Teacher Bribes Students

Gym Teacher Accused Of Taking Bribes

PENSACOLA, Florida, Feb. 17, 2006 (AP) A middle school gym teacher let children sit out his class if they paid him $1 a day, collecting perhaps thousands of dollars, officials said Thursday.

Terence Braxton, 28, took the payoffs between September and December, resigning after the principal learned of the scheme from a parent, authorities said.

Braxton, of Atmore, Ala., turned himself in early Thursday at a Pensacola jail on bribery charges and was released on his own recognizance, Escambia County sheriff's Sgt. Mike Ward said.

The charges accuse Braxton of taking about $230 from six students, but Ward said the teacher's take from the 250 sixth- to eighth-grade boys and girls was probably much greater.

"It's not bad if you can make an extra $100 a day tax free," said Ronnie Arnold, spokesman for the Escambia County School District.

Arnold said Ward Middle School principal Nancy Gindl-Perry learned of the scheme from a parent and began her own investigation in December. She then contacted authorities and placed Braxton on administrative leave. Braxton resigned before the school board was scheduled to vote to fire him at a January meeting.

District officials have reported the allegations to the Florida Department of Education Professional Practices Commission, which could revoke Braxton's teaching certificate if he's found guilty of the charges.

What do you think should happen to the teacher? Should he be fired, prosecuted......??

Both

[Midtowner]

How about the students who paid bribes? Send 'em to juvie

Smart teacher. Smart kids.

No really, this is just insane. Teacher simply needs to be fired. I can't see prosecuting him. What for?

[Midtowner]

Public officials requesting and accepting bribes is frowned on in most states.

Are teachers public officials? I don't think it's unreasonable to say so since they are paid with public money...

I wonder what would happen to bandnerd if she was caught taking bribes like this. She's a teacher in the OKC metro area. I'd love to hear her input.

[Faith]

He should lose his teaching certificate and have to pay back the students all the money he took. A teacher like him doesn't belong around our children teaching them about bribary.