Girl singled out for mono sues teachers (A disease that "whores" get)

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-mono09.html

Mononucleosis, the class was told, is a disease that "whores" get.

Former students at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School say that was part of a lesson given by a teacher who disclosed a student's case of mono and explained it was spread by "sexually active girls."

Now, the target of those comments -- 2004 graduate Rebecca Alvarado -- has filed suit against two teachers, the dean and principal at the all-girls Chicago Catholic school, claiming her privacy was violated and her reputation damaged.

The lawsuit, recently filed in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks in excess of $450,000.

more

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Ignorant fools

Here's hoping she milks this school for evey penny she can get out of them.

[saigon68]

43. She should collect a lot of money here

Only the SHEEP send their kids to a Gulag like this--- and--- I'm sure Pope Rat-Face would approve of this notion of "Hoores"

[struggle4progress]

90. Epidemiology of Epstein-Barr Virus Infections

In developed countries, 2 peaks of infection are seen : the first in very young preschool children aged 1 - 6 and the second in adolescents and young adults aged 14 - 20. 80 - 90% of the adult population have been infected by the virus. In developing countries, infection occurs at a much earlier age so that 90% of children over the age of 2 are seropositive.

Once infected, a lifelong carrier state develops whereby a low grade infection is kept in check by the immune defenses. Low grade virus replication and shedding can be demonstrated in the epithelial cells of the pharynx of all seropositive individuals. Furthermore a few EBV-immortalized B-cells can be demonstrated in the circulation which are continually cleared by immune surveillance mechanisms. Whether these B-cells are true latent EBV infected B-cells or cells which become infected as they pass through Waldeyer's ring in the pharynx is uncertain. EBV is associated with several diseases state where it may act as the direct agent or as one of several cofactors. These diseases include :-

1. Infectious Mononucleosis
2. Burkitt's lymphoma
3. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
4. Lymphoproliferative disease and lymphoma in the immunosuppressed.
5. X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome
6. Chronic infectious mononucleosis
7. Oral leukoplakia in AIDS patients
8. Chronic interstitial pneumonitis in AIDS patients.

Since virus shedding can be demonstrated in the oropharynx of most seropositive individuals, it is thought that transmission occurs mainly by the oral route. Thus IM has been dubbed the "kissing disease". <snip>

http://virology-online.com/viruses/EBV2.htm


Apparently 80-90% of the adult population have been "whores" though most don't show symptoms of EBV infection ...

[Miss Chybil]

2. What year is this again? I've always thought we progressed in time, not

regressed. Maybe, I should pay closer attention to quantum physics.

[BlueIris]

79. There does seem to be some confusion about that.

Could people please start embracing the idea that it's NOT 1900?! I'd really appreciate that. Thanks.

[okieinpain]

103. funny, I was thinking the same thing, satellites in space, pictures of

distant galaxy's, private flights into space, DNA test, cell phones, and the list goes on, and on. and what is the repugs thinking about, gay people, other peoples sex lives.

I know how they get elected they own the media, and the voting devices. but I still have to wonder how any person that thinks of themselves as being middle of the road would vote for them.

[LostinVA]

3. I'm sooo against just suing people, but SUE! SURE! SUE!

Firstly, the teacher shows she knows NOTHING about mono and how it is spread; secondly, defamation of character, anyone; thirdly, ummm... kissing doesn't make you a WHORE. Nothing makes you a whore, actually... except for small-minded people.

Good lord, I'm 40, and the Catholic teachers when I was growing up were so not this nutty...

[LisaL]

5. And here I always thought that having sex for money

makes you a whore.
:silly:

[LostinVA]

6. That makes you a prostitute

Per this teacher, being a girl who kisses makes you a whore.

[msongs]

7. having sex 4 money = prostitute, whores are free.......:-( eom

[LisaL]

9. Just for the sake of the language-

prostitute and a whore are synonyms (they mean the same thing).
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=whore

[LiberallyInclined]

12. whores ARE prostitutes, and they aren't "free"...

"sluts" are free.

[dhinojosa]

33. (With Music) You say prostitutes, I say whores, let's call the whole ...

thing off. TADA!

