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.

Publicity

In the United States this affair generated predominantly negative publicily with some notable exceptions, as, e.g., Robert Reich's comment "where were teachers like she when I went to school?". Robert Reich was at that time the Secretary of Labor in the President Clinton's administration. In Europe, particularly in France, Mary Letourneau and Vili Fualaau were viewed mostly as victims of the United States' puritanical laws. Typical comments on their (1999) book Un seul crime, l'amour were such as

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::Cette malheureuse histoire m'a mit dans un état de colère et de révolte. Pourquoi cette injustice? Pourquoi ne pas laisser ces deux amants qui sont fou l'un de l'autre vivre enfin en paix avec leurs deux enfants?

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This unfortunate story made me angry and disgusted. Why this injustice? Why not leave these two lovers, who are crazy for one another, to live in peace with their two children?

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