Wouldn’t you think that a teacher that pled guilty to multiple counts of inappropriately touching his female students might lose his job? Well, you’d be wrong it seems if he’s a teacher at Morton Middle School in Morton, WA.

Michael Moulton, a History and Study Skills teacher, returned to the his classroom this week to get ready for the school year.  The problem is that Mr. Moulton was recently fired after he pled guilty to inappropriately touching four female students, and then served 20 days in county jail.  Court documents demonstrated that Mr. Moulton had had complaints filed against him as far back as 1997, with more complaints in 2005 and a disciplinary letter in 2008 with his final number of complaints against him for inappropriate touching coming to a dozen.

With his jail time served it would seem all was done, but then he decided to appeal his firing and it was ruled that the punishment did not fit the crime and the school was forced to rehire him.  Two families have moved out of the district over the situation and 23 other students have had their families pull them out of his class.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is investigating this case, and they could dismiss the case against the teacher, discipline the teacher or permanently revoke his teaching credential.

Well, here’s an idea, when the teacher pleads guilty, and there is even documentation of a girl being sent to detention for screaming to “get his expletive hands off of me!” when he wanted stop rubbing her shoulders even after she asked, you fire the man.  And, I’m sorry, but he pled guilty, to me that is immediate grounds for dismissal.  He pleads guilty, and serves time, for one of the worst things a teacher can do to his students and he gets to come back because some panel decides his punishment was too harsh

I’m sorry, but you are flipping morons.  He pled guilty … how many different ways can I say this?  This man does not need to be anywhere near a classroom ever again.  This is one of those situations where you get one strike and you’re out.  Not two, not three, but just one as this man should never be allwed another chance to make a student uncomfortable.

He is scum, and he must be removed from the classroom immediately.

(Hat tip to Jo for pointing this out to me)