Teacher to serve two years

By By Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
New legislation now means teachers convicted of certain crimes, such as the Danville-Neel Ele-mentary teacher recently sentenced to two years behind bars for enticing a child for sexual purposes, can be terminated from their jobs.
Gov. Bob Riley signed the bill into law last week. It changes Alabama’s tenure law to allow for a teacher convicted of a class A felony, such as murder, first degree rape, arson, robbery or burglary, as well as sex offenses, to be terminated without pay.
The new law went into effect immediately, clearing the way for the Morgan County Board of Education to terminate Defoor. She has been on administrative leave with pay.
Last week, Defoor was sentenced to two years in prison for her felony conviction on charges of enticing a child for sexual purposes, a felony.
Defoor was convicted of having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl. She will spend two years in prison and could serve an additional four years if she violates the terms of her five-year supervised probation. She was also sentenced to a year behind bars on charges of second degree sexual abuse. The year sentence will run concurrently.
Defoor will also be required to register as a sex offender upon her release.
She is appealing her conviction and remains free on $30,000 bon.
“This woman deserves to spend time in prison for victimizing this young girl. Instead of protecting her, as teachers are expected to do, she robbed this child of her innocence,” Attorney General King said. “Children are vulnerable and deserve our protection from those who would take such wicked advantage of them. Our Family Protection Unit is dedicated to this important mission, and we are committed to safeguarding the children of Alabama from those who would abuse and harm them.”
At her trial, prosecutors said Defoor admitted to taking the child to concerts and providing her with alcohol. She said the child was at her home in February 2006 when she served her alcohol and had sexual intercourse with a man while the child was there. The child testified Defoor touched her sexually and invited her into the bedroom where she attempted to engage her in further sexual contact.
Testimony from the child said she didn’t engage in sexual contact with Defoor in the bedroom but was in the room when Defoor and the man had sex.
The incidents were discovered when the victim shared the information with a teacher and school officials reported the matter to authorities. She was indicted in 2009 and convicted in 2010. Under tenure laws, she received pay the entire time, even after being convicted. Morgan County’s board has now begun the process of terminating Defoor.
The changes to teacher tenure laws came on the heels of a Washington County case where a teacher was convicted of child enticement but continued to receive her pay while serving a prison sentence.