This should be pretty obvious to… well, anyone, but let's just be clear: do not friend your students on Facebook. Do not flirt with your students, on Facebook or in real life. Do not comment on students' photos saying they're "sexy." Do not post photos of yourself kissing a student you have had sex with several times. Three teachers in New York City — from the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan, respectively — have been fired after using Facebook to flirt with students and/or put up evidence of an affair they were already having with a student. From the New York Post:
One of the booted employees is former Bronx teacher Chadwin Reynolds, who "friended" about a half-dozen female students and wrote creepy comments like, "This is sexy," under some of their Facebook photos, schools investigators found.
Another ex-DOE employee — Laurie Hirsch, 30, a former paraprofessional at Bryant HS in Long Island City, Queens — was canned in May for her steamy Facebook shenanigans involving a student… She had posted a photo of her kissing an 18-year-old male former student on the lips, which sparked an investigation.
In Manhattan, substitute teacher Stephen D'Andrilli also "friended" several female students at Essex Street Academy on Facebook and sent inappropriate messages, according to schools investigators… He allegedly sent one girl a message telling her she was pretty and told her he had tried to visit her during one of her Saturday classes.
Really? Obviously, the worst part here is that these are adults who should know better than to hit on, sleep with, or take advantage of their students in any way. But also, if you are going to be a total creep and do that, at least be smart about it. Facebook is public, and you will get caught if you do your creeping on it.
It's honestly amazing that these teachers were able to get jobs in the first place, since they can't even figure out how to get away with being completely inappropriate.
Obligatory: