The Scandal That Rocked The School System

In the 1990s, a teacher took advantage of her position and set into motion one of the most bizarre scandals that dominated headlines and shook the country to its core

Decades later, the story would partially inspire the 2023 film May-December, meaning the notorious case still hasn't totally faded from memory

So, today we're taking a deep dive into the Mary Kay Letourneau case, the teacher-student scandal that rocked the nation

Alright students, open your textbooks to page weird. Classrooms have likely always buzzed with rumors of improper relationships between teachers and students

But it's also likely school administrators quietly dimmed any case that came to light with resignations and tight-lipped excuses

If it seems like reported misconduct and convictions occur more frequently these days

the reason may involve one of the most bizarre and upsetting scandals of the 1990s

Mary Kay Letourneau was a schoolteacher in Burion, Washington, when 12-year-old Billy Folau entered her Shorewood Elementary 6th grade class in 1996

The artistic student reportedly suffered an abusive home life and soon became close with Letourneau and her husband Steve, accompanying them and their four children on trips

In June 1997, Letourneau and Falau began a s*** relationship and produced two daughters

capturing the public's attention and leading to jail time for the 34-year-old teacher

24-hour news stations and talk show hosts could not get enough of the story

For her part, Letourneau genuinely believed she found love with the child

and defied all common sense and court orders to stay with him. Does the story make any more sense if we move backward in time

Let's investigate. In 1982, Mary Catherine Schmitz left Washington to attend Arizona State University

Her future husband, Steve Letourneau, was a football player at the college, and the two began dating

In 1984, a pregnant Mary Kay married Steve, and the two returned to Washington

where she earned a teaching degree from Seattle University. She took a job with Shorewood Elementary in 1989

Vili Folau became Mary Kay's student in 1991 when she taught second grade

By the time he was her student again in 1996, Mary Kay and her husband Steve had four children together

Some sources thought the Letourneau marriage appeared doomed from the start as it involved wedlock due to an unexpected pregnancy Allegedly there was also unaddressed infidelity on Steve part

the couple's troubles staying afloat financially, and Mary Kay's emotional problems. She cared for

her children while studying for her teaching license at night, possibly setting the stage

for the scandal to come. Philly Flough came from an abusive household where his mother

Suna physically attacked him and her other three children, while she herself was often physically

attacked by her husband, Lueva. Child Protective Services was a frequent visitor to the Folau home

but nothing came of the investigations. When Mary Kay Letourneau and Folau met again in her

sixth grade class in 1996, she was 34 years old and he was 12. The troubled Folau used art as a

way to escape from his alleged maltreatment at home. Letourneau began working with him to improve

his artistic ability that year. She also invited him to spend time with her family. He reportedly

grew close to her eldest son, Steve Jr. In addition, she purchased art supplies for the

preteen, took him along on a family vacation to Alaska, and pushed him to excel in different areas

of his life. After Letourneau suffered worsening marital troubles and a miscarriage in 1996

sources say Mary Kay Letourneau's mental state took a sharp decline. It was under these circumstances that Letourneau began her relationship with 12-year-old Vili Folau

a decision that would inextricably link the young boy to her for the rest of their lives

Folau admitted the two frequently engaged in ******, and around August 1996, Letourneau and Folau conceived a child together

In February 1997, eight months after the start of their ****** relationship

and six months into Mary Kay Letourneau's pregnancy with Vili Folau's child

Letourneau's husband Steve discovered love letters between the two. One of Steve's relatives, aware of the correspondence

reported the affair to the Shorewood Elementary School District in March 1987. Law enforcement arrested Letourneau and charged her with coerced sex with a minor

Two months later, she gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Audrey. Folau's mother, Suna, took custody of the baby while Letourneau faced prison time

