Comments on: Syosset Teacher Charged With Endangering Student

By: Boris Abbott

Boris Abbott — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:52:45 +0000

I have actually been a big fan of this site for a while. Just thought I would leave you a comment to say keep up the detailed work. The content of the site alone makes it great but the layout also makes it childs play to read and very enjoyable.

By: justine

justine — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:56:33 +0000

I am a former student of Mr.Edrich I had him several years ago when i was in the 7th grade. He was a phenominal teacher that all of the students loved but now that I am a college graduate student I see him in a whole new light. There were deffinatly some times where he has acted inappropriate. For those of you who were current students or have had him recently you are still very young and may not understand there is a boundary that should be there between teachers and students. A teacher is a professional they are not meant to be your friends.I am not saying i think that Mr.Edrich had any plans to make his relationship with this boy go any further, because those accusations cannot be made lightly.but he absolutely did some things which were inappropriate and crossed boundaries not just in this case but in the past as well.

By: a friend

a friend — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:03:34 +0000

im frineds with the kid who he had to jernal with and i WAS frineds with Mr Edrich

By: jake

jake — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:32:14 +0000

haha sydney

By: Meena

Meena — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:41:50 +0000

Surprised to hear that the Syosset School did something! They didn’t do a thing when my son was abused in middle school physically, mentally, and emotionally for several months- happened in school and on the bus. His whole body was peppered with punch marks and bruises. This went on for months till the pediatrician discovered it. As a result, he is maimed for life. We transferred him to a private school; came back in high school, when the mental and emotional abuse went on!

By: little bobby

little bobby — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:59:46 +0000

he used to tickle my toes when i got the right answer

By: Sandy

Sandy — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:03:53 +0000

I had Mr. Edrich for part of my 9th grade year in 2002, I think. He was a really wonderful teacher. I hope he gets a fair hearing, no matter what.

By: Syosset Slammer

Syosset Slammer — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:43:51 +0000

Today my family was subjected to the absolute worst qualities that a school administrator…no—make that–a human being can offer. Ego getting in the way of a child’s best interests; and spite and revenge showing their ugliest presence as a means of sending a message. Physical abuse is not the only way in which a teacher or administrator can perpetrate a violation of trust and of decency.

By: Alex Flesch

Alex Flesch — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:29:47 +0000

I have known Ian for 10 years and I have NOTHING but great things to say about him. He was my camp counselor when my dad died and totally reached out to me and helped me grieve. Ian helped me grow as a person and was an amazing influence on my life. He is a phenomenal person and I’d bet my life he did nothing wrong. Shame on these people for ruining this poor mans life.

By: DisgustedSyossetTaxPayer

DisgustedSyossetTaxPayer — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:55:25 +0000

Intrepid,

The police stated that they do not believe the boy was touched inappropriately. If he was being groomed, all the attention and affection being showered on him was being done specifically to make him comfortable. That’s what a grooming predator does.

I am not saying Edrich was or wasn’t grooming, but that is how it works. If he was grooming him, thank God he was stopped before more damage was done to this child.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:30:47 +0000

Unless you had Edrich as a teacher, you could not understand. He is a phenomenal educator. This is a man who was able to help the most struggling English students become avid readers. As a college graduate, I look back at when Mr. Edrich was my teacher and I only remember great times. This was a man who encouraged me to pursue English, leading to me graduating college with an English degree. He is inspiring and truly enjoys educating. At 22 years old, I remember “Hamlet” with him better than I do from a Shakespeare course in college. He does not stop until a student understands. So what if students eat lunch with him? What is wrong with students eating lunch with a teacher? I ate lunch with a female teacher in middle school, does that make her inappropriate, or a lesbian, or suggesting a future sexual relationship? Syosset teachers are required to be in their classrooms so students can come to them with help with curriculum. It’s called Lunch Workshop and it is designed to HELP students. How is it that STUDENTS CAN FRIEND THEIR TEACHERS ON FACEBOOK but a journal comment (that still has not been disclosed) causes an amazing man to lose his job? Until Syosset, and most other districts, can clarify the boundaries between teacher and student [nonsexual] relationships, this case is void. Edrich is innocent until proven guilty, and judging by the comments from dedicated and concerned students and parents, it sounds like he is innocent. Chances are, this is just another insane Syosset parent making a big deal out of nothing. Syosset just lost an incredible teacher, so a big thanks to that insane parent who is making a big deal out of nothing.

By: Intrepid parent

Intrepid parent — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:13:38 +0000

How interesting that the police forgot to tell everyone that the child involved did not have any negative feelings about the relationship until his Mother told him what she thought to be going on.

Maybe Mommy sees a good law suit and the district is afraid. Typical. They should have stood behind this man but as usual they ran and hid… how sad for the students at HBT and the Syosset community as a whole.

