Lisa Lavoie's Facebook Profile
Morgantown, West Virgina (The Weekly Vice) -- Lisa Lavoie, a 24-year-old eighth-grade teacher at Maurice Donahue Elementary School in Holyoke, Massachusetts was caught in a motel after disappearing with a 15-year-old male student.
According to police, Lavoie was captured at a Super 8 motel in Morgantown, W.V., where she was holed up with her student. Both teacher and student disappeared just three days after the boy's parents contacted a school guidance counselor about the alleged relationship back on Feb 13. Both teacher and student were missing for 8 days.
Police say the boy's parents contacted the school after finding an item in the boy's room that tipped them to allegedl relationship. Details about what was found have not been released.
School administrators did not act on the parent's report because it came just one day before school vacation, according to police.
Investigators believe the alleged affair between the two went on for months - and that some of the boy's friends were aware of the relationship.
"We got statements from a lot of people showing that there had been sexual activity between the two," said Police Chief Anthony Scott. "To satisfy the DA's office, we had to jump through a lot of hoops."
Police were able to determine Lavoie's whereabouts by tracking credit card and cell phone activity. A tip led state police to the motel where they found Lavoie's vehicle. There was a brief delay in the arrest because the pair had crossed the state line, requiring a judge in West Virginia to order a warrant for kidnapping.
Lavoie was initially arrested and booked into the North Central Regional Jail on a charge of kidnapping. She was arraigned on that charge by video on Tuesday. She also faces a charge of child enticement once she has been extradited back to Holyoke.
Lavoie's next schedule hearing is set for March 4 in Monongalia County Court in West Virginia. It's still unclear how authorities intend to transfer her back to West Virginia, once she has been extradited back to Holyoke, Mass.
The Weekly Vice Opinion:
There's a few outrageous things going on in this case....and you'll likely be hearing more about it.
First of all, there's a big problem with the school. A report was filed, but because it was a day before school vacation, school officials evidently decided that they couldn't be bothered with contacting authorities. The guidance counselor who took the complaint should be fired immediately. He/she has a legal obligation to report. There's no excuse to run off on break without addressing a serious issue like this.
Secondly, the fact that these two crossed the state line shouldn't have created a big delay in the arrest. In the hour or two or three that it takes to get a warrant, a child could be harmed. After all these years, you'd think neighboring states would have issues like that ironed out better.
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
http://www.theweeklyvice.com
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14 comments:
I sooo don't get these teachers. Now why would a perfectly nice looking girl like her want to shoot her whole life all to hell for a romp at a hotel room...
And why would she think she would not be caught?
and if she's this dumb, how did she get a teaching job to begin with?
Wow, it's just hard to believe the things people get themselves into.
the parents of the boy need to sue the school.....
this "open secret" of a relationship between teach and student says alot about the community from which this crime originates
So why did the parents not go strait to the police.What the school has to go to the police for the parent's.Who is ultimately responsible for the well being of this child the school or the child's parent's.
So many details left out. she was the instructor for an after school program that this student happen to be in. the school has a lot of violence and gang problems...the entire area does. YES she taught at the school but wasn't his student.
the artcile on boston.com (the boston globe's website) actually gives details instead of throwing more gasoline on the fire. She made a huge mistake but keep in mind this 8th grader should have been a 10th grader and she is just a year out of college. Suddenly it doesn't look as bad.
Was what she did messed up? You bet. Is she the next Mark Kay Letourneau? Not even close.
The news/ bloggers / love this stuff. The sad thing is she will spend more time in prison than if she was selling heavy drugs to the kid.
@jim
i suspect the boy parents were hope'n the school would follow up on the allegation with their on investigation.
i dont believe the school didnt give any indication to the parents that they put such on the back burner.
but, alas, you are right.
read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers to understand the mind set of this...
Adam,
I am aware of most of the details of this story.
I know the name of the student, I know he was a good kid, I know he was well respected by his peers.
I know he lived in a complex/townhouse not far from the school. I know where the teacher lives and where her family lives. I know where she went to college and even who some of her friends are...
But Eric, this blog isn't devised to go into every detail of a case like that - and we do not wish to release some details for privacy reasons.
Also, most readers prefer our stories to be boiled down to 3 to 5 paragraphs.
The comment section is a good place for readers to add additional details that they think are important.
Adam, she was an adult and he's a 15 year old kid. What do you mean this case doesn't look all that bad?.
Running off to another state with someone else's child is a very big deal.
You think selling drugs is a worse offense than taking someone's child away to some other state?
You have a lot to learn about life Adam.
There's a world of difference between learning your kid has used a drug than to find a child completely gone....and then have no idea whether he's alive or dead.
You are obviously a child yourself. Your perspective give you away.
Normally I don't comment. But, this case is so similar to one in Utah concerning the school districts knowledge of what was happening and the majority of the teachers and all and I will repeat all the students knew. Most likely the parents didn't report because their son was telling them nothing was happening, they were just "Friends". You want to believe your child. They didn't want to be wrong..if they accused her and there wasn't anything happening, then what? But that is just it....REPORT ANYWAY PARENTS!! if you are wrong, then so be it. But if you are right, you could save yourself alot of trouble and your child, maybe even save their life. EDUCATE your children....not be afraid to. EDUCATE them to tell an adult even if it isn't them personally. I had a 20 yr. old tell me not very long ago, (who was 14 yrs. old in 2002, and who witnessed abuse to another 14 yr. old friend by a teacher)that the reason she didn't tell what she seen was because she didn't want to get her 14 yr. old friend in "trouble". Now she knows that wasn't right. But a 14 yr. old thought so...So, we need to educate our children. The school dist. was in the wrong here also, just as in Utah. I suggest the parents sue, if we parents start sueing these school dist. they will start EDUCATING their teachers ALOT more.
My daughter whould have been 21 years old today, if someone would have "told".....
Although this case breaks laws that have been created to protect children, we know that the stereotypical responses between girls and boys will be different. If it was a male teacher and a female student, in this nations eyes it would be far worse. Not only that, being a male myself, where were all these teachers when I was 15?? This boy's mom is probably the one up in arms and his father, once he knew he was ok, probably gave him much kudos for being able to handle an older woman....LOL.
Moabite, it sounds like you lost your daughter to a crime, and if that's the case, I just want to extend my condolences. I don't know how long ago we're talking about - but time doesn't matter in cases like this. The hurt never really goes away. You just learn to handle it better.
I sure hope I misunderstood your post, but if not, thank you for sharing something so personal.
Oh, and a birthday wish is in order... IT doesn't matter if she's here in form or spirit. Today is her day.
God damn, she looks like the 15 year old. Little spinner.
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