In August 1997 Judge Linda Lau allowed Mary Kay Letourneau to plead guilty to the charges of forced sex with a minor in exchange for suspending her sentence from seven and a half years to three months in prison As part of this deal Letourneau entered the sex offender registry Also meetings between Vili Folau and Letourneau became illegal with a no order in place However after Letourneau prison release in January 1998

the couple lost no time in meeting up. In February of the same year, the couple conceived

their second child, Georgia, born in October 1998, and police found them together in Letourneau's

car. Judge Lau revoked the lesson sentence deal and sent Letourneau back to prison to complete her

entire seven and a half years. So yeah, maybe he should have kept her in jail for a little while

longer. While Mary Kay Letourneau served prison time, Billy Falau lived with his mother and two

daughters. At the time of his eldest daughter Audrey's birth, Falau was 14 years old. Georgia

arrived a year later, with Letourneau in prison and the teenagers struggling with fatherhood

adulthood and adolescence. Consequently, Folau claimed the people around him convinced him to

sue the school and say he no longer loved or wanted a relationship with the mother of his

children. In 2002, Folau stated under oath he lost feelings for her and blamed the school system for

the illegal relationship. He and his mother sued the Highline School District, but jurors found

the district could not be held liable, and Folau was not awarded any damages

In August 2004, two years after Vili Folau claimed he no longer loved Mary Kay Letourneau

Letourneau left prison. The two wasted no time in reconnecting. The first order of business

involved Folau requesting the voiding of the no-contact order between himself and Letourneau

Once the request was successful, the two planned a May 2005 wedding at a winery in Woodinville

Washington. Folau was now of age, and more than 200 guests attended the Nuffshules. Let's hope no

one brought up how they met in any speeches. To make things even weirder, many companies and

local establishments chose to turn this cycle of abuse and tragedy into a laughing matter

Fuel Sports Eats and Beats in Seattle held a Hot for Teacher night in May 2009

boasting appearances by Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Folau. Letourneau hosted the evening's

festivities while her husband performed as DJ Curious. Patrons paid the cover fee in exchange

for speaking to, taking photos with, and purchasing merchandise from the infamous couple

all while listening to upbeat music and drinking. I wonder how much that merch goes for on eBay After his and Mary Kay divorce was finalized in 1999 Steve Letourneau took the couple four children to Alaska He obtained full custody of the children and kept them from their mother

during her time in prison. After their mother's 2004 release, Steve Jr., Mary Claire, Nicholas

and Jacqueline decided to spend time with their previously absent mother and new stepfather

who was only a few years their senior. Mary Claire took part in her mother's 2005 wedding

acting as maid of honor, while her half-sisters Audrey and Georgia were flower girls

In addition, Steve Jr. moved in with Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Falau when he returned to

Washington from Alaska in October 2005. Mary Clare chose the Art Institute of Seattle for

schooling and was frequently in the unconventional family orbit. After 12 years of marriage, Vili Falau filed for legal separation from Mary Kay Letourneau in May

2017. In response, his wife filed a motion to dismiss the separation. After the filing

the couple continued to live in the same house, appeared together in public, and actively

participated in a two-hour A&E special entitled Mary Kay Letourneau Autobiography, which aired on

May 29, 2018. Letourneau and Falau's separation became official in the summer of 2019. Alleged

insiders cited Folau's concentration on becoming a full-time DJ and Letourneau's annoyance at doing

most of the housework as possible reasons for the split. During the autobiography interview

Folau refused to speak about the legal filing, and Letourneau stated they were avoiding the topic

Rumors, based on an alleged Radar Online interview with Folau, claimed the split was a necessity for

his involvement in a cannabis-related business, Sigaweed. Folau eventually released a statement

through his lawyer in June 2017, denying the split related to any businesses. The statement

did not share the actual reason for the filing, although the decades-wide age gap between the two

and the fact that the relationship was founded on abuse might have had something to do with it

The story of this highly unconventional family unit is one founded on abuse

the failings of the educational system, and how our own desires can work against our best interests

It's a story that captured the imagination of the entire country And resurfaces repeatedly in new specials and film adaptations

Including the Todd Haynes film May December Which stars Julianne Moore as a character inspired by Mary Kay Letourneau

And Charles Melton as the adult version of the young boy she seduces

The relationship in that movie doesn't work out much better