Explicit sexual material is any verbiage or depiction of a sexual nature, whether it is oral or written. Text, illustrations, images, or videos that feature one or more people who are either fully or partially naked or performing sexual acts, all sexual content referred to as “explicit” material, regardless of how it was collected or distributed, or by whom, and for what objectives. Pornography is an example of explicit sexual content.
Parents, schools, and law enforcement are increasingly concerned about the dangers that teenagers and children will be exposed to or send or receive sexually explicit content as they use smartphones, tablets, computers, social media, apps, and messaging.
And as with all areas of relationships and sex education, schools must ensure that their teaching is congruent with the school’s values and ethos as well as agreed policies.
The school is dedicated to promoting kids’ health and potential for healthy sexual and social growth. This commitment involves working to prevent and lessen the negative effects of explicit sexual material due to its broad accessibility, nature, and impact.
As part of their growth, most teens are likely to participate in some level of sexual behavior that is appropriate for their age. But, it is the School’s duty to preserve moral standards that are compatible with its beliefs and those of the larger School community, as well as to offer a safe learning environment for all of its students.
Staff members and students are prohibited from producing, storing, sending, sharing, receiving, or viewing explicit sexual content in a school setting. It might be illegal to do so in some circumstances. However, a substitute teacher at a middle school in North Carolina has been detained for allegedly transmitting sexually graphic images and videos to her male 13 and 14-year-old students.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s office, Emily Durden, 19, was charged with two counts of engaging in indecent acts with a pupil, three counts of showing harmful material to children, and two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of children.
Durden was reportedly paid $80 per day to work as a substitute teacher from Nov. 8 to Nov. 17 2021 at Crest Middle School in Shelby, N.C.
In the information provided to a school resources officer by a parent of a student, Durden may have sent a youngster indecent text and video messages.
Following the notice, the sheriff’s office conducted an investigation and discovered that Durden had reportedly initiated chats and shared the information with multiple 13- and 14-year-old youngsters, according to the Shelby Star. Durden admitted to sending pupils sexually explicit communications during an interview with investigators.
Durden was arrested in jail in Cleveland County, kept there overnight on a $50,000 bond, and then freed the next day. Durden has agreed not to approach a school or make contact with the victims as part of her bail, the WSOC Channel 9 reports.
A representative for Cleveland County Schools informed WBTV that because Durden is older than 18 and a high school graduate, she complies with the district’s qualifications for substitute teachers.
Preference is given to licensed instructors, according to a policy on substitute teachers, although they may also be employed “as deemed suitable by the administration and in compliance with State Board standards” by the school system.
Preston Messick, a resident of Cleveland County, told WBTV that he knew Emily Durden because he went to Crest High School and Crest Middle School. He claimed that learning of the accusations had come as a huge surprise.
“It’s really crazy to hear something like that, especially since I was coming out of elementary school,” said Messick. “Parents out there shouldn’t have to worry about their kids getting sent explicit pictures from a teacher to other students.”
Durwin Briscoe, an assistant deputy chief with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, claimed that in his 29 years with the organization, this is the youngest person in school he has charged for delivering pornographic material.
“When it was brought to my attention, I questioned it, but I think this a result of our school system, not just our school system, but any employers having to find individuals that are willing to work. That’s part of the reason of her age and working in the school system and being so young,” said Briscoe.
Sources: Awm, Wsoctv, Shelbystar