Resources for Tri-Cities parents worried about student/teacher relationships amid new cases

Karlee Van De Venter
·7 min read

It’s common for parents to dread the day their young one starts going to school — the separation anxiety kicks in, all the fear and guilt comes crashing down on the mind. A Kiddie Academy survey reports around 63% of mothers struggle with this change. It doesn’t last long, but it’s a difficult transition for many.

Regional cases of inappropriate student-teacher relationships making headlines recently has left parents around Central Washington worried.

A former Kennewick teacher is currently facing charges for alleged child rape and assault in Whatcom County and a Toppenish teacher accused of misconduct has been reported dead.

Washington state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction maintains a list of disciplinary action notifications parents can check.

Here’s more on what’s happening locally:

Regional convictions

National cases like Mary Kay Letourneau remind parents of a worst-case scenario. The Washington state teacher was convicted of raping one of her students, who she married after being released from jail. The student was in second grade when they first met, and a relationship began when he was in her class again as a sixth-grader, continuing a case that would capture headlines for years.

How can parents strike a balance between cautious and paranoid?

Many parents, community members and administrators fall into the belief that scenarios of inappropriate faculty relationships would never happen at their schools, according to a national study made available by the Office of Justice Programs. But no district is truly immune to cases of school employee sexual misconduct, as it’s referred to in codes of conduct.

Regional cases with reported inappropriate teachers

Recent developments have reminded districts in the region that no school is immune.

In Toppenish, Bertha Adriana Cerna was charged with sexual misconduct with a minor and furnishing liquor to minors in 2022. The former Toppenish High School teacher was fired following investigation into the student allegations, heading to Southern California while awaiting trial.

Cerna was reported dead in early June, with no details given regarding her death. An initial autopsy was performed but did not point to any obvious causes of death, so a toxicology report has been ordered, according to the Orange County Public Affairs Office. Results are expected to take around three months.

Tana Perkins Reneau has an upcoming arraignment for numerous charges, following an investigation through Child Protective Services after four children reported abuse from the Kennewick native. The four children were not her students.

She taught at Kennewick School District elementary schools for 13 years and moved to Blaine in 2011. Her LinkedIn profile states she has a master’s degree in elementary level teaching and a bachelor’s in business administration.

It is unclear whether Reneau continued teaching in Blaine. Lisa Moeller, Communications Director at the Blaine School District, confirmed with McClatchy that Reneau never worked at the district, but could have been teaching through other avenues.

Basics about predators for parents

It is common for predatory teachers to have good community standing before they are caught, often resulting in surprise or shock from those who knew them.

This is why it’s especially important for parents to know the signs of grooming and inappropriate student/teacher relationships, as well as the resources available.

The National Children’s Advocacy Center refers to “educator sexual misconduct” as a range of behaviors, including sexual innuendo, inappropriate touching or messaging, soliciting sex, sexual contact and other actions.

No matter the extent of the misconduct, student victims can struggle after the fact. Regional support centers like the Support, Advocacy and Resource Center and Safe Harbor Support Center offer coping mechanisms, counseling or other resources for children.

The definition of this misconduct is different from child consent law, requiring teachers or other adults with a position of power to a higher standard.

Using that definition, the center reports that more than 2,570 educators across the United States have had their credentials revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned due to sexual misconduct with a student in the last five years. The National Center for Education Statistics reported around 500,000 teachers working in private schools and 3 million teachers in public schools in the United States during the 2019-2020 school year. It is unclear what percentage of educators were disciplined regarding sexual misconduct.

A student completing an assignment
A student completing an assignment

Warning signs of child grooming

Sexual misconduct by an adult, especially in a position of authority, often starts with a process referred to as “grooming,” a coordinated manipulation tactic predatory adults use on minors to isolate them, desensitize them and keep them complacent. Parents should know the warning signs that their child could be being groomed.

Red flag behaviors from school employees

  • Obvious or inappropriate preferential treatment. Allowing your student perks they didn’t earn, choosing them over students who may deserve it more, bringing them gifts

  • Excessive alone time, especially outside of class and in private spaces

  • Offering them rides to and from school

  • Attempting to befriend the student’s parents, visiting their home

  • Inappropriate calls, texts or emails

  • Overly affectionate, flirtatious or off-color behavior around the student

Red flag behaviors from your child

  • Keeping secrets and less talkative

  • New recurrences of old habits, like bedwetting, thumbsucking

  • Overly compliant

  • Inappropriate sexual behavior

  • Avoiding baths, changing

  • Abnormal eating, sleeping habits

  • Noticeable change in mood and personality

Red flag behaviors from your teenager

  • Unusual weight gain or loss

  • Keeping secrets and less talkative

  • Abnormal eating, sleeping habits

  • Depression, anxiety, self-harm

  • Decrease in school performance, social interest

  • Drinking, drug use

  • Suspicious classmates make jokes or references about the relationship

Overall, Sergeant Chris Littrell with the Kennewick Police Department recommends that parents trust their gut instinct, saying it is there for a reason. He recommends ongoing conversations with your children about what is OK, what’s not, what consent is and the like. Facilitating these conversations from a young age can encourage honesty later in adolescence.

Reporting inappropriate relationships in Tri-Cities

If you suspect an inappropriate student/teacher relationship, do not attempt to investigate it. Instead, report your suspicion and let experts investigate.

There are multiple avenues for reporting you can take. You can start with a survivor resource, which can help you through the process. If your student is in elementary school, call non-emergency dispatch at 509-628-0333. If they’re in middle school or high school, contact the School Resource Officer. You can also go straight to your school district, rather than in-school officials.

You can also call your local police department or sheriff’s office. Tri-Cities police departments and sheriff’s offices will take calls from concerned parents, even when there isn’t necessarily criminal proof.

Detective Sergeant Steven Warren with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office also encourages parents listen to their gut instincts. He said when parents have a hunch, it’s better to report it than put the feeling aside or wait for proof. These calls are taken seriously and considered priority calls, according to Warren.