New Hampshire Teacher Charged With Felony Sexual Assault After Having Sex With 18-Year-Old Student, Faces 60+ Years In Prison
While he was 18 and she was a drama coach working at the school on a “limited basis,” how can an educator in 2022 (or any year) be stupid and sick enough to have sexual involvement with a student? At the same time, felony charges for sexual assault (and up to 67 years in prison) between two consenting adults doesn’t make sense, unless there’s some kind of insane circumstance to this case that’s yet to be revealed. I could see having her teacher’s license permanently revoked and a small amount of jail time with probation and community service, but the rest of her life in prison feels like a bit much. Via SeacoastOnline:
A former New Hampshire teacher of the year finalist is facing felony charges, accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student last year in what is the first criminal case brought under a new state law.
Bridgette Doucette-Howell, 38, of Merrimack, was indicted on three counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault for allegedly engaging in intercourse, and one count of felonious sexual assault for allegedly kissing the student between April 26 and May 13, 2021, in Kingston and Exeter.
The criminal case tests a new legal provision, known as the Howie Leung Loophole Law, intended to prevent those holding positions of authority from engaging in any kind of sexual contact with students, even if the student is not a juvenile and out of school at the time.
Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway said if there is a conviction, the maximum sentence for each aggravated felonious sexual assault offense is 10 to 20 years in prison. The felonious sexual assault penalty carries a 3 ½ to 7-year sentence, according to the indictment.
Doucette-Howell has waived arraignment and has entered a plea of not guilty.
According to published reports, when the alleged crimes took place, Doucette-Howell was working at Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston as a drama coach, her connection with the school on a limited basis for its theater arts extracurricular activity.
Doucette-Howell is the first person charged under House Bill 1240, also known as the Howie Leung Loophole Law.
The law was signed by Gov. Chris Sununu in July 2020, and it went into effect in January 2021.
The new provision makes it a felony to engage in sexual activity “when the actor is an employee, contractor, or volunteer at a primary or secondary educational institution and the victim is a student and up to 10 months after the student’s graduation or departure.”
There’s more about the new law and why it was passed here.
