Student-Teacher Love Affair?

[Deleted]

Jordan Powers, 18, is now living with her former teacher James Hooker, 41, who she says is 'more than just a lover, but a best friend as well'.

A high school teacher, 41, resigned from his job and left his family to move in with a former student, now 18, he is having a relationship with.

Enochs Hugh School teacher James Hooker quit his job after going public about his relationship with Jordan Powers from Modesto, California. Police are now investigating to discern whether or not something inappropriate or illegal took place before she turned 18. Since then, the teen's mother has waged a public campaign on Facebook after her daughter moved out of their home. She is alleging Mr Hooker actively pursued her daughter when she was underage and said his actions are tantamount to abuse.

The 41-year-old left his wife and children - one of whom is a year younger than Jordan and went to the same school - to move into an apartment with his teenage lover. Mr Hooker was placed on administrative leave on February 3 by Modesto High Schools before resigning a few weeks later.

Mother Tammie Powers has launched an aggressive Facebook campaign against Hooker who she calls a 'sick child molester'. He taught business and IT as well as running several after-school clubs, one of which Jordan was a member. Speaking to the Sacramento Bee, he said: 'In making our choice, we've hurt a lot of people. We keep asking ourselves, "Do we make everyone else happy or do we follow our hearts?"' Jordan's mother Tammie Powers is blaming Mr Hooker for pursuing her daughter and taking advantage of her. She claims her daughter's grades fell this year and she started to have panic attacks 'from the stress'. She said Jordan was always a good and 'compliant' daughter. She told The Bee: 'I was really, really careful. I wanted her to be safe. In hindsight, in retrospect, I should have looked at things differently. 'She looked up to him. He was in the position of an educator, you don’t abuse your student. Period. 'She’s still in high school. She still lives at home. She has a curfew. That’s not OK.'

Jordan has now stopped attending classes at the school and is doing independent study. She and Mr Hooker both maintain they only got together once she turned 18 and their feelings blossomed as they spent time together during and after school. 'He's my best friend', she told ABC. 'I mean, he's more than just a lover.'

The former teacher said he felt nothing for the teen when she was in his business class. 'She was just a student,' he said. 'There was no attraction. There was nothing that was out of the ordinary, as opposed to any other student. We were very much a teacher-student role.' Mrs Powers does not believe these claims. She discovered up to 8,000 text messages exchanged between them, emails and late night phone calls. She has now even started a Facebook campaign against Hooker, calling him a 'sicko' and a 'pervert'

Mr Hooker said, though he is being investigated, he is confident that he will be cleared of any inappropriate behaviour, but said he can see why people would be alarmed. He told ABC: 'I think the stigma of the teacher-student relationship just makes it messy, makes it really hard for people to get through to the point that we really do like each other. 'We really do want to have a future together.'


Hooker left his wife and children to move into one of these apartments with Jordan. James Hooker's daughter, 17, is still a student at James C Enochs High School.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...st_read_module

[Deleted]

Well that's cool and all, but when he's 60 with saggy balls she will be 37 and maybe still hot. Awkward.

[Dacien]

The outrage over this 41-year-old teacher, I get that. Completely. It's creepy. But hear my whole thing. Do we consider someone an adult at 18 or do we not? Either we do or we don't. Did he brainwash her in her immature 17th year, so she's really not able to make her own decisions in her 18th year? The whole thing has me divided.

/duck and cover

[Deleted]

It's perfectly fine if the teacher is female.

[Fuzzzie]

It's legal. Not really an issue. Sorry.. but.. Old dude goes for young girl..
C'mon..

[Cowt]

Why would the article mention three times that the teen's mother has started a Facebook campaign?

The entire wall of text just seemed to repeat itself. Who wrote this?

[Irisel]

People who think gender makes a difference... fail.

[Gheld]

The outrage over this 41-year-old teacher, I get that. Completely. It's creepy. But hear my whole thing. Do we consider someone an adult at 18 or do we not? Either we do or we don't. Did he brainwash her in her immature 17th year, so she's really not able to make her own decisions in her 18th year? The whole thing has me divided.

