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I know this is old news, but as it came up in conversation again today, I've been thinking on it. This shit went down at my old high school about a month ago. Between this, the janitor-in-the-bathroom, the bathroom trashcan fires, the "heroin ring" (that was blown WAY out of proportion, but made national FOX news), and the Marlon racial scandal (it was the cap thing), I am convinced Saguaro has become scandal central. I personally find it hysterical, and were I still a student there I would find it doubly hysterical, but that's me. Not because of the victims, but because the administration is taking such heat for stuff they really can't control at all, and parents expect them to control. Scottsdale parents can be a pack of basket-cases. Unless you want prison camp, administration does all it can. The janitor and Porras passed background checks. It would be far more effective to tell your sons and daughters NOT to meet the janitor alone when he asks you, or not to stay in a situation that is making you blatantly uncomfortable. Teach your precious little children street-smarts; don't expect the world to soften up just for them. They need it to survive; might as well start teaching them now. They're not in kindergarten anymore. They're damn old enough to make their own judgment calls, especially in situations that blatantly dodgy. School security is important, but you have to realize administration can only do so much. The students have to meet them halfway. Give your children that confidence, respect, and responsibility.
You may argue that sacrificing freedoms while at school is worth the protection of the students. If there were some genuine threat, maybe, but there really isn't if kids would keep their damn heads about them. Just because a guy works for the school does not make him Mr. Rogers. Then again, I'm a proponent of individual freedom and responsibility for judging one's own actions, and I think high schoolers are damn well of age for that.
Porras was a cool guy. He subbed for several of my classes, played guitar and sang Beatles songs at the top of his lungs, all that. I do think he made a stupid mistake, and that as a coach his actions were thoroughly inappropriate. He knew damn well what would happen eventually having girls over at his house for an "athletic massage", and I understand why the district is firing him, ESPECIALLY after all the heat they've taken for the earlier scandals. What would bother me would be if this girl consented to the "sexual acts" at the time, and then regretted it in retrospect and made it sound like rape. I can understand why she would have been shocked and shaken at the time, but it's not the same as firmly saying "no". Yeah, Porras screwed up, but if she was arbitrarily 17 instead of 18, no wiser and no more worldly, he would be in far less trouble. I do not appreciate that he is being made out to be some kind of sexual predator, and not just a dirty old man with track girls coming over to his house for "massages". He is not on the same level as a rapist. He is not a stalker, nor is he violent. There is absolutely no comparison there. Get over it. Stop calling him a statutory 'rapist'. I hate that term. He abused his power and screwed up. That's what happened. He does not deserve to be demonized.
Do I think it was entirely the girl’s fault, that she is just some stupid slut who should be demonized? Not at all. To the contrary, I think she found herself in a hard position, and while she should have been wiser about the entire ordeal, none of us is ever perfect. We all make mistakes. I do not think she was at fault at all, as it was Porras who instigated the acts, nor do I think she deserved what she got since she did not immediately scream "rape", but I do think students should be taught to exercise more judgment and calm action under those circumstances. I feel for her. I am sure she is some poor track girl who got unlucky enough to be the one caught up in this entire mess. And I do not hold her at fault for "telling", not at all, nor her parents; they all did what they thought was right.
And I do feel horrible for his son who is still in school at Saguaro, as well as his wife. I knew the elder son Tyler by surface association (he was in my graduating class), and I feel for him as well, but at least he is not still attending school at Saguaro.
I guess what irritated me about the article were the Joe Blows the newspaper interviewed who said they were shocked, something to the effect because he was kind and had a neat house or whatever the hell. Yes, if you keep your personal effects organized and are cordial to neighbors, you are immune to being an idiot when cute girls are over at your house on their backs in front of you. We all have moments of monumental stupidity and weakness. Hello suburban ignorance. Go fuck yourself.
I was admittedly shocked too, but mostly because I thought Porras had better judgment than that, and would think more about the consequences for himself, his family, and the school, but that is just me.
