Former Prostitutes Not Allowed To Teach School In Oregon

[matcom]

<snip>

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A handful of times in the last few years, the members of the Oregon commission charged with determining who will get a license to teach in the state's public schools have found themselves faced with an application from a former prostitute.

But under state law, commissioners have had to turn down the applications, regardless of any potentially mitigating circumstances.

Unlike in the neighboring states of California, Nevada, Idaho and Washington, in Oregon, it doesn't matter if the prostitution conviction came at a tender age, if the woman herself was a victim of sexual abuse or forced into prostitution, or if she has since managed to right herself and her life.

Now, a bill that would have brought Oregon's policies in line with its border states has died in the state Senate, after strong signals that even if had made it past the full body of senators, it would not have survived in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

"You don't get past the headline. You just don't get past it," said Dave Mowry, an aide to Rep. Linda Flores, R-Clackamas, who chairs the House Education Committee, where the bill would have landed had it cleared the state Senate.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Margaret Carter, D-Portland, would have allowed a school district to employ a woman convicted of prostitution if at least seven years had passed since the conviction, and if she has not been convicted of any other crime in the interim.

It would not have given a blanket okay to all teacher applicants with a prostitution conviction on their record, but instead would have allowed members of the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis -- the current practice in California, Washington, Nevada and Idaho.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/05/30/for_now_ore_ex_prostitutes_cant_teach/

[ET Awful]

1. Crap, there goes Gannon's future as a journalism professor

:evilgrin:

[LynneSin]

2. Yes, but I;m sure that Talon News is still looking for a replacement

:D

[blm]

3. But, Republicans think it's OK to vote for Bush who HIRED prostitutes

along with his Enron pals in the 80s and 90s.

But....but...but....George Bush was SAVED by Jesus in 1988 and it just took awhile for Jesus's grace to overcome the toxic levels of alcohol and cocaine in his human body. And now he's a perfect example of a Christian man, and THAT is why he's my president.

So they say.

[gmoney]

4. "Convicted? No, never convicted..."

Working prostitutes able to dodge the law are OK, right?