A Montana teacher convicted of raping a 14-year-old student in his class was released from prison today. Stacey Rambold, 54, was sentenced by Judge G. Todd Baugh to 15 years in prison - all of which but one month was suspended. His student, who I decline to name for reasons of decency, later went on to kill herself.
This case disgusts me for any of a number of reasons. First of all, the idea that a teacher of all people can't grasp the concept of consent is appalling. Secondly, the Judge in question augmented his ruling with the logic that the victim was "older than her chronological age" - we know we have a problem when even the Judges are skating the edges of victim-blaming. Third... the sentence is patently ludicrous. Rape, statutory or otherwise, is a felony. People get longer than this for having a joint in their back pocket on the way home after work.
I don't have much of a stake in the American Justice System, but those of you who do (who, statistically, are a majority of my readers - Hi, America) may want to consider what exactly is going on here.
As for me... I'm just sitting here trying not to hold any of this against anyone.
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