A former teacher avoided prison after a twisted relationship with a student came to light years later
Eltham: So, there’s this story about a teacher named David Howard. Back in 2002, he was just 24 and teaching at Crown Woods Secondary School. He got involved in a pretty messed-up relationship with a student.
They met outside of school, exchanged letters, and even got caught in a classroom cupboard doing something inappropriate. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and the former student finally told the police about what happened.
At his recent court hearing, it came out that it all started with a Valentine’s Day card he sent her. He wrote some pretty intense stuff, saying he was infatuated with her. When she figured out it was from him, things escalated quickly.
She described him as the “cool teacher,” and his flirting made her feel special. But in court, she shared how predators like him target vulnerable kids. She felt trapped in a relationship she thought was consensual for a long time.
She even showed another teacher the letters he sent her, and now she wishes someone had spoken up back then. She believes he might have hurt other students too.
Now, the school has changed names a few times since then, but the impact of what happened still haunts her. She mentioned feeling unlovable and broken because of the abuse.
Howard’s defense argued he was just immature back then, but the judge wasn’t buying it. She said he used the girl to feel better about himself, which was incredibly selfish.
In the end, he got a six-month sentence, but it’s suspended for a year and a half, so he walked out free. The judge thought he could change, but it’s hard to see how someone could do that after such a twisted situation.
After all this, Howard switched careers, and the school has had a few name changes since the incident. It’s a wild story that leaves you shaking your head.
