Mary Kay Letourneau

Mary Kay Fualaau (born January 30, 1962), née Mary Katherine Schmitz, formerly Letourneau, is a former American teacher. She is known for having a sexual relationship with an underage pupil, Vili Fualaau. She was convicted of statutory rape and served seven years in prison.

Legal matters

On February 26, 1997, Letourneau was arrested for statutory rape, called "child rape" in Washington state. Four months later, she gave birth to a daughter fathered by her former student. On August 7, 1997, she pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree statutory rape. She was sentenced to 89 months in prison. The sentence was the subject of much debate: because the involved teenager was male, some considered the offense less criminal than it would have been if the teen were female. The law in the State of Washington, however, does not make that distinction.

Related Topics:
February 26 - 1997 - Statutory rape - August 7

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The prison term was suspended and she was to serve six months in county jail and enroll in a three-year sexual deviancy treatment program. She was released from jail early (January 1, 1998) for good behavior, and as a condition was forbidden from seeing Fualaau; however, on February 3, 1998, police discovered Letourneau in a car with Fualaau and arrested her for violating the conditions of her suspended sentence. She had also failed to comply with her sexual deviancy treatment program. The original sentence of 89 months was reimposed. In March, 1998, it was revealed that Letourneau was pregnant with another child by Fualaau. Their second daughter was born in October, 1998.

Related Topics:
1998 - February 3

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Letourneau and her husband Steve were divorced while she was in prison in May, 1999, and Steve was given custody of their four children. He remarried and moved the family to another state.

Related Topics:
Divorce - 1999

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In 2000, Fualaau's family sued the town where he attended school for emotional suffering, lost wages, and the costs of rearing his two children, claiming the school had failed to protect him from Letourneau. The jury found against them and no damages were awarded.

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