After a Wisconsin school staff member was caught engaging in a sexual relationship with a male student, she blamed the child for “initiating” it. However, once she was sentenced, the judge’s ruling was met with mixed emotions.
After an employee at Green Bay Southwest High School noticed odd behavior regarding 32-year-old Courtney Roznowski and a male student, they reported their concerns to the local police. Their suspicions were proven correct after investigators uncovered disturbing details involving a salacious and highly illegal relationship between the student and the school staff member.
WBAY reports that detectives responded to a complaint that Roznowski was engaging in more than just a professional relationship with the 16-year-old boy and had become “unusually close with him.” When an investigator questioned Roznowski and requested access to her cell phone, she broke down in tears and claimed that “we chatted a couple of times so I could make sure he was OK.” It didn’t take much digging for authorities to uncover the truth.
Roznowski eventually admitted to investigators that she had engaged in sexual activity with the boy, which began over the summer and continued into the school year. She said that she began mentoring the student and started meeting up near his home. She confessed to having sexual intercourse at the student’s house and acknowledged that they had two separate sexual encounters in total. However, Roznowski claimed that she was too intoxicated to remember the first romp with the boy.
She said that she loved him “in the way I didn’t want to see anything happen to him.” Roznowski said she was having “extensive personal issues” in her life and had been drinking a lot.
Detectives then spoke with the student. Initially, the boy denied any sexual interaction with Roznowski but admitted he was aware of the allegations, justifying the claims by stating, “Well, it is every kid’s dream to do a teacher.” After evidence was produced, he ultimately confirmed the two encounters with the school staffer. He also explained that Roznowski told him that he was “special and deserved special things” before they had sex.
Roznowski pleaded no contest to one count of exposing intimate parts to a child. Three charges of sexual assault of a student by a staff member were dropped due to the fact that she was not officially under contract with the school district when she engaged in illegal conduct with the student. If she had been convicted on these counts, she could have received up to 25 years in prison. according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. Incredibly, her address to the court seemed to blame the victim rather than herself.
“I accept responsibility for what I did, and I know what I did was wrong,” she said. “While I did not initiate the relationship, I should have put an end to it once I realized that the messages being sent to me were from a student at the school. Please have it in your heart to see the good in me. Have me keep working, have me keep seeing my counselor, have me be around my family daily. Overall, I hope my actions for the last 13 months have shown you how serious I have and will continue to take this.”
Judge Donald Zuidmulder criticized Roznowski’s behavior, calling her a “nightmare of every parent.” Unfortunately, he was prohibited from sentencing her to prison after the other charges didn’t stick. As such, he sentenced her to six months in jail and three years probation.
“Here’s what I want to tell you, Miss Roznowski: You’ve broken their hearts. And whatever punishment I impose on you, I assume that the humiliation and embarrassment you’ve caused your mother and father is more punishment that you will carry than what I could impose on you,” the judge said.
Judge Zuidmulder denounced Roznowski’s half-hearted apology but ultimately admitted that he was bound by the law to give her only 180 days in jail. He then ruled that she may not work anywhere with access to minors and must remain sober.
Some are torn on Roznowski’s punishment, which is more than many predatory teachers receive. However, her refusal to take complete responsibility for her actions is disturbing and telling of a trend in female school employees taking advantage of vulnerable children.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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