I had this strange feeling about Mr. Hardyman, the head of Brigham College, on the day I attended for my interview. It was the way he looked at me with those shifty eyes that just seemed to peel the clothes from my body. It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling. But at the time I badly needed the job at Brigham College, so I tried not to let him put me off. I was 30 at the time and I had been out of teaching for about five years. I was looking for work because Greg, my husband, had been put on short time and we needed some extra income.
It was Mandy, my 18 year old step daughter, who mentioned to me that there were vacancies at the college. I checked them out and found she was right so I applied and to my delight I was accepted for an interview. Apart from Mr. Hardyman, the other three board members seemed okay. Mr. Allen, who I knew slightly, was the local bank manager. Ms. Fisher, a lady in her early fifties, held a position on the council. She was dressed in a very severe but smart black tailored suit, and the last board member was Major Stanford Blakely, late of the cavalry. I thought the interview went well, although they did ask a lot of what I thought were quite personal questions, but in the end I was well pleased when I was offered a position.
Things went well for a couple of months. I seemed to get on with all my students, and the staff was a friendly bunch. It was only Mr. Hardyman who seemed to react to me in the way he did. Many times I caught him looking at me with those shifty eyes and it always made me extremely uncomfortable.
I know now that the incident that caused the problems for me was a setup. It happened one Monday evening when I had to keep James Langley, an unruly 18 year old who was always in trouble, in for detention. Nothing happened. I sat and marked school books and he sat and did the work I had set him and he left after an hour, but next morning I was called into Mr. Hardyman's office. He looked up with a very grave expression on his face when I knocked and walked in.
"Ah, Mrs. Bradshaw." He held up a piece of paper, "I have received a very grave complaint against you,"
I was shocked. "From whom?" I inquired.
"One of your students, a James Langley, is saying that while he was in detention last evening, you made sexual advances toward him."
I looked at the principle amazed. "He's got to be joking! It's a complete lie; I wouldn't."
The principle looked at me. "You know this is a difficult situation. You were alone together. It's your word against his. If he wants to take it further, things could be bad for you."
"But nothing happened," I exclaimed.
"Can you prove it?" I shook my head.
"Well, what are we going to do? I could dismiss you, but on the other hand, you are a good teacher." He looked me up and down. I felt uncomfortable. He placed his hands together, fingertips touching. I know it was one of a teacher's worse nightmares being accused of sexual misbehavior by a student, even though I was innocent. I knew that if I were dismissed, it would always remain a stain on my character.
"We may be able to solve the situation, if you agree to my terms."
I looked at him. "Just what terms would they be?" I asked.
"If you were to accept being punished here in college, we could keep the whole thing quiet."
I knew I was in a bind. I knew I had been set up, but for what reason? Although I was totally innocent, I knew there was no way that I was able to prove it. I could quit my job, but that would not really solve anything. They could still bring charges against me, and even if I were found not guilty, it would put a stain on my character and I would never get another teaching job. I was in a difficult situation and I knew it.
"If I accepted your punishment, what would it be?"
He looked at me, a slight smile on his lips. "Well, I think three of four good spankings should do the trick."
I looked at him aghast. "Spankings?"
He nodded. "Say over a period of a month."
"And who will do the spankings?" I should never have asked. I already knew the answer.