Ashley Waffle- a teacher appointed at a school in Oklahoma- was arrested for sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy.
Ashley Waffle, a 22-year-old, was appointed as a teacher’s assistant at the Granite Public School in Oklahoma. Within just two months of her job, she was fired and arrested by the Granite police department. She has two second-degree rape charges that can potentially keep her in prison for 15 years.
According to police reports, within just 15 days of starting her new job Waffle got in touch with the 16-year-old student through Snapchat. During the period they were in touch, Waffle had sexual relations with the child twice in her apartment. Her apartment is situated in the little town of Granite, near the school.
Rumors started spreading about Waffle in the town- which comprises only 2000 people- about having a relationship with a student. The school administrators then reported these rumors to the police.
Responses to the Ashley Waffle incident
This case raises some serious issues about child safety and protection at schools. If teachers themselves are engaged in attempting sexual relationships with children, then where are children actually safe?
It is important for schools to take this incident as an alarm and revise their hiring policies. If a better background check on Waffle was done with more time spent on understanding her motivation to become a teacher, maybe this incident could have been prevented.
Moreover, this puts an entire question mark against what it means to be a teacher. Such incidents are putting at risk the whole concept of the teacher-student relationship that involves respect and boundaries, something that serves as a foundation for the growth and development of a student.