[madmax]

8. I thought it made you

rich! j/k :spank:

[NashVegas]

29. When You're a Woman

Doing anything that could be construed as having sex on mutually agreeable terms pretty much means you're a whore.

And I'm just fine with that.

[donsu]

45. the catholic church blames everything on women

(that's because they are afraid of us :) )

[Ian David]

51. I had mono in H.S. and I wasn't a whore-- but not for lack of trying n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

58. My husband had it in 6th grade

It was known as 'the kissing disease' back then and he was so embarrassed that his friends teased him about this and he had never even kissed a girl. LOL

[olddad56]

66. that slut!

[XemaSab]

68. You can get mono

without kissing someone.

It's spread by saliva, but I got it from my roommate, who I sure as hell wasn't kissing. You can get it from drinking from the same glass or water bottle, for example.

[renaissanceguy]

4. more

More classes heard the same lecture from Neary, it says, including a discussion about whom Alvarado was friends with and sleeping with.

"Students from several grades were now discussing and gossiping about Rebecca," the lawsuit says, "claiming she was easy, sleeping around, a slut, and were writing in bathroom stalls that she possessed sexually transmitted diseases."



http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21272015

[jojo54]

10. This is pure crap!

<snip>More classes heard the same lecture from Neary, it says, including a discussion about whom Alvarado was friends with and sleeping with.<snip>

These other students (I'm assuming they were male, otherwise the poor girl would be insulted for being a lesbian) should sue also. And I can't believe this teacher got these other students involved in this discussion!!!

I hope this law suit financially ruins the school. Maybe then these right wing nut jobs will get the big picture that nobody is gonna take their shit anymore.

[LiberallyInclined]

16. since it was an all-girls catholic school...

i don't think that the other students were male.

[jojo54]

28. Well, it's not that there are no males in this town,

but I should have phrased it another way. Another way of looking at it is, this being an all girls school, then was the teacher implying that this girl was gay??? Either way, the teacher was dead wrong for what took place and this is a prime example of the religious right thinking they can say/do/invoke anything they damn well please.

[LiberallyInclined]

38. ummm..the students aren't cloistered.

they do have lives outside and away from school...i would assume that includes boys. i don't see anything in the article that would indicate any lesbian conotations.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. HIPPA Violation

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) spells out some pretty severe penalties for disclosure of confidential medical information. Whoever passed this along could be in serious trouble.

[LisaL]

15. But in this case, the girls' mother told the teacher what the

girl had. I don't think HIPPA applies if you tell someone about your disease.

[KitSileya]

21. Still, giving a teacher information about a student

doesn't give that teacher the right to tell other students. Other teachers, yes, if advice or more information is needed, but the student has a right to keep priviledged information private. This teacher was completely out of line, and the school erred grievously if it hasn't done anything to sanction the teacher and correct the erroneous information given.

[proud2BlibKansan]

59. You are exactly right

I am a teacher and we were trained re: HIPPA regs. We may NOT discuss health info on any student with other students. We were even advised to not discuss a child's health issues with other teachers unless they also work with the child.

[MountainLaurel]

37. Not HIPAA, but

FERPA (Family Education Rights and
Privacy Act), which does apply at the secondary level.

A teacher friend of mine had a conniption because one of the students on a two-day field trip that he was in charge of was 5 months pregnant (she was 14!), and he only found out after the fact. If that girl had been injured or had conducted herself in any way that might cause her to miscarry (they were at a fucking amusement park), the potential existed that he could be held responsible.

[bettyellen]

74. well it's definately a violation of this kid's rights........

and you're defending this teacher's actions without any knowledges of the law because..........???

[triguy46]

19. A FERPA violation more likely

Since it is unlikely that the school is a "covered entity" as defined by HIPAA, that would probably not come into play. However, student privacy rights are provided under FERPA.

Other than that, a step back to the wonderful family vaules 1950s.

[AnneD]

36. I think you're right

I am so use to HIPPA (when I work at the hospitial) but this covered under FERPA (it allows a limited sharing of info but we have to have parents sign a form or personally request the data).

