Back  |  Email to a Friend  |  Print  |   Send in Your Comment

Student, 18 moves in with teacher, 41!

A high school teacher, 41, has resigned from his job and left his family so that he could move in with a former student who is just 18.

James quit his job at Enochs High School after going public about his relationship with former student, Jordan and police are thought to be investigating the case to be sure that nothing illegal went on before the the teen turned 18.

The 41-year-old father chose to leave his wife and children to pursue his relationship with Jordan and move in with her.

His motives have come under scrutiny from Jordan's mother, Tammie Powers who has started a public Facebook campaign against the relationship. She describes Mr Hooker as a 'sicko' and a 'pervert.'

Although the concerned mother is accusing James of pursuing her daughter in an illegal manner, her teenage daughter is adamant that this is the real thing. 

“He’s my best friend' she said.

“I mean, he’s more than just a lover.”

Despite worries, the former teacher said he felt nothing for the teen when she was in his business class.

'She was just a student,' he said. 'There was no attraction. There was nothing that was out of the ordinary, as opposed to any other student.  We were very much a teacher-student role.'

James taught business and IT as well as running several after-school clubs, one of which Jordan was a member.

Speaking to the Sacramento Bee, he said: 'In making our choice, we've hurt a lot of people. We keep asking ourselves, "Do we make everyone else happy or do we follow our hearts?"'

The couple has insisted they only got together once she turned 18 and their relationship developed as they spent time together during and after school, but Jordan's mother is blaming Mr Hooker for pursuing her daughter and taking advantage of her.

She told The Bee: 'She looked up to him. He was in the position of an educator, you don’t abuse your student. Period.

'She’s still in high school. She still lives at home. She has a curfew. That’s not OK.'

Jordan has since dropped out of school and is studying independently.

Mr Hooker told ABC: 'I think the stigma of the teacher-student relationship just makes it messy, makes it really hard for people to get through to the point that we really do like each other.

'We really do want to have a future together.'