Legal vs. Moral

I’ve just read a news article about a former high school teacher who had sexual relations with his female students. The accused insists that he did nothing wrong or that his acts were not criminal at that time since he had the consent of his students.

The applicable laws at the time of the commission of the complained acts did not prohibit teachers from having sex with their students even if they are still below 18 years of age. It would also seem that the community did not see the acts as reprehensible at that time.

A law was subsequently passed which made such deeds illegal.

It’s quite shocking that such acts were allowed or tolerated 30 years ago. Schools should conduct extensive background and criminal records searches on every teacher in their employ.

The accused may not have any legal obligation to avoid having any sexual relations with his students back then, but he certainly had a moral obligation not to take advantage of their vulnerable disposition.