By: lori

lori — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:01:37 +0000

i go to the other middle school in the district which by the way is an excellent school district with excellent teachers but when this story was published and people found out we werent even allowed to discuss it in class. if we did, the teachers would yell at us and tell us that it was none of our buisness. a lot of the kids who had him had found out and told there friends here. one of my friends said that he was her favorite teacher. but what the media fails to see is that the curriculum for 7th grade in syosset is keeping journals and english teachers checking them to help us with our writing. i agree with who ever sees the lie and truly believe that all the teacher wrote was one little comment. the child was writing i couldnt live without your friendship and stuff like that. he said i love you, not the english teacher. the fact that minors cant be blamed for anything is the reason why kids get away with so much stuff. there are kids in that grade who supposedly smoke but parents fail to see it because they look at their children as angels.

By: 09-10studentt imissu!missfootsurgerygirl

09-10studentt imissu!missfootsurgerygirl — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:51:35 +0000

When i started they 7th grade this yr i was so excited to hear tht i was getting Mr.Edrich. If i had to write an essay about him it would be 10 pages long. I never was a good reader or writer untill He taught me how to be a better reader and writer.He is surely my inspiration. On Mondays we always talk about our weekends and this Monday Ms. Edis and Ms. Pross tried to make it the same fun monday wit jokes tht u would laugh at but it was just not the same. Wednesdays he held an amazing fun club called Photoclub.Now its no more and i am so upset. I had surgery over the break and i came bk to this madness i just wanted to cry. im miss him so much. he the best teach i ever had.

By: edrichrulez

edrichrulez — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:56:34 +0000

Mr.Erich is innocent! it was the kid who wrote the innapropriate comments, not Mr.Edrich! All he wrote was, “I’ll always be here for you.”

By: Free Edrich!

Free Edrich! — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:27:01 +0000

All over the internet people are making RIDICULOUS accusations left and right about a teacher that I once had, and knew very well. He is NOT capable of the things he is accused of.

With all of these websites up claiming a “sex scandal”, however, it’s hard to get any other point of view! Edrich would never have done anything like that, and anyone who’s ever known him KNOWS that!

Please, please, please any supporters, come visit a website put together by former students of Mr. Edrich for support and to tell THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.

FreeEdrich.com

By: c lenpa

c lenpa — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:51:14 +0000

THE MEDIA FAILS TO MENTION THAT H.B.THOMPSON HAS A MENTOR PROGRAM IN PLACE WHERE THE STUDENT AND TEACHER KEEP A JOURNAL AND HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER OFTEN. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THAT PROGRAM WITH ANOTHER TEACHER A FEW YEARS BACK AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL PROGRA. LAST YEAR MY SON HAD MR. EDRICH AND I FOUND HIM TO BE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. HE WAS WONDERFUL WITH THE STUDENTS AND VERY LIKABLE. HE NEVER TOUCHED THE STUDENT HE MADE SOME COMMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW BAD THEY WERE BEFORE I JUDGE HIM AND I THINK THAT GOES FOR ALL OF US. WE ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. IF THE COMMENTS WERE REALLY DAMAGING THEN, YES SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. BUT I HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT. I PRAY FOR ALL INVOLVED TO GO ON WITH THERE LIVES IN A NORMAL FASHION.

By: noot

noot — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:26:03 +0000

im glad he was put in jail bc i hated him nd he didnt deserve to teach kids cuz evryone who saw that he was in jail for this reason was like wow i saw this comming bc he was a prick

IM SO GLAD HES PUT AWAY CUZ NO STUDENT SHOULD BE TOUCHED BY THEIR TEACHER AND ECSPECIALLY INNAPROPRIATELY

By: A parent

A parent — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:16:21 +0000

Shame on Syosset Central School District for not protecting one of its best teachers. His friendships with students were well-known and yet, not considered a concern when they tenured him. Where were the administrators and mentors to teach him that some Syosset parents would misinterpret what I always perceived as well-meaning intentions???

And shame on the media for sensationalizing without facts…

By: Toni

Toni — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:40:17 +0000

This is ridiculous, it really makes me sick that Mr. E’s career is basically ruined over nothing. Did anyone even read the follow up article in newsday about how this insane kid was “in love” with Mr. Edrich? And wanted to kill himself without his friendship? Are you kidding? The kid obviously had problems and Mr. E was kind enough to reach out to him. Maybe he should’ve brought it to someone’s attention, but he probably didn’t want to lose his students’ trust… that whatever they write, they’ll be reported. That takes the honesty out of journaling. Offering some extra help & support and then calling it suspicious “lunch dates” is just grossly retarded on the school’s, parents’ and reporters’ parts. Back off!