[NYC]

62. In the 1950s, people weren't called whores for having

mononucleosis.

It was called the "kissing disease," but it was known that you could get it without kissing.

So, this teacher must be going back earlier than the 1950s.

[Horse with no Name]

61. HIPAA only applies to healthcare workers

Nobody outside the medical profession can be held to this act since most haven't been completely educated as to what the ramifications are.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

70. I was thinking about the person who told the teacher...

which was, apparently, the girl's mother. So it wouldn't apply.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. Those teachers are too ignorant to be teaching

The virus is spread by saliva, hence the name "kissing disease."

I got mono after being in a school play where students ate ice cream backstage using bowls and spoons that were merely rinsed under cold water instead of washed. I was a virgin at the time. Three other members of the cast also came down with mono.

[NNN0LHI]

23. I got it from sharing a bottle of beer with a girl when I was 17 n/t

[Lorien]

25. I got it at least three times in grade school

I went to a small private (and extremely liberal) school, and it seemed like at least 1/3 of the students would get mono every 2-3 years. We certainly weren't kissing one another! But we did do a lot of hiking and camping with our class, and often shared canteens. :shrug:

Got it once during High School too-a sadly dateless time of my life. There must be a fair number of ways that it can be spread.

[MountainLaurel]

39. Same here

At least most likely -- My roommate at the time showed all the signs of mono and was sick for weeks, but was never officially diagnosed. (Her healthcare provider sucked.) I didn't get sick, but apparently I was a carrier, because my BF of all of 4 weeks did come down with mono.

[stevedeshazer]

31. Bingo

I had it at age sixteen, and I can assure you that I had never even so much as kissed anyone.

[Dulcinea]

54. I had mono in high school.

Sick as a dog for a whole month!

My boyfriend at the time tested negative. I was a virgin at the time. It could have come from anywhere.

[Nevernose]

14. Didn't they just find out that mono wasn't communicable?

That it was genetic? Do I remember seeing that on CNN, or am I having another of my hallucinatory episodes?

[LisaL]

18. Yes, you are hallucinating.

[KitSileya]

17. I hope this suit brings the school out of business!!

And I am saying that as a Catholic and a teacher. Any school that doesn't promptly fire such a teacher, and then does its level best to correct the damage done, deserves to be closed. For heaven's sake, mononucleosis can be caught sharing bottles!

[punpirate]

20. I would guess that Catholics...

... are going to get very tired of those second special collections for the legal defense fund....

[saigon68]

55. They could have Rat-Face sell some of his jewelry

To pay the bill for attorney's fees.

[Solly Mack]

22. Ignorance and meaness make for a very bad combo

[truebrit71]

24. You have NOOOOOOOOOOOOO idea how quickly I would sue that school.....

...if that were my daughter.....that type of public disclosure is simply unforgivable....I hope that BOTH teacher and Dean get fired, and the school has to pay through the nose....

This type of thing makes me so angry....is it not hard enough in school between teens as it is? You have to label them a whore too?

On second thoughts I think I'd just kick that b*tch's ass......THEN I'd sue...

:grr:

[Kagemusha]

26. I hate to ask but... are the rules different 'cause it's contagious?

Calling her a whore was over the line and all but, the more serious allegation is the disclosure of private medical information. If it's contagious, does that change the legal issue?

[jojo54]

30. It may change the legal issue some,

but I still don't think they have the right to even divulge the student's name, let alone her personal life.

To the G.W. Hitler regime, STAY OUT OF OUR PERSONAL LIVES!

[proud2BlibKansan]

60. In the case of a contagious disease,

schools inform parents that the disease is present at school but NEVER is the name of the student disclosed.

We routinely send notes home when we have breakouts of head lice and chicken pox. But the names of the kids who have these are NEVER NEVER NEVER given out.

[put out]

95. No. Informing the school community of communicable infection

is a courtesy. I have to do mandatory reporting to the county if I am informed of some things diagnosed in my student population, but parents do not have to inform me of anything. They can choose to, but are not compelled to do so. I, in turn, do not have to inform others of the communicable infection or infestation. I may, at my own discretion, do so, with the parents' consent. I will not mention a name.

