There is plenty more to be told about the graduates' lives after their experiences with the Lazenbys. Sex under hypnosis had lasting impacts, as this chapter illustrates. I welcome your comments and ideas.
Characters from Good Old Lazenby, Ch. 01, and Student Bodies, Ch. 01 to 04:
* Old Lazenby: former Psychology Department Head, jailed heart attack victim
* The Professor: Lazenby's wife, the hypnotist, in jail awaiting sentencing
* Sandra Weston: grad student hypnotized and sexually used by the professors
* Ben Weston: Sandie's husband, a rookie policeman who broke the case open
* Martin Benning: Ben's friend, grad student sexually used by the Lazenbys
* June Hendricks: alumnus and grad bursary donor, jailed and awaiting sentencing
Once a Toy... Always a Toy
A huge scandal had just rocked a prestigious New York university. Two married psychology professors- Gerard and Natalia Lazenby had been hypnotizing graduate students for sex with them and certain wealthy alumni.
The couple was arrested in a sting operation at their home as they prepared to sexually exploit students Sandie Weston and Martin Benning. The Lazenbys and alumni donors, the Hendricks, were found guilty of several serious sex crimes.
Major events like this can have lasting repercussions.
.... "What became of the Psychology Department? Not much changed except the bursary system. The department soldiered on under new leadership during the long investigation and trial. Students attended lectures and assistants marked tests. Graduate students researched papers, and some completed doctoral degrees. University life went on much as before.... [Student Bodies 4]
But what happened to the victims at the centre of the case? Their lives did NOT go on pretty much like before. Consider the serious obstacles which confronted them:
Could Sandie Weston ever return to the woman she was, after being used for months as a personal sex toy by the perpetrators? Or would she always be a toy?
Could her husband Ben ignore images of Old Lazenby at his attractive young wife? Would their once-healthy sex life and marriage withstand this extreme test?
Would Martin Benning be able to move on with his life after serving as an unwitting sex machine for two cougars? Would others find it easy to manipulate him too?
Would other graduate students, such as Melanie Rossignol, react to the Lazenbys' manipulation through promiscuity? Would she come to influence other victims?
Their story opens in the University's senate chamber, soon after guilty verdicts were delivered in the Lazenby and Hendricks court cases.
****
"You've all been following this trial. You know that the police have been here almost as often as the lawyers and forensic accountants. A nightmare! A goddam public relations nightmare!"
The President of the university was leading a closed meeting of the Board of Governors. They felt an urgency to prepare a press release quickly, now that the verdicts were public. The mountain of evidence against the defendants made it very unlikely that the rulings would be overturned.
"Yes, a nightmare! Our brand is so tainted now that this whole university is equated with perverse sex between professors and students," said the Provost.
"And the Hendricks have ruined alumni relations!" another complained. "I was talking with some wealthy alumni recently. They are the butt of jokes and innuendo, ashamed to say they are our graduates."
"What are we going to do about it? It'll have to be good to clear up this mess," added a third.
"I've asked a friend in the public relations business to offer some ideas," the President stated. "They can tailor the right kind of statements to steer us through this whole problem."
The President introduced Ms. Ann Arbuckle. Every eye in the room turned toward the woman who came to the lectern at the open end of the horseshoe-shaped table arrangement. Some hoped that she would have the magic dust to make this go away. Others were skeptical that an outsider could help.
She started slowly, recognizing that she was unknown among these educated community leaders. To establish credibility, Arbuckle identified some of the public relations disasters her company had handled over the years. Then she turned to the current crisis the university was facing.
"The most important thing here is support you show for the victims: Sandra Weston, Martin Benning, Sandra's husband Ben Weston, of course, and all the other victims that you already know about. You must acknowledge how your two professors have affected their lives, and that you will make amends."
"We all agree with you, I'm sure, Ms. Arbuckle. What do you suggest?" the President queried.
"Part of it must be from your Mission Statement. That the university aims to promote positive interaction of staff and students. But people want to know what exactly you plan to do. For example, Martin Benning was half-way through his doctorate and needed that bursary. You must offer him generous 'no-strings' support so he can finish."
"I suppose that would apply to Sandra Weston and the others who are still at the university," someone said.
"It's even more important with Sandra Weston. She is every mature couple's young adult daughter. They feel hurt and sorry for her, so generosity will speak well for you. But, helping all the victims financially with their studies is only the beginning."
"What else must we do to recover our public image?" the Provost asked.
"Most victims will not just get up tomorrow and go back to school. Two of your professors have ruined their lives with their sick scheme. The students will need to be de-programmed, based on what I read of the trial. They'll require extensive counselling and expensive therapy."
"And it doesn't end there," she continued. "The Westons and other married couples will likely require marriage counselling. You must offer to get them the best people, and you must make it clear that you'll pay, whatever it takes to make them whole again."
"But that could be like a bottomless well. It could cost a small fortune! Could we even afford to make an offer like that?" someone complained.
"Can you afford NOT to?" Ms. Arbuckle replied firmly. "Your alumni feel tainted by this because June Hendricks was one of them. They must be part of a positive response to the problem. Your Alumni Affairs Department could organize a targeted funding campaign to pay for special bursaries, and all other support for the victims."
"These are excellent suggestions, Ms. Arbuckle. Do we need any more initiatives at this point?" the President asked.
"Probably not yet. But this only addresses public perceptions. Lawyers for the victims may bring lawsuits. Two of your professors have abused a dozen of your students. I've only dealt with the tip of a potentially huge iceberg today. The quicker you can be seen making amends the better."
