Teacher fired over porn past says she endured 'sex slavery,' pleads for job

[whoinside]

A Dallas ISD teacher who was fired because she acted in adult films more than a decade ago says she was forced into “sex slavery†and is fighting to get back her dream job helping children.

Resa Woodward, 38, taught sixth-grade science at an all-girls STEAM academy at Balch Springs Middle School before she was removed from the classroom in November. She was fired after her past in adult films was exposed on social media. She is appealing her termination to the Texas Education Agency.

Woodward said a controlling and manipulative man forced her into “sex slavery,†according to her appeal letter to Education Commissioner Mike Morath, released to The Dallas Morning News this week.

“Young, stupid and afraid, I complied to avoid his wrath,†she wrote. “Only a woman who has been through such a horrifying  experience could fully understand, but I’m asking you to understand and re-consider the terrible charges being brought against me, the victim of an abusive past.â€

Woodward explained how she was able to escape her abusive relationship. She went on to become a teacher, working in North Carolina and Florida before coming to Texas, where she earned a master’s degree.

Woodward, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, began working at the all-girls school in 2014 and quickly became a standout teacher.

In her letter to Morath — a former DISD trustee — she noted that she earned the highest rating of “exemplary†last school year in DISD’s distinguished teacher program and was a nominee for district teacher of the year. She was also a nominee for campus teacher of the year for 2016-17, she wrote.

Teaching was more than a career, Woodward wrote. It was a dream fulfilled, one in which she was able to change the lives of many students.

“Please tell me this is not the end,†she wrote. “Do not penalize me for a dark saga in my youth that was not of my making.â€

According to Woodward's termination letter, obtained this week, district officials fired her because her previous work “in adult content media†was accessible on the internet and available to the public. That “casts the District in negative light and adversely affects the District,†according to the letter, dated Dec. 13.

 

News of her firing circulated widely. Woodward said that since then, she has been harassed by men from across the world, including former students.

DISD initially cleared her in an internal investigation last March, when officials first learned of her past. But the district didn’t move to terminate her until last fall. Woodward is active in the Libertarian Party, and a Michigan man took issue with one of her posts and “outed†her on Facebook. She was removed from the classroom after alerting the district about the man's action.

TEA officials have said Woodward missed a deadline for an appeal and did not submit it properly. In a letter to state officials, her lawyer disputes that, saying the request was done properly and within the required 15 days. Postal confirmation submitted to DISD — and released through an open-records request — shows that Woodward’s appeal letter to the TEA was delivered by certified mail at 8:09 a.m. on Dec. 28.

TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said the agency is still reviewing the letter to reconsider. Woodward’s teaching certification in Texas is still valid.

Texas teachers must adhere to a code of ethics that requires them to have “good moral character†and be “worthy to instruct or supervise the youth of this state.†Breaking that code can be grounds for termination.

However, school districts have a lot of leeway in determining what that means, according to Clay Robison, spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association.

“The district can claim that something a teacher does has undermined her ability to be effective as a teacher,†he said. “A teacher can fight it, but that usually involves significant costs.â€

Woodward said she has worked in education for 15 years. State records show she previously worked in the McKinney school district before joining DISD in 2012. She left briefly to earn her master’s.

 

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I forgot to add the source.

[김민주]

If she's doing her job as a teacher well and helping the kids why tf would you fire her over something she did 10 years ago that in no way affects the children? It's an all girl school anyways...not like any of them will be looking her up... and even if they were lesbian/bi girls they're sixth graders...

 

It's all pointless. She doesn't deserve to get fired. 

[one-hoe wonho]

i feel bad for the woman. why get punished for something they did years ago.

[Kimberly Lipington]

She doesn't deserve to get fired even if she didn't have this backstory of as to why she made porn. As long as she does her job as a teacher what is it to her past history that isn't brought into the classroom? 

[Secre]

Not surprised this happens in places like Texas 

[Lil Ayy Big Gay]

Not like she's going show her pussy to her class,

 

she shouldn't have been fired. If she has no longer any connections to the porn industry, let her teach.

[Naru4ever]

wth america... why and how can something like this happen? 

 

This poor women, she fought against an abusive past, was humiliated in her whole social circle, her job-life and more and also lost her job... 

I hope she regains strength and can further pursue her teaching career!

[Athena]

If she's doing her job as a teacher well and helping the kids why tf would you fire her over something she did 10 years ago that in no way affects the children? It's an all girl school anyways...not like any of them will be looking her up... and even if they were lesbian/bi girls they're sixth graders...

 

It's all pointless. She doesn't deserve to get fired.

not that she deserved to be fired but you think sixth grade girls aren't watching porn or wouldn't look it up?

[Nev Schulman]

you should be questioning them youngers checking ha out on porn websites

its not like she told people 

[Aneira3019]

I feel really bad for her, the guy who outed her on facebook is a massive dickhead.

[A Hamster Named Loneliness]

what she did in her past isn't even grounds to fire her at all, and she was forced into it. My 9th grade literature teacher apparently used to model for Playboy magazine when she was younger (and even some of the other teachers knew about it) but my school was never dumb enough to fire her over something she did in her past.

[Tokki the Awkward Potato]

What the fuck.

 

She didnt work that hard to become a teacher just to be "exposed" (and the past wasnt even her fault) and be fired.

