It is preposterous that this is even an issue. Common sense, and the law, dictate that a 14-year old student cannot consent to have sex with her teacher. This is why Elkis Hermida was sent to jail when he conducted a six month long affair with one of his middle school students. Unfortunately, the LAUSD has lost its moral compass when it comes to this issue.

When the parents of Hermida’s victim sued the LAUSD claiming that the district was negligent in the matter, the district’s lawyers claimed that she “was mature enough to consent to having sex with her 28-year-old teacher, and that she bore some responsibility for what happened. The district's attorneys also introduced the girl's sexual history into the trial as part of their defense strategy.” While the district had a responsibility to the taxpayers to defend itself, it should have done so without blaming the victim for what happened to her. She deserved the support of the organization charged with protecting her, not a revictimization.

Effective immediately, the LAUSD needs to ban its lawyers from claiming that under age students can consent to sex with teachers and from  engaging in any type of “slut shaming.” It also needs to conduct a thorough investigation of this incident and find out who permitted this type of defense to be used. The Board must  ensure that no student will ever again be subject to this type of conduct.