/duck and cover

Well as far as most laws in most parts of the world goes, at the age of 16 somebody can legally consent to sexual activity, except with somebody in position of statute, such as a teacher.

My guess is that a 17 year old that would want a full blown love affair with a 41 year old has serious daddy issues and isn't completely right in the head.
A 41 year old who would leave his entirely family and quit his job for a teenage girl (and would presumably have sex with that teenage girl) is also not completely right in the head. I'm only 28 and teenage girls have absolutely no sexual appeal to me. But as long as they didn't have sex while he was her teacher(before she turned 18) nothing illegal happened.

So I find it disgusting, but it's not illegal, and not as immoral as the fact that he completely abandoned his family. That said though if I were the teenage girls father I would still rough that SOB up something fierce.

[Maharishi]

The outrage over this 41-year-old teacher, I get that. Completely. It's creepy. But hear my whole thing. Do we consider someone an adult at 18 or do we not? Either we do or we don't. Did he brainwash her in her immature 17th year, so she's really not able to make her own decisions in her 18th year? The whole thing has me divided.

/duck and cover

Indeed. I'm more morally offended by his leaving his wife and kids than I am the age gap.

As a side note, I was surprised that California has 18 as the age of consent. Given it's reputation i was expecting 16 or 17.

[Diaxx]

Unless that man is a Jedi that is mind controlling her, then who cares? She is old enough to make her own mistakes.

[Caiada]

Perfectly legal, exceptionally idiotic and creepy.

I don't personally think it's ever ok for teachers to be involved with students. Complicates education too much.

[Fuzzzie]

Indeed. I'm more morally offended by his leaving his wife and kids than I am the age gap.

As a side not, I was surprised that California has 18 as the age of consent. Given it's reputation i was expecting 16 or 17.

Penis>Morals. Welcome to manhood.

[Gheld]

Penis>Morals. Welcome to manhood.

I don't think any of us can deny having done stupid things for the affections of a female-unit, but to abandon career and family for a relationship in which he will almost certainly be the sole financial provider on top of the fact that he is newly unemployed (and probably will have a hard time finding a job now) and will probably get kicked in the balls with alimony and child support, and have a strained relationship with his children, there is simply no analogy powerful enough to describe the level of stupid.

EDIT: Somebody mentioned brainwashing, and if anybody is brainwashed I think it would have to be him.

[Indigenously Abled]

I 'spect there'll be a lifetime original movie about this next month.

Mmmhm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkuL...eature=related

^ Watch it.

[Deleted]

I don't personally think it's ever ok for teachers to be involved with students.

So if you had a teacher that looked like this in school wanting your payniss you would have politely declined?

[Chickat]

It's perfectly fine if the teacher is female.

That is completely and utterly sexist. I cant believe you people are even saying that. What is wrong with you?

[Pejo]

So if you had a teacher that looked like this in school wanting your payniss you would have politely declined?

I don't care if she wants it or not, she's getting it!

[Fuzzzie]

I don't think any of us can deny having done stupid things for the affections of a female-unit, but to abandon career and family for a relationship in which he will almost certainly be the sole financial provider on top of the fact that he is newly unemployed (and probably will have a hard time finding a job now) and will probably get kicked in the balls with alimony and child support, and have a strained relationship with his children, there is simply no analogy powerful enough to describe the level of stupid.

EDIT: Somebody mentioned brainwashing, and if anybody is brainwashed I think it would have to be him.

Hehe yeah. Stupid. Penis thought first though. Brain is catching up in the late game. Not saying it's the right course of action btw.

[Indigenously Abled]

So if you had a teacher that looked like this in school wanting your payniss you would have politely declined?

I had a teacher in college that looked like that. Now she's the mother of my children and we're happily married. I'm glad she wasn't my high school teacher, because I never came to school then.

[Gheld]

I 'spect there'll be a lifetime original movie about this next month.

Mmmhm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkuL...eature=related

^ Watch it.

That chick and her mother both have some unbreakable vacuous sociopathic facial expression; he just looks and sounds like some dumb schmuck that forgot to lock his wallet.