WYTHEVILLE -- A former Wythe County teacher was found guilty this afternoon in Wythe County Circuit Court on several charges involving inappropriate relationships with two of her former students.

Karen Susan Patton, 42, resigned from her job as an English teacher and cheerleading coach at Wytheville's Scott Memorial Middle School in January 2006 after she was charged with having oral sex with a 13-year-old student. Patton was arrested after the boy's mother went to police with instant messages between the boy and Patton, and what appeared to be a handwritten letter from Patton that referenced a sexual relationship. After this relationship was exposed, she was charged with molesting a second 13-year-old boy in 2004.

This afternoon, Patton pleaded no contest to two counts of carnal knowledge and one count of non-forcible sodomy. Several other charges she faced were dropped. She will be sentenced in June. She faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.

Patton taught at Scott Memorial for about a year and a half before her resignation. Before that, she taught in Carroll County schools, where she was named teacher of the year for 2003.

Watch her get 2-year's.

Sick.

Watch her get probation.

Agreed - sick.

Why? Was she not charged with rape!
If she is good looking chances are she will walk,

ste

ste,

I have another article saved about a female teacher who abused a male student, and the judge gave her only probation - because she is a woman! If a man did it he'd be thrown in the clink, and rightly so. Discrimination is alive and well.

I remember another recent case in which a judge explicitly stated, in so many words, that the defendant was essentially "lucky" she was a woman, because if she were a man he would've given her jail time.

It's one double-standard that people aren't even pretending to try and hide.

Why? Was she not charged with rape!
If it was a man who did it to two little
girls, he would be for it,

ste

I think there is a double standard in sentencing these perps. She needs 5 years in jail., i think.