Teacher - Boy Case Evaporates

(Durham, NC) In February 2006, a 43-year-old teacher at Chewning Middle School, Janet Briggs, was arrested for allegedly allowing a 14-year-old student to spend the night at her home more than once. After the first occasion, the boy's father alerted police.

Briggs was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was released on the misdemeanor charge without bond and ordered to have no contact with the boy and his family. She also resigned her teaching position.

Since last year, there has been little information provided regarding the case. That is, until I found the following report.

A former eighth-grade teacher at Chewning Middle School was arrested a year ago last month and charged with allowing a male student to spend the night with her.

But in a quiet September plea deal that escaped media attention, Janet K. Briggs received deferred prosecution on two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, court records indicate.

With deferred prosecution, she received no punishment and will have a clean record if she behaves for the foreseeable future.

The incident came to light when the boy's father launched a complaint against Briggs. She then resigned as a teacher.

Briggs and the boy both denied that any sexual activity occurred.

No media attention, no punishment and a clean record are not ways to preclude recurrence of the situation. On a positive note, however, Briggs' lawyer, James D. "Butch" Williams, said she is not teaching anymore.