SW VA Teacher Charged Following Underage Drinking Party
Alternative content
kindergarthen teacher in trouble
kindergarthen teacher in troubleA Southwest Virginia kindergarten teacher is in trouble with the law.
The Bristol Herald Courier reports, Washington County, Virginia sheriff’s deputies raided an underage drinking party held late Friday at the house of a local kindergarten teacher.
Forty-two-year-old Meadowview Elementary School teacher, Jennifer Lynn Cook is charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Deputies say as many as 25 people were inside the home when deputies arrived.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Aprilc03;
I’m afraid that once the authorities get involved and it’s reported in the media, it becomes a public issue- especially given her position in the community.
Sorry.
To Milliner and Britt29:
I don’t know who you are, but how dare you get on here and post comments about me! You claim you know me, I don’t think so. If you did, you would know that I am a good person with a christian heart, that doesn’t throw wild parties and drinks. People that know me, know that. My mom is the same way. She is the same parent to my two brothers and I. Look at the difference. The choices made were made by the teenagers, not my mom. The minors charged were not related to me, so how people say that she has poor judgement and is a bad parent? She did not provide any alcohol. She is very strict about issues like that with my brothers and I. This is a private manner between my family and the families of the minors charged. NO ONE ELSES. I can’t believe that grown men and women don’t have anything better to do than to gossip about rumors that they don’t know anything about. The school board told her on Monday that she was a great teacher and was not a threat to her students. They are taking action right now because of these stupid comments. This needs to end. Stop acting like you’re in high school gossiping. Like I said, this is a private manner, not public. Remember what you learned when you were a little kid, “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.“
Well, I also know how it is to live in a neighborhood that once was a good, quiet, peacful place to be and over the years just turned bad. We have a bunch of kids in this neighborhood also that have been turned loose by their parents and these kids just do as they please. They kids are following right in their parents foot steps, drinking, smoking, dabbling with drugs. I think it’s horrible for a parent or parents to just not care anymore and just push their responsibilities of being a parents to the side they just don’t want to see the truth of what’s going on. To them, it’s easier and better if they just don’t look. How can a parent correct a child for doing wrong when most of the parents are doing the same things. In a case like this, it makes me wonder: Should we blame this teacher or should we blame the parents of these children for not knowing more about what their kids are doing and who they hang out it with ? It is a parents responsibility to pry into a child’s life when needed to find out important things.
What really upsets me is the fact that no one from the school systems has come out and said what is going on. This has given a black eye to the school, community, and I feel what the central office does not realize is a black eye to them. What really looks bad is you have a student on here who claims to be a student teacher or tutor who does not seem to be able to put together a sentence. So not only does it look bad becasuse of what a kindergarden teacher has done, but you have someone tutoring with grammar that is worse than the students he is supposedly working with. Maybe they need to take a look at you and maybe just let you come and make copies for the teachers instead of working with students. I can honestly say that I am glad my children will not be around you judging by the way you type I am sure your english could not be much better. And Seth you seem to be talking out of both sides of your mouth… the law is the law whether you agree with it or not. What is sad is the fact whether teacher or not this parent and judging from the comments of others they allow this to take place in their home. If it is your own kids fine but when you let other children then that crosses then line. I am with the comment to say that if my child was at this home after I got through dealing with him I would then be at this home confronting them.
Capttrips25;
Your lethargic tolerance is only promoting a continuation of their behavior.
Do something…
I think one thing that everyone that is defending this teacher is missing is that there were teenagers there drinking that were not her own and it was being allowed. That is what is disturbing to me. If she made a choice as a parent to allow her teenager to drink, that is her choice as a parent. But, she made a choice to allow OTHER peoples teenagers to drink. Therefore in my opinion her ability to make choices for other peoples kindergarten children is in question. She obviously has poor judgement. And yes, the school system should terminate her contract because she is a public servent. She is not employed by a private employer. She is employed by the people and we pay her salary with our taxes. Her obvious lack of judgement is a factor in her ability to be an effective teacher. If my teenager had been there I would be be wanting her head. I know as Seth stated that alot of teenagers drink (not all as he stated) but that doesn’t mean that a parent has the right to allow another parents teen to do it at their house. It is against the law for a reason. I hope someone sees Seths posts and questions his ability and maturity to be any type of teachers assistant as well. He is obviously just a child himself.
Joshua Seth;
I certainly hope you’re not tutoring students in the subject of English grammar…
Furthermore, you need to mature more before spouting off your flimsy defenses of Ms Cook.
You may be drafted? How so…
I live in Castlewood Virginia. That Saturday night my next door neighbors kids did exactly the same thing.
They were on the back porch until 3:00 am drinking, smoking and generally being loud.
Where were there parents? Their mother is in jail for embezzling from St. Paul school and their father was working (I guess).
Why did I not call the police? They never come and besides, their father IS A COP.
I have lived here for almost 30 years. This was always a good neighborhood up until a few years ago.
First let me start by saying this. I my name is Seth. I posted the first comment. My mother posted the second one. I student teach (tutor) at the elementary school and I like the teacher’s fine. My mother’s opinion was that she thinks Mrs. Cook was more qualified than some. That is her opinion in which she is entitled to. So you can back off! My relationship with the family is not professional but personal. If you really want to get started, then fine, to begin I do not agree with the county in how they treat their teachers. It is true that they have to sign the code of conduct and are quite aware of what is on it. Their personal lives should be left just that. PERSONAL. Meaning that what goes on there is between them and the ones they choose. It should not be looked upon, and used to dismiss and employee who does there job exceptionally well. She is a great teacher and parents and students love her. She teaches kindergarten which will means her kids will not change their attitude towards her. Her credibility of a teacher should not change because of an incident like this. I don’t agree with the drinking age because I will have the chance of being drafted unwillingly. Not saying it would be, but for some that could be against their will or desire. So they can be forced to do something against their wishes but they are not mature enough to drink alcohol. When are you mature enough? You see articles all the time of drunk driving leading to terrible accidents. That is true. However most of these articles are about people who are legal to drink. What people do when they are “drunk” might change by age, although I can guarantee you as a student in the county, I know plenty of what goes on, and I know how maturely some act about it, I’m not saying some are at that responsibility level, but that comes about on how people are usually raised, and becoming legal to drink does not mature people up anymore. It makes them excited they are legal and then that first day of being legal a lot of people hit the bars to drink. This is not in the safety of their on home.
joshua-seth I do know April… And I do know what was going on there… So back off…. I know more of what was going on there just as much as you did… and you were not there.
Advertisement