HAZLE TOWNSHIP -- A volleyball coach and substitute teacher in the Hazleton area is the latest instructor to get in trouble for having inappropriate contact with a student.
Earlier this week, a teacher in Easton was fired and charged for having a sexual relationship with a student. Another teacher at Pittston Area High School was fired Tuesday for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Now, a similar incident has come to light in the Hazleton area.
The Hazleton Area School District is speaking up about the coach's contact with a player, saying it's disgusted, disappointed, and amazed by the lack of judgment.
Questionable pictures and text messages sent to an athlete by his coach, Kayla Jeckell, 22, were brought to light earlier this month. After an investigation, the first-year volleyball coach and substitute teacher was dismissed from the school.
She will not not face criminal charges, because the student involved was 18 years old.
"In order for criminal charges to be filed there would have to be some type of physical contact or the student would have be under the age of 18," said Chief Edward Harry of the Hazleton Area School District Police Department.
The district superintendent has not commented on the nature of the text messages between the student and volleyball coach but called them highly inappropriate.
It seems like these cases are happening more often and in more districts throughout our area. Now, the questions is why.
Some say cell phones and social media are giving students and teachers more access to each other than before.
"We discuss those issues from the first semester with our students," said education professor Dr. Stephen Broskoske.
College curricula for students going into the teaching field have adapted to social media and cell phones and the effect the combination may be having on student-teacher interactions.
At Misericordia University near Dallas, education majors go over actual incidents.
"We want to make sure they understand while in many cases they will be of a very similar age of the pupils they will be instructing. They have to be aware there are inappropriate ways of conducting themselves in those situations," said Brokoske.
The Hazleton Area School District superintendent says the school recently added language to its player/coach handbook to address appropriate contact, even though he thought that should be common sense. However, the inappropriate student-teacher incident proves that may not be the case, and reminders of where to draw the line are becoming more necessary.