An aside: I am amazed at parents and teachers who take a strep infection in stride when it has been diagnosed in their children's' classroom, but who freak out when I do a screen for lice. "Who is it, who is it, you can tell me, I have to know, I have to know, I have the right to know!"

No, you don't have the right to know who has what, and neither do I. Don't even mention an infestation of pinworms. And NO, I do not screen for pinworms. x(

[gratuitous]

27. Free legal advice for Mother McAuley

And worth every penny: Settle. Quickly.

[saigon68]

84. This story needs more coverage

Like the good father Feeney laying the wood to the choirboys.

[AnneD]

32. I am a school nurse at an elem school

I had 2 wee ones...a boy and a girl (both under 9) with mono last year...so what does that make them. I thought they were exposed to contaminated glasses or silverware that was not washed at the proper water temp or cleaner. I am so glad to find out the true bases for their infection.:sarcasm:

She has every right to sue AND she WILL win. In addition to violating HIPPA rules (a serious federal offense), it shows a gross ignorance on the part of someone in the position to 'educate' our children.

I heard a new term that I will use to describe this...THEOFACISM.

[dhinojosa]

35. AnneD, you can cure all of our nation's boo boos.

I didn't even think about HIPPA violations.

[AnneD]

41. It is not covered under HIPPA...

as I initially wrote, but FERPA. Student info has to be shared more frequently (shot records, special education folders, Drs. order re: medication at school), so we have a bit of wiggle room, but when the mother gave the teacher the info, I do not think that it could be implied that she approved the teacher using her daughter's name and disease as an example in class. I am told MANY things in confidence by parent AND students. What happens in my clinic stays in my clinic, unless I am given permission to mention it...and even then I do not identify the parties involved.

[dhinojosa]

34. Is it me, or is religion getting "super hateful"?

Must just be the stories that get singled out here, but damn, no communion for safe abortion supporters? No church service for democrats? and now this ignorant bullshit?

[Montanan]

42. Christians Showing True Colors Now

Emboldened by the Bush administration, and by Bush's minions who hide behind pulpits and the Bible, certain Christians now feel they have license to let their true feelings show -- hence, the recent outpouring of hatred, bigotry and intolerance upon people they just don't like.

You don't have to scratch a Christian very deep to find a hateful, vengeful, and conflicted person. After all, that's the nature of the God they worship, thier ideal.

[Sentath]

50. monotheoidiosis? eom nt etc...

[mainer]

69. Agree! I am now officially pissed off at religious people

I have tried to live at peace with them, but now I think it's turned into a war. And all of us who do not agree with them are targeted for extinction.

[dandrhesse]

40. I got mono in College, too bad I didn't get to have all the fun that this

teacher apparently thinks a cause! What an uninformed idiot. She should have been fired on the spot, no questions asked. When will people learn that there is no "magical" age at which you turn into a "human being worthy of respect". All people at all ages deserve the same treatment, that is humane and respectful. The angle that really angers me, and this happens a lot is when the teachers, or adults in a situation demand that the kids respect them but they do not respect the kids. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. It has been my experience that you get respect only when you give it.

[donsu]

44. I got mono and I wasn't turning tricks

mono makes you so sick, for so long a time, you wish you were dead.

my brother got it in college and almost died in hospital. he wasn't turning tricks either.

and no, we didn't give it to each other. both cases happened yrs. apart.

these ignorant teachers need sued and barred from teaching.

[Rainscents]

46. When I was 19, I was dating my ex-husband and he came down with

Mononucleosis and Doctor told me not to kiss him since, I may get it through kissing (I never did get it)... So, what would you call it when male gets it? Pimp???

[bleedingheart]

47. I had a boss say something similar to that when I got viral hepatitis

I caught a virus from one of my kids that gave me all the symptoms of hepatitis and I had to be out of work for 3 weeks while I was in quarantine (the docs put me in it) until they figured out what was going on..

When I called to tell my boss, he made a joke about how I had a disease that prostitutes get..he is and has always been a moron.

