At Muller Elementary, written confirmation is sent home that the school's sole dance teacher has been charged in a hit-and-run.
By LOGAN MABE
Published April 29, 2004
TAMPA - Jennifer LaFleur walked her 6-year-old son Dominic home from Muller Elementary on Wednesday, the news of the day ringing in her mind.
In Dominic's backpack was a letter from the principal confirming that the school's popular dance teacher, Jennifer Porter, had been charged in the hit-and-run deaths of two children from the neighborhood.
"I think people around here are going to think it's like a slap on the wrist," LaFleur said of the charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. "I think a lot more could've been done and should've been done. It was just amazing that someone who works with kids every day could just drive off and leave them in the street."
Muller Elementary is a magnet school specializing in environmental sciences and the arts. As the school's sole dance teacher, Porter taught every student in grades one through five. That meant the news of her arrest reverberated among all 350 students.
The last month has been a hard one for Muller's students. James Petee, whose son Christian is a third-grader, said it has taken time for him to adjust to the gravity of the case.
"When it first happened, he was pretty upset about it because she was one of his favorite teachers," Petee said. "As time has gone on, he's gotten better and is focusing his attention on his studies. It's just an unfortunate situation."
Carol Soto, whose daughter Juleza is a second-grader, said her family has had to tiptoe around the subject at home.
"Trying to explain it to her has been pretty difficult," Soto said. "I mean, I don't know what happened. I don't understand how something like this could happen. It's just so sad on all parts."
School officials tried to soften that sadness when they broke the news of Porter's arrest to Muller students. A school psychologist and a counselor went from classroom to classroom passing out a form letter and telling the children what it meant.
"We don't want the children to get this news by reading the letter without someone there to answer their questions," said school district spokesman Mark Hart. "This case is extraordinary and has received a lot of notoriety in the Tampa Bay area, and the children will be exposed to this news at home, on playgrounds and in their neighborhoods. We would like for them to hear about their teacher from us."
School psychologist Tracy Schatzberg said the classroom visits appeared to go well. "We went into each classroom and did a brief explanation that Ms. Porter had turned herself in and explained the charge. Some of the students had questions, some just sat quietly. Basically they wondered what is going to happen from here."
LaFleur has a clue. "I think it's going to cause a lot of problems in this neighborhood," she said. "There's going to be a lot of outrage."
- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at 813269-5304 or at mabe@sptimes.com