God damn, between this and the rumor I heard about the district eliminating all classes under 20 students in size (in other words, good bye to the honors and AP program), a lot of kids are going to be whisked off to private school. I'm glad I got out of there when I did. Something tells me after this year regulations are going to suck serious ass. I already pushed the envelope with wandering around campus on me one-sey and fraternizing with teachers.
Just my two cents. I can't help but worry about the fate of my alma matter. High school sucked in mucho ways, but I also realize that as high school goes, Saguaro had a lot of great things going for it, and there's a lot of nostalgia there. And, my little sister has one more year to go there, along with several other kids I met through Science Olympiad and Band.
You may argue that sacrificing freedoms while at school is worth the protection of the students. If there were some genuine threat, maybe, but there really isn't if kids would keep their damn heads about them. Just because a guy works for the school does not make him Mr. Rogers. Then again, I'm a proponent of individual freedom and responsibility for judging one's own actions, and I think high schoolers are damn well of age for that.
Porras was a cool guy. He subbed for several of my classes, played guitar and sang Beatles songs at the top of his lungs, all that. I do think he made a stupid mistake, and that as a coach his actions were thoroughly inappropriate. He knew damn well what would happen eventually having girls over at his house for an "athletic massage", and I understand why the district is firing him, ESPECIALLY after all the heat they've taken for the earlier scandals. What would bother me would be if this girl consented to the "sexual acts" at the time, and then regretted it in retrospect and made it sound like rape. I can understand why she would have been shocked and shaken at the time, but it's not the same as firmly saying "no". Yeah, Porras screwed up, but if she was arbitrarily 17 instead of 18, no wiser and no more worldly, he would be in far less trouble. I do not appreciate that he is being made out to be some kind of sexual predator, and not just a dirty old man with track girls coming over to his house for "massages". He is not on the same level as a rapist. He is not a stalker, nor is he violent. There is absolutely no comparison there. Get over it. Stop calling him a statutory 'rapist'. I hate that term. He abused his power and screwed up. That's what happened. He does not deserve to be demonized.
Do I think it was entirely the girl’s fault, that she is just some stupid slut who should be demonized? Not at all. To the contrary, I think she found herself in a hard position, and while she should have been wiser about the entire ordeal, none of us is ever perfect. We all make mistakes. I do not think she was at fault at all, as it was Porras who instigated the acts, nor do I think she deserved what she got since she did not immediately scream "rape", but I do think students should be taught to exercise more judgment and calm action under those circumstances. I feel for her. I am sure she is some poor track girl who got unlucky enough to be the one caught up in this entire mess. And I do not hold her at fault for "telling", not at all, nor her parents; they all did what they thought was right.
And I do feel horrible for his son who is still in school at Saguaro, as well as his wife. I knew the elder son Tyler by surface association (he was in my graduating class), and I feel for him as well, but at least he is not still attending school at Saguaro.
I guess what irritated me about the article were the Joe Blows the newspaper interviewed who said they were shocked, something to the effect because he was kind and had a neat house or whatever the hell. Yes, if you keep your personal effects organized and are cordial to neighbors, you are immune to being an idiot when cute girls are over at your house on their backs in front of you. We all have moments of monumental stupidity and weakness. Hello suburban ignorance. Go fuck yourself.
I was admittedly shocked too, but mostly because I thought Porras had better judgment than that, and would think more about the consequences for himself, his family, and the school, but that is just me.
God damn, between this and the rumor I heard about the district eliminating all classes under 20 students in size (in other words, good bye to the honors and AP program), a lot of kids are going to be whisked off to private school. I'm glad I got out of there when I did. Something tells me after this year regulations are going to suck serious ass. I already pushed the envelope with wandering around campus on me one-sey and fraternizing with teachers.
Just my two cents. I can't help but worry about the fate of my alma matter. High school sucked in mucho ways, but I also realize that as high school goes, Saguaro had a lot of great things going for it, and there's a lot of nostalgia there. And, my little sister has one more year to go there, along with several other kids I met through Science Olympiad and Band.
