What is wrong with people these days?
What would you do if your child went to this school?
POSTED: 4:40 pm EDT May 7, 2007
UPDATED: 8:54 am EDT May 8, 2007
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- A Clayton County mother has been granted a temporary restraining order after she said her 12-year-old son received love letters from his 42-year-old teacher.
The alleged situation came to light when another teacher thought Tonya Johnson was a little too close to a 12-year-old boy, investigators said. Then the teacher discovered a love letter in the trash and turned it over to the principal.
“I want you to be with me. I know that we are both with someone else, but that’s going to change one day," the letter read.
It’s a typical love letter: A woman expresses her affection for the object of her desire. But in this case, the object of the writer's desire is a 12-year-old boy, according to the boy's mother, and the writer is his teacher and she's married.
Once the boy’s mother found out about the letter, she said she was shocked at what she read.
The letter also reads, “I have been suffering in this marriage a long time and you seem to be the only peace in my life.”
Police said they believe the letter was written by Johnson.
“She thinks she is in love with my child. A 42-year-old woman wrote him a love letter expressing her feelings toward him,” said the boy’s mother.
The boy’s mother said Johnson’s attempts to have a romantic relationship with her son has left both she and her son nervous wrecks. She said she's angry that after the Clayton County School District found out about the love letter, they didn’t fire Johnson.
“My husband and I were told she was fired, her certificate was going to be pulled and she would never work in Clayton County again,” said the boy’s mother.
A school district spokesperson told Channel 2’s Tom Jones, administrators planned to fire Johnson but gave her the option to resign, which she did.
Charles White said it doesn’t matter if Johnson was fired or resigned, because either way, the board that licenses teachers is investigating and will take appropriate action.
Another letter also believed to be written by Johnson states, “My children stated that the happiest they have ever seen me is when I’m around the 12-year-old boy. My son said the 12-year-old boy confided in him that he loved me.”
After the letter was dropped off at the boy’s home, his mother sought a criminal arrest warrant for Johnson, but a judge denied it. “It disturbs me because clearly the child was emotionally damaged,” said Clayton County Solicitor General Leslie Miller Terry.
The judge did grant a stalking protective order against Johnson.
“I think she needs counseling,” said the boy’s mother.
The judge didn’t order Johnson to undergo counseling, which is something the boy’s mother sought in her application for the restraining order.
Clayton County District Attorney Jewel Scott was not involved in the case but said it’s clear Johnson needs help.
“A woman at 40 that attempts to seduce a 12-year-old -- I personally feel that there’s psychological issues,” said Scott.
The judge’s office said he could not comment on the case.
Johnson also said she had no comment.
Days before the school found out about the love letter, the mother said the teacher convinced her to allow her son to spend the weekend with her and her kids. The mother said her son says nothing happened. In the letters allegedly written by Johnson, she admitted she was a Christian woman and would never touch the sixth-grader in a sexual way.
The school system said it acted swiftly in removing Johnson once it completed its investigation.
Copyright 2007 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I am deeply disturbed.
POSTED: 4:40 pm EDT May 7, 2007
UPDATED: 8:54 am EDT May 8, 2007
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- A Clayton County mother has been granted a temporary restraining order after she said her 12-year-old son received love letters from his 42-year-old teacher.
The alleged situation came to light when another teacher thought Tonya Johnson was a little too close to a 12-year-old boy, investigators said. Then the teacher discovered a love letter in the trash and turned it over to the principal.
“I want you to be with me. I know that we are both with someone else, but that’s going to change one day," the letter read.
It’s a typical love letter: A woman expresses her affection for the object of her desire. But in this case, the object of the writer's desire is a 12-year-old boy, according to the boy's mother, and the writer is his teacher and she's married.
Once the boy’s mother found out about the letter, she said she was shocked at what she read.
The letter also reads, “I have been suffering in this marriage a long time and you seem to be the only peace in my life.”
Police said they believe the letter was written by Johnson.
“She thinks she is in love with my child. A 42-year-old woman wrote him a love letter expressing her feelings toward him,” said the boy’s mother.
The boy’s mother said Johnson’s attempts to have a romantic relationship with her son has left both she and her son nervous wrecks. She said she's angry that after the Clayton County School District found out about the love letter, they didn’t fire Johnson.
“My husband and I were told she was fired, her certificate was going to be pulled and she would never work in Clayton County again,” said the boy’s mother.
A school district spokesperson told Channel 2’s Tom Jones, administrators planned to fire Johnson but gave her the option to resign, which she did.
Charles White said it doesn’t matter if Johnson was fired or resigned, because either way, the board that licenses teachers is investigating and will take appropriate action.
Another letter also believed to be written by Johnson states, “My children stated that the happiest they have ever seen me is when I’m around the 12-year-old boy. My son said the 12-year-old boy confided in him that he loved me.”
After the letter was dropped off at the boy’s home, his mother sought a criminal arrest warrant for Johnson, but a judge denied it. “It disturbs me because clearly the child was emotionally damaged,” said Clayton County Solicitor General Leslie Miller Terry.
The judge did grant a stalking protective order against Johnson.
“I think she needs counseling,” said the boy’s mother.
The judge didn’t order Johnson to undergo counseling, which is something the boy’s mother sought in her application for the restraining order.
Clayton County District Attorney Jewel Scott was not involved in the case but said it’s clear Johnson needs help.
“A woman at 40 that attempts to seduce a 12-year-old -- I personally feel that there’s psychological issues,” said Scott.
The judge’s office said he could not comment on the case.
Johnson also said she had no comment.
Days before the school found out about the love letter, the mother said the teacher convinced her to allow her son to spend the weekend with her and her kids. The mother said her son says nothing happened. In the letters allegedly written by Johnson, she admitted she was a Christian woman and would never touch the sixth-grader in a sexual way.
The school system said it acted swiftly in removing Johnson once it completed its investigation.
Copyright 2007 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
I am deeply disturbed.