Stacey Rambold, Former Montana High School Teacher, To Serve 30 Days For Statutory Rape Of Student

Stacey Rambold, a former Montana high school teacher, will serve 30 days in prison for the statutory rape of a student who later committed suicide. Yellowstone County Judge G. Todd Baugh sentenced Rambold to 15 years in prison Monday with all but 31 days suspended, granting him credit one day for time already served. Baugh said that the 14-year-old, Charice Morales, was "older than her chronological age" and "as much in control of the situation" as her at-the-time 49-year-old teacher. Rambold reportedly had three sexual encounters with the student, who killed herself weeks before she turned 17.

Auliea Hanlon, the girl's mother, began shouting "You people suck!" as the sentence was handed down. She testified in the case that her daughter's relationship with Rambold played a large role in her death. Rambold plead guilty to raping the teen and was admitted to a sex-offender treatment program in 2008 to have the charges dismissed. He was suspended for missing too many meetings. The prosecution asked Rambold be sentenced to 20 years, arguing that he deliberately targeted the troubled girl and violated her trust in him as a teacher by having sex with her.

Rambold was hired as a teacher at Senior High School in 2004. That same year, he met with Scott Anderson, principal of the school, to discuss allegations that he had touched a student's thigh and waist at a previous position. According to an afadavit, Anderson told Rambold to "keep his hands off students," and that any further offense would lead to a formal investigation. Not long after the verdict, several political groups called on Baugh to resign for the comments he made during sentencing. He later apologized for his words following the criticism. "What I said is demeaning of all women, not what I believe and irrelevant to the sentencing," Baugh said in a letter. "My apologies to all my fellow citizens."