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3,000 Text Messages Is Probably Too Many Between Teacher And Student
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 12, 2012
Modified Oct 12, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 12, 2012
Modified Oct 12, 2012
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Is it a new thing for educators to be exchanging thousands of texts with students? The Post reports that a teacher was "booted" from his job at a Manhattan high school for lying about his relationship with a student. While Chris Stammel claimed he didn't contact the girl, investigators found he "actually exchanged nearly 3,000 text messages with" the student, who was a junior.
The girl apparently told her mother that she was "involved" with Stammel. Oh, and "Other students heard the girl talk of her desire to do naughty things with Stammel after she revealed she was dating a man in his 20s. Classmates also overheard her talking about sleeping over at her boyfriend’s house, although she didn’t give his identity."
Stammel and the girl said they never contacted each other at all, but records showed they texted nearly 2,000 times between May 1 and September 1: "Over three months, the two went only four days without phone contact — and only 14 days with fewer than 20 text exchanges. The messages included 11 photos they sent last July." They had exchanged roughly 1,000 last year.
The 29-year-old teacher claimed he was just texting the girl about her ex-boyfriend woes and parental issues, plus school work, and that he lied about their texting because he thought he'd get in trouble. The Post says he is now working in real estate.
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chris stammel
manhattan
teacher
teacher-student relationship
text message
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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