[madmax]

49. In my early 20's I was diagnosed with

sensori-nueral hearing loss or nerve deafness. My boss told me it was from getting 'it' in the ear. Idiotic comments from so called intelligent people.x(

[madrchsod]

48. maybe the sisters are still upset

about one of their most famous graduates




jenny204.jpg

[pschoeb]

52. I guess everyone is a whore then

Considering mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which is one of the most ubuiquitous of infective viruses, with probably 95% of the population being seropositive for EBV, having been exposed to it at one time or another.

[Megahurtz]

53. What a stupid comment.

Idiot.

[Danmel]

56. My neighbor's 9 year old son had mono

He was out of school for about a month and wasn't really up to speed for another month or two after that. Is he a whore? A little boy? What an idiot that teacher is, I hope they are successful in their lawsuits- the teachers behavior is inexcusable.

[hue]

57. mononucleosis is caused by several viruses, and can be caused by

bacteria as well. But the most common causes are the Epstein-Barr virus and in the more acute cases the cytomegalovirus (CMV). Mono is transmitted by saliva, droplets in the air (anyone coughing or sneezing in your immediate vicinity can spread it), blood transfusions etc. Mono can also be caused by a parasite. Most people have been exposed to CMV early on but only a percentage get the active disease. There is a link between mononucleosis and some forms of cancer--like Hodgkin's disease and some types of leukemias. I think a person's immune system has much to do with getting the active disease. Absolute rest and taking care of oneself is really needed for at least 4 weeks after one is diagnosed.
I feel SO sorry for that young lady! I hope those teachers and that school gets their school sued right out from under their feet! Can't they have their teaching credentials removed--just for their stupidity alone???

[Daphne08]

63. That's ridiculous!

[AP]

64. Some states have old laws on books that presume damages if someone

says you have a venereal disease. Ie, you don't have to prove the slander caused you any actual damages.

So, woops. She might have a great case.

However, the defense will be, mono isn't acutally a V.D., and she actually had it (so truth is a defense to defamation). And then they'll argue about whether you can make a mistake about whether it's a V.D. and still be responsibile for damages.

[hue]

65. But they slandered her by labeling her a "whore"...

That's a different level than whether mono is a STD. She would not need to defend herself as towhether or not she had mono, but the wrongfull association and label ascribed to her--as well as the emotional and educational damage.

[AP]

72. Yes, but I don't know if calling someone a whore is slander per se.

If it isn't in Illinois, she'd have to prove damages.

Illinois might not have any per se slander on the books anymore, in which case she'll have to prove damages no matter what.

[NNN0LHI]

73. Do you think this case will ever see the inside of a courtroom? n/t

[hue]

78. Prob the Catholic Church wants to settle out of court...

They may not want another public "eyesore". I hope they get plenty of spotlight on this! I hope the young lady and her Mother persist and go to court. It being a Catholic all girls school probably signifies the girl's family was better off financially and has the means to persist.

[saigon68]

82. More LOVE FLOWING from a Gang of thugs

[AP]

81. If it's slander per se, and the school isn't denying they said it, then no

b/c there wouldn't be much to argue over. I'm sure they'd settle, so long as they can agree to damages.

[hue]

77. Hmmm! When a position of power announces to the class...

as if she is educating the class to the facts (presenting a truth) and others in a position of power support her---I think toses educators could be held accountable. Also the HIPPA act would support that the teachers violated the young ladie's privacy (would you think?). Even though some of the classmates may have known the student had mono, the teacher has no right to talk about her in a class session (much less behind her back).
The young lady suffered emotionally and changed schools because of the teacher's words.
Yes, the school is in Illinois.

[AP]

80. I don't make the law. The law's very clear. Some states have ....

.... slander per se for a limited number of things, including a false allegation that you have V.D.

If it isn't slander per se, then you have to prove damages.

[dArKeR]

67. Chicago is a Nazi stronghold for the Vatican. Extremely large

German population. I went to Catholic high school in Chicago but our school was really good at teaching all points of view, all systems of government, but not different religions (waited until Catholic college to take that course). No sex education at all.

