Sen. Cam Ward On Bill to Thwart Inappropriate Teacher-Student Contact
Recent reports have referred to Alabama as “ground zero” for incidents of teacher-student sex. Whether that’s accurate or not, most agree there’s a serious problem. State senator Cam Ward of Alabaster has sponsored SB-274, a bill to mandate an hour of training for educators on appropriate teacher-student interaction in the age of social media. A house version and Ward’s senate version could come up for a vote this legislative session. Ward says despite initial pushback, he’s hopeful the measures will pass. The interview is above, with a few key excerpts below.
“It’s a problem we’ve seen popping up more and more across the state. I felt like [the training] was something that would be good … because in this day of social media, it’s changed so much, the interaction between students and teachers … And not just sex incidents, but even just social interaction with students.”
“Have we really gotten to this point? Yeah. Times have changed.”
“[The training] is not an additional burden. It’s not an additional cost. It’s something a lot of teachers are doing anyway. Just to have an awareness of proper etiquette on the internet is good in my opinion.”
“Everyone’s really focused on the sexual relationship [side of this], but there’s a lot of other interaction thats probably not appropriate, and somebody may not even realize it’s not appropriate.”
“The fact is we’re here, so you’ve got to deal with it.”
WBHM will be reporting more on these issues in weeks and months to come.
Kiss cam incident at Coldplay concert highlights the technology’s awkward history
A couple embarrassed to be caught on the big screen cuddling at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts this week sent the Internet into a frenzy. It's not the first time kiss cams have caused mishaps at stadium events.
A vehicle drove into a crowd in Los Angeles, injuring 30 people, including at least 3 critically
A vehicle rammed into a crowd of people waiting to enter a nightclub along a busy boulevard in Angeles early Saturday, injuring 30 people.
The week when crypto won big in America
Congress passed the first major crypto legislation in the U.S., marking a major milestone for the digital currency sector. And with President Trump's support, the industry plans to march on.
Trump administration ends 988 Lifeline’s special service for LGBTQ+ young people
Callers to 988 used to be able to press 3 to reach counselors specially trained to help LGBTQ+ young people. The service had been reaching 70,000 people a month.
Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels sign declaration of principles for permanent ceasefire
Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels on Saturday signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end fighting in eastern Congo that commits them to a permanent ceasefire to be signed in one month.
Muddy boots and AI are helping this threatened frog to make a comeback
How do scientists monitor the populations of the threatened California red-legged frog? With careful listening and a little help from AI.
