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	Sex with Students By Anna Donaldson CBS 42 April 20, 2009 http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Sex-with-Students/7YNoS4uaVkuxow2mu1j12g.cspx The Huffman High School band director is on paid leave, accused of sexually abusing a student. Patrick Whitehead was arrested over the weekend, and charged with sexual abuse by force, and sodomy. He's out of jail on a 75-thousand dollar bond. Whitehead has been with the Birmingham City School System for seven years. He also serves as a minister of music, at 16th street Baptist Church in Birmingham. State legislators are wanting to crack down on school employees who are sexually involved with students ages 16 and up...and essentially increase the age of consent in these situations. There are a couple of bills in the House right now, such as House Bill 810 sponsored by Representative Demetrius Newton. His bill would make it a crime for a school employee to engage in a sex act or have sexual contact with a student, male or female, regardless of age of the student. There is also House Bill 661 which is very similar, but in one sense is a bit more broad because it would prosecute anyone in a position of authority over children ages 18 or younger...including foster parents and doctors. This bill is sponsored by State Representative Benjamin Lewis of Dothan. "You expect those who are watching over them they have an important role and if they are taking advantage of that situation and engaging in sexual activity. I consider those people to be predators..and it's a shame that these people can hide behind the current consent," says Lewis. This is the third year Lewis has sponsored this bill...and it has passed committee all three years, but has yet to come up for a vote in the House. As for Newton's bill, it is scheduled to come up in committee and in a public hearing on Wednesday morning in Montgomery.
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