 

I swear the teachers who dont give a fuck about teaching get to always stay meanwhile the one's where teaching is their passion always end up in some bullshit, smh.

[김민주]

not that she deserved to be fired but you think sixth grade girls aren't watching porn or wouldn't look it up?

Uh for the most part no? I didn't until 8th grade

[Athena]

Uh for the most part no? I didn't until 8th grade

cool for you but aren't you a guy? and boys generally start watching (and masturbating) younger than the 8th grade, in the 11-13 year old range so...

 

what i'm saying is that the fact they're girls, their sexuality (lol) or age (it's sixth grade so it's not uncommon) really don't matter when preteens starting puberty are very curious about sex and the like. 100% if this info got out students would be looking it up. it's foolish to think otherwise.

 

but the school's excuse is weird and bullshit as they seem to be saying that an ex-porn actor is morally corrupt and a bad influence.

 

truthfully, if they had said that the info getting out would possibly lead to a distracting environment in that students would be gossiping about it (all girls schools are even worse with this), she would possibly be ostracized by the other staff, etc I would have believed them more. and in any situation the least they could is help her find another job.

[*lesigh*]

It's ridiculous to fire her because she was in porn. She was literally forced into the industry...

[김민주]

cool for you but aren't you a guy? and boys generally start watching (and masturbating) younger than the 8th grade, in the 11-13 year old range so...

 

what i'm saying is that the fact they're girls, their sexuality (lol) or age (it's sixth grade so it's not uncommon) really don't matter when preteens starting puberty are very curious about sex and the like. 100% if this info got out students would be looking it up. it's foolish to think otherwise.

 

but the school's excuse is weird and bullshit as they seem to be saying that an ex-porn actor is morally corrupt and a bad influence.

 

truthfully, if they had said that the info getting out would possibly lead to a distracting environment in that students would be gossiping about it (all girls schools are even worse with this), she would possibly be ostracized by the other staff, etc I would have believed them more. and in any situation the least they could is help her find another job.

As far as I know guys are more curious/into that stuff at a younger age. I really don't see many 6th grade girls looking up porn but seeing as kids get more sexual every year...maybe. It doesnt' really matter to me, I'm just saying there would be less attention around it if they didn't fire her. Now its a huge deal and doing more damage than just leaving her on board. 

cool for you but aren't you a guy? and boys generally start watching (and masturbating) younger than the 8th grade, in the 11-13 year old range so...

 

what i'm saying is that the fact they're girls, their sexuality (lol) or age (it's sixth grade so it's not uncommon) really don't matter when preteens starting puberty are very curious about sex and the like. 100% if this info got out students would be looking it up. it's foolish to think otherwise.

 

but the school's excuse is weird and bullshit as they seem to be saying that an ex-porn actor is morally corrupt and a bad influence.

 

truthfully, if they had said that the info getting out would possibly lead to a distracting environment in that students would be gossiping about it (all girls schools are even worse with this), she would possibly be ostracized by the other staff, etc I would have believed them more. and in any situation the least they could is help her find another job.

As far as I know guys are more curious/into that stuff at a younger age. I really don't see many 6th grade girls looking up porn but seeing as kids get more sexual every year...maybe. It doesnt' really matter to me, I'm just saying there would be less attention around it if they didn't fire her. Now its a huge deal and doing more damage than just leaving her on board. 

[Seulo]

She shouldn't have been fired but I'm not surprised that she was. It would be great if she could succeed in getting her job back but she's in Texas of all places, I don't see it happening...

not that she deserved to be fired but you think sixth grade girls aren't watching porn or wouldn't look it up?

 
They really start young these days O_O

[benseac]

 

DISD initially cleared her in an internal investigation last March, when officials first learned of her past. But the district didn’t move to terminate her until last fall.

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I forgot to add the source.

 

 

I could understand why they terminated her if the part I quoted didn't happen. If they truly thought her past was a reason to can her, they should've done so when they found about about it. The fact they didn't do it until later in the year makes me think there is more to her termination than just her past. From the article she seems like a good teacher who, according to her, did things in her past she had little control over. Hopefully she's able to get a job doing what she likes and is good at doing (teaching, not porn).

[xRibbonsx]

 Not really suitable, but if she really wants to, it's a perfect opportunity to have this ex-porn star warn girls not to be gullible with money offered by men and to be careful with sex and everything.

[JiMiJu]

Whether she was forced or not, being fired for doing porn is really unjust.

[delirium]

Let the past stay where it is >.>

 

But an even bigger issue is the disregard for her alleged story. Sometimes, I really feel that many in NA don't care about women's "rights" outside of reproductive issues. Arguments about the right to not be made into a slave often gets overshadowed by arguments concerning the privilege to push the latest chemical birth control onto women.

[Raindraco]

well. they say what you do in the past will come back to haunt to.....

[MasterOfCider]

If she's doing her job as a teacher well and helping the kids why tf would you fire her over something she did 10 years ago that in no way affects the children? It's an all girl school anyways...not like any of them will be looking her up... and even if they were lesbian/bi girls they're sixth graders...

 

It's all pointless. She doesn't deserve to get fired.

I agree she shouldn't be fired, but if you don't think 6th graders are looking at porn you are in for a surprise.

[typo.]

Thats her past though. wtf!