(St. Louis, Missouri) More than four years ago, a former porn starlet named Rikki Andersin lost her job working as a science teacher under the name Tericka Dye at a Kentucky high school. Subsequently, Tericka Dye changed her name to Tera Myers and began working at a St. Louis-area high school.
Last Friday, a student at Parkway North High School in St. Louis County discovered the X-rated past of Tera Myers/Tericka Dye/Rikki Andersin on the Internet and, shortly afterward, everyone in the school knew.
As a result, Tera Myers quit her teaching position at Parkway North.
Questions have been raised concerning the adequacy of background checks since the administrators at Parkway North knew nothing of the ex-porn star's past.
Ex-Porn Starlet/Teacher Appears on Dr. Phil Show
[Previous 12/8/06 post bumped]
(Paducah, Kentucky) Currently-unemployed science teacher, Tericka Dye, 34, was suspended from teaching last May after it became common knowledge that she was a former porn starlet who appeared in a number of films under the name Rikki Andersin. Despite Dye's apologies and abundant excuses that she was young and poor and stupid, she was told that her teaching contract would not be renewed.
Nonetheless, Dye wants her job back and maintains that she has changed from being the poor decision-maker of the past, has learned from her mistakes, and now is a person who loves teaching.
Attorney Mark Blankenship, representing Dye, decided that McCracken County Schools Superintendent Tim Heller's decision to terminate Dye should be challenged and took her case to the state Department of Education. The state officials dismissed the case, stating that the school board had properly executed its authority.
In the latest development, Dye took her case to the court of public opinion by appearing on the Dr. Phil Show this week. Ostensibly, she sought to enlist afternoon television viewers in a campaign to pressure the school board into rehiring her.
It's not clear what will happen next, however, it is clear that Tericka Dye persists on blaming others for her problems. She blames the school board for being narrow-minded when, in reality, school officials are primarily concerned about the disruptive effect of employing a former porn queen whose lascivious "performances" are available via the Internet.
Now, I'm a big fan of redemption but I also believe that actions have consequences. Tericka Dye's actions have significant consequences regarding her ability to be a symbol of propriety in a community. Her stint in pornographic films cannot be erased from the minds of students nor parents. As such, it will always taint her efforts to provide instruction and guidance to children.
In a recent similar case in Texas, Austin High School art teacher Tamara Hoover was terminated by the school system because her nude pictures appeared on the Internet. No wanton sex, just nudity. The latest reports indicate that Hoover has accepted her experience as a lesson and decided to move on with her life. Tericka Dye should do the same.
Companion post at The Jawa Report.
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