Interesting that it took five years for this to be resolved. Imagine having something like this hanging over your head for that length of time.
The comments at the link ask the right question:
Where does this man go to get back his reputation?
Teacher exonerated of raping 14 year old
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- A former Massachusetts high school teacher has been acquitted of charges that he raped a 14-year-old student.
Michael Holden sighed with relief Tuesday as the New Bedford Superior Court jury foreman announced the verdict clearing him of two counts of forcible rape of a child under 14.
Holden tells The Standard Times of New Bedford that it "feels very good to be exonerated."
Holden, a former drafting technology teacher and volleyball coach at Greater New Bedford Vocational-Technical High School, was accused by the girl in January 2005. He was later fired.
His defense lawyer said the girl had "an ax to grind" because Holden had reprimanded her for being disruptive in class. He said there was no physical evidence in the case.
The girl, now 20, declined comment.
Link: http://newsblog.projo.com/2009/12/former-new-bedford-teacher-cle.html
Posts
11 comments:
One commentor asked why he was indicted when there was no physical evidence. I answered; VAWA and feminist jurisprudence.
There is something terribly wrong with a culture where a grown, professional man can be fired on the say-so of a child, without physical evidence, and despite the evidence of the girl's motive to lie. That one person could have such power over a man is not just troubling, it is frightening. Something is terribly, terribly wrong.
a comment has been posted under the original news story on the news article website (newsblog.projo.com) with linkback to FRS. Let's make sure this is done as much as possible for all news websites that allow it.
What Mr. Harlan said.
She wasn't a judge, or an elected official, or even a cop. Why should her word, and her word alone, have such authority?
anon 1:57,
I had to leave a comment as well. It's a little late to the party, but I hope Annie stops back and reads it. The fact of the matter is, if she chose not to come forward, that is on her, and only her.
As we see here every day, the police WILL believe a claim of rape. They tend to over do things in their quick reaction to help.
So stating that she feared she wouldn't be believed, can only be, because she has bought into the "rape industry" line that that is what happens.
She has no one to blame but herself.
The Archivist said...
anon 1:57,
I had to leave a comment as well. It's a little late to the party, but I hope Annie stops back and reads it. The fact of the matter is, if she chose not to come forward, that is on her, and only her.
As we see here every day, the police WILL believe a claim of rape. They tend to over do things in their quick reaction to help.
So stating that she feared she wouldn't be believed, can only be, because she has bought into the "rape industry" line that that is what happens.
She has no one to blame but herself.
Jan 21, 2010 12:22:00 AM
HIGH FIVE!
Pierce Harlan said...
There is something terribly wrong with a culture where a grown, professional man can be fired on the say-so of a child, without physical evidence, and despite the evidence of the girl's motive to lie. That one person could have such power over a man is not just troubling, it is frightening. Something is terribly, terribly wrong.
Jan 20, 2010 7:49:00 AM
True and correct.
While everything is being done to protect children at any/all costs, more needs to be done to teach them there are consequences to telling a lie that can, or will, destroy someone's life.
The bigger picture, I would dare venture, would be the damage done to the teaching profession where many schools have few or no male teachers at all.
The teaching profession is seeing an exodus of males in droves, and no man in his right mind will ever now consider teaching a career. Not in our "culture of allegations". This is prevalent even in Singapore, where I'm writing from.
First of all, he was not fired from his teaching job, as soon as the school went on their own investigation, he handed in his teaching license and resigned. He knows he was guilty on more than just that one girl from his school. And just because he wasn't found guilty in court doesn't mean it didn't happen. There was not enough physical evidence, although there was more than enough "coincidences" that occured between the two girls that came forward to find him guilty, but I guess the jury did not think so. It's too bad too, another rapist set free...let's just hope he won't do it anymore.
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