. Mr. Morrill earned my son’s respect as a teacher, and his 25 years of service at CHS don’t just disappear because of the charges. But those years don’t make the charges vanish, either.


Jackson_Fusion said:
Given the nature of the charges, and understanding that everyone is entitled to a presumption of innocence, I have to believe Sender is a troll. No one could possibly be stupid or craven enough to see collecting child pornography as ok if it’s something someone does “on their own time” “in private”.

Could be, but I’m going to be honest and admit that this thought crossed my mind: What if Mr. Morrill had been arrested a couple of years earlier, right in the middle of my son’s physics studies in his class, disrupting the class’s progress?

I answered the question for myself pretty quickly, but it was closer to sender’s comments than I usually am to trolls.


Sender, really?   Child porn on his own time is Ok as long as our kids get into Ivy League schools!? Can that really be what you are saying?




susan1014 said:
Sender, really?   Child porn on his own time is Ok as long as our kids get into Ivy League schools!? Can that really be what you are saying?




 This. How dispicable.


no second chances if you were caught looking at child pornography. Fired immediately (and hopefully eventually arrested after being proven guilty)


sender said:


nakaille said:
Depends on the nature of the porn, imo.  Does it involve non-consensual contact of any kind?  Does it involve people who are unable to give consent?  
  Well of course if it involves any of the above then it's a different matter.  But assuming it doesn't and is solely his own time, on his own computer, his reputation is still ruined and we probably lost him as a teacher.  Any comment about that?

 It looks to me like folks are attributing things to sender that he did not say.  However, since sender has not come back to clarify his comments in light of the charges apparently filed, sender seems to have become something of a target for folks' fear and anger and disappointment.


nakaille said:

sender said:

nakaille said:
Depends on the nature of the porn, imo.  Does it involve non-consensual contact of any kind?  Does it involve people who are unable to give consent?  
  Well of course if it involves any of the above then it's a different matter.  But assuming it doesn't and is solely his own time, on his own computer, his reputation is still ruined and we probably lost him as a teacher.  Any comment about that?
 It looks to me like folks are attributing things to sender that he did not say.  However, since sender has not come back to clarify his comments in light of the charges apparently filed, sender seems to have become something of a target for folks' fear and anger and disappointment.

 The charge is possession of child pornography, which by definition involves people who are too young for consent.

ETA: If you’re suggesting, naikalle, that the OP might not have been aware of the specific charge before starting the thread, maybe not. It was reported two days ago, however, so if we’re attributing that awareness to him or her, that’s probably why.


I’d say it is often best to actually read the available news articles before starting a thread.  If sender didn’t do that, then he/she can let us know that the issue here is ignorance of the charges, rather than a desire to overlook the charges.


f
Smedley said:
Innocent until proven guilty of course, but I’d take a mediocre, non-depraved physics teacher over a great physics teacher who has sick ____ tendencies any day of the week. 

 

Smedley said:
Innocent until proven guilty of course, but I’d take a mediocre, non-depraved physics teacher over a great physics teacher who has sick ____ tendencies any day of the week. 

Maybe you would but would your child?  Did all the children he taught beautifully for 25 years know what he was doing on his own time, or care?  Those were the lucky kids; they had a memorably great physics teacher.  Good luck with your kid having a mediocre teacher now.  And I mean your kid's good luck, not yours.  


You see, if we start policing everyone's private time, and firing everyone who we in recent times deem unfit, then we will carte blanche get rid of these talented people.  Let's not forget this is not the me too movement, this teacher as far as we know did not touch a person, so aren't we just shooting our child in the foot? 


sender said:
Maybe you would but would your child?  Did all the children he taught beautifully for 25 years know what he was doing on his own time, or care?  Those were the lucky kids; they had a memorably great physics teacher.

From personal experience with my own child who was one of his students, they didn't know.  And I agree that he's been an outstanding teacher.  That does not change the fact that the crime he is accused of is inconsistent with being trusted with young people.  


We do “police” private time when it comes to child pornography, which by definition includes exploitation. This seems like a good policy and shouldn’t be restricted to people who aren’t good at their jobs.


So, for those of you who were giving benefit of the doubt, sender has reiterated a willingness to overlook consumption of child porn, as long as “our kids” get into Ivies.  Too bad for the exploited kids, who likely don’t live here.


I’m disgusted.


sender said:

Maybe you would but would your child?  Did all the children he taught beautifully for 25 years know what he was doing on his own time, or care?  Those were the lucky kids; they had a memorably great physics teacher.  Good luck with your kid having a mediocre teacher now.  And I mean your kid's good luck, not yours.  

 The kids in child pornography, which endures because of the doctors, engineers, scientists, firefighters and teachers who are intent on possessing it, aren’t so lucky.


People also must bear in mind, how did the images get on his machine? Did someone else have access to his machine?  Pervs often cover their tracks by using other people’s resources (e.g. laptops, WiFi, social media). So it’s conceivable that he’s been completely unaware of this.


gonets said:
People also must bear in mind, how did the images get on his machine? Did someone else have access to his machine?  Pervs often cover their tracks by using other people’s resources (e.g. laptops, WiFi, social media). So it’s conceivable that he’s been completely unaware of this.

If you read the article, this was his home equipment, and charges came from an ongoing investigation.  If there is another explanation, we’ll hear it.  


But the grasping at straws going on here is uncomfortable to watch.  No matter how good a teacher he is, some matters must be taken very seriously. Every time I see the “witch hunt” thread title, I mourn for the children who seem to mean less to us than our highly groomed little achievers.


sender said:


f
Smedley said:
Innocent until proven guilty of course, but I’d take a mediocre, non-depraved physics teacher over a great physics teacher who has sick ____ tendencies any day of the week. 
 
Smedley said:
Innocent until proven guilty of course, but I’d take a mediocre, non-depraved physics teacher over a great physics teacher who has sick ____ tendencies any day of the week. 
Maybe you would but would your child?  Did all the children he taught beautifully for 25 years know what he was doing on his own time, or care?  Those were the lucky kids; they had a memorably great physics teacher.  Good luck with your kid having a mediocre teacher now.  And I mean your kid's good luck, not yours.  


You see, if we start policing everyone's private time, and firing everyone who we in recent times deem unfit, then we will carte blanche get rid of these talented people.  Let's not forget this is not the me too movement, this teacher as far as we know did not touch a person, so aren't we just shooting our child in the foot? 

This is surely some bizarre attempt at humor, right? You can possibly be serious? “Well, he’s a serial killer and all but he does that on his own time and he’s a really great teacher when he’s not, you know, killing people”. Where’s the line? Child pornography is a crime. A heinous crime with the victims being our most vulnerable. You commit crimes, you don’t get to teach children. Period.


nohero said:  "From personal experience with my own child who was one of his students, they didn't know.  And I agree that he's been an outstanding teacher.  That does not change the fact that the crime he is accused of is inconsistent with being trusted with young people."


Very sadly agree 100% with nohero. The little contact i had with Mr. Morrill left the impression of a person not only fully engaged with his subject matter in a way that lighted up the students, but a quiet, kind man as well.  So sad.  And this is the second truly exceptional CHS teacher my child had who has had to leave, and presumably stop teaching too.  Not as sad for students as for the exploited kids by a long shot, but still a loss for students and teacher, and sad.


even if this is a troll thread..


yes people who view kiddie porn VICTIMIZE the kids.....the creators wouldn't do it if there wasn't a demand for it.  the person that views the kiddie porn is responsible for the abuse of that child.


I knew someone that ended up convicted of kiddie porn....my BIL grew up next to him.  He was good friends with a family I know that had 3 kids...2 boys and a girl.  There is a very real possibility that the kids were victimized.


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