A former special ed teacher at Sycamore High School will not go to jail even though she has admitted to a charge of Gross Sexual Imposition.
Jennifer Walsh resigned last year after admitting to having sex with a 17 year old female student. She was in court for sentencing on Wednesday but the judge ordered a delay after the teen told the judge the two were in love and said both were willing partners in the relationship. When Walsh returned to court Friday, the felony 4 charge she had pleaded to was reduced to a felony 5. Judge Jody Luebbers then ordered Walsh to serve one year community control avoiding jail all together.
The case has reignited the debate over whether there is a double standard for female sex offenders and male. The same Hamilton County Judge who handled this case gave a male teacher in Cincinnati who admitted to gross sexual imposition the maximum sentence a few years ago. Judge Luebbers also made Michael Johnson register as a sex offender and put him on probation for five years.