Shelton Teachers Reflect on Syracuse Scandal

According to the Associated Press, reported by Huffington Post, Syracuse men's basketball coach Bernie Fine was fired this past Sunday after being accused of molestation by three men. In the wake of the pending investigation, Shelton's educators are putting in their two cents, explaining that such situations create a burden on schools from the university level down.

HuffPost reports that the allegations against Fine surfaced a week after Penn State school trustees in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who is accused in a grand jury indictment of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period.

Katelyn Botsford, a history teacher at , said the recent scandals remind her just how challenging her job can be.

"Bad teachers ruin it for the rest of us," Botsford said. "When things like this happen, it's so sad on so many levels and it does make day-to-day work a little more stressful."

Botsford explained that, even without college scandals in the headlines, teachers must be extremely careful about their conduct with students. "I always make sure my classroom door is all the way open if I have a meeting with a student, and I make sure other people know where I am throughout the day," she said.

But while teachers are keenly aware of how serious the Syracuse situation is, Shelton High students generally seem less aware.

"We talked about this in class and a lot of the kids just didn't get it -- they didn't understand how much is at risk," Botsford said. "I don't know if this will be enough to dissuade them from applying to certain schools."

Lynn Giordano, a guidance counselor at SHS, said she doesn't believe the sex abuse allegations will inhibit students from applying to "big name" schools like Syracuse and Penn State.

"The people who did these terrible things don't define the entire school," Giordano said. "There is some concern that parents might steer away, but I wouldn't feel I was doing anything wrong if I promoted a certain school to a certain student."

Giordano recalls when football star Jasper Howard was fatally stabbed on the University of Connecticut campus in October 2009: "There wasn't a dip in enrollment at UConn after that happened, which was a little surprising. I just don't think 17 and 18 year olds think that way -- nothing shocks them, they just move on," she said.

Retired SHS boys’ basketball coach Joe Sedlock said Syracuse will likely suffer even without a drop in numbers. “This is a tragedy, a black eye on the college community,” he said.

Athletics are a major source of financial stability at many colleges, “but the biggest effect will be on the players and coaches, not the administration,” Sedlock said. “Most important are the people who were violated as children and the dramatic impact this will have on their lives. Getting them help is more important than anything else. It’s unfortunate that [adults] have found these avenues where they can reach children.”