[JerseygirlCT]

71. How about stupid -- who gets that? nt

[truthisfreedom]

75. i got it my first year in college... but i wasn't dating anyone at the

time. you can get it from someone sneezing on you.

[yorkiemommie1]

76. i went to three catholic schools

and never encountered anything like this. in fact, one girl in our class got pregnant in senior year. i can see her now, laying her head down on her desk and nary a comment from us or the nuns. we all knew she was pg.

we also had several bottles w/ embryos/fetuses in them in our science lab in plain view!!!!!!!!!

this was back in Hawaii, 1965, not in the present Dark Ages.

[DemBones DemBones]

102. No one here is interested in positive experiences with Catholic schools

or Catholic churches. All they want is dirty laundry to fuel their ingrained prejudices.

[fishwax]

83. i hope she wins her case

and I'm sure she will. Talk about a :wtf:

[hedgehog]

85. Please note that the suit is against the individuals involved.

Admit it, every school in the world has one or two nut cases teaching. My favorite was the teacher getting ready to retire who gave detention for quirky reasons because he couldn't stand the kids any more. Health classes seem to have more than their share of fruitcakes who teach what they "know" rather than accepted facts. The sad thing here is that the administrators dithered instead of addressing the problem.Unfortunately, administrators fail to address bullying whether by teachers or other students in just about every school every day of the year. This is not to say that this girl doesn't have a claim, just to note that it's not an uncommon situation.

[phasev]

86. the world is getting crazier by the day n/t

[valis]

87. Fucking idiots. I got mono a few years ago. And I did not

kiss anybody or have sex with anybody for months before getting it. The only event was a conference in Miami Beach, there was a hurricane and the water may have been contaminated. And the flight to/from MIami Beach. No idea how I got it.

[against all enemies]

89. whore

oops, thought I was catholic for a minute.

[stlsaxman]

88. JOKE: What's the difference between Mono and Herpes?

You get Mono from snatching a kiss...

:rofl:

(i've always loved that joke!)

[Andromeda]

91. What stupidity...

It's hard to believe in this day and age but here it is! What century are they living in for crying out loud?:wtf:

[allalone]

92. I got it at 13

not a whore, not a slut. One Dr. kept calling it Brain Fever. egad

[Strawman]

93. Sounds like some teacher's not getting any

Give her the Beulah Balbricker Award for Sexually Stifled Educator of the Year.

[Hekate]

94. Long ago, my 7th-grade daughter got it from sharing a soda can...

...with a little boy she was baby sitting. She was pretty sick, let me tell you -- her face and neck swelled grotesquely, and this was during Christmas break so we had to really scrounge to find a pediatrician who could tell us what was wrong. When my friend told me her little boy had mono I was prepared to apologize on my knees for my kid being so careless, until she told me he definitely had it first! Probably traced to someone in his grade school class room, etc. etc. I really didn't know it could be spread almost as easily as head lice, that curse of the primary grades.

Many conversations later about not sharing your drinks, my daughter was finally well enough to have her birthday party, during which I watched in horror as she and her buds started doing exactly that. I practically levitated across the room to snatch her soda from someone else's hand.

******************************
Honest to God, there are some people who are too stupid to be allowed to teach. What do you want to bet the young woman in the article waited until she was graduated and her transcripts safely in the hands of a college registrar before seeking legal recourse?

Hekate

[genieroze]

96. I got mono when I was ten, I was a virgin. Almost everyone by the time

they reach 35 will have been in contact with the Epstein-Bar virus. How ignorant and stupid are these people. We aren't talking syphilis here.

[d_b]

97. Some teacher.

Educated at Dr Frist's school of "I don't know if you can get AIDS from contact with tears" no doubt.

[sakabatou]

98. My brother had mono. Is he a whore?

[RetroLounge]

99. Sorry to be the one to tell you...

:rofl:

RL

[DemBones DemBones]

100. What a sadly uninformed teacher. My brother had mono in 4th grade,

giving me many opportunities to tease him about having the kissing disease.

:evilgrin:


But I knew that wasn't how he got it and that it was misnamed, and this was in 1963.

[peekaloo]

101. *sigh* I, too, was a grade school whore.

:evilgrin: