Judy Mays: We Got Your Back, Ma’am

Book CoverAs a rule, I recommend that every carbon-based life form online avoid the comments section of news sites, from newspapers to television stations to local blogs covering the farmer’s market, because the comments are usually overflowing with fresh awful crazysauce.

In this case, I recommend everyone read the comments because they restore some sanity and hope for what is a truly disgraceful and frankly stupid news segment.

WNEP, a television station from the northeast and central part my home state of Pennsylvania (OH MY GOSH I AM SO PROUD. NOT.) ran this lovely piece of crap story revealing the pen name of a local high school English teacher who writes for Ellora’s Cave as Judy Mays. But wait, there’s more: the news segment then assists these parents in holding her up for public ridicule—and, in the case of one class act of a parent, accusations of pedophilia.

It is no secret that there’s crazysauce in epic levels which amplifies to a full boil when placed in front of a news camera. My question is why this was a story in the first place. What is the big deal if, in her private time, a high school English teacher writes erotic romance under a pen name and keeps that part of her life separate?

The comments to the news article are marvelous and incredibly supportive of Mays, including this one, from Jessica, a former student:

  I attended MWSD and had the pleasure of having Mrs. as my English teacher.  I LOVED her class! It was my one morning class I looked forward to everyday.  She inspired us as student just not to read and write, but to enjoy our high school years before they were over.  She gave me the idea to switch my graduation paper from becoming a photographer to a nurse. I am now in my third year of nursing school, and thank Mrs. B everyday for the lessons in English she gave me that allow me to write lengthy papers on nursing topics.  She also encouraged me to take honors and AP english in high school.   I knew about what she did when I was in her class, but I never gave a though to it.  I said great for her to find the time in her day while juggling so many other things to be able to do that.  I applaud and support her as a teacher, writer, and mother.  techniqually if we look deeper she has many jobs, but these two are the only two we are analyzing.

Hear, hear.

So how to respond? Often, I find websites for news organizations don’t really curate or even respond to comments to articles. They mostly fester alone and neglected.

But beyond the comments to the article itself, which are mostly made of Grade-A awesomesauce in support of Ms. Mays, I’ve found that the WNEP news room has a Facebook page. 

Kena Vernon, the reporter who did the story, can be reached at Kena.Vernon@wnep.com.

WNEP is on Twitter, too but all they do is broadcast (quelle surprise).

What makes me absolutely livid is that all WNEP did was expose someone’s private life because it made for salacious content. It’s not as if Ms. Mays had brought any of her writing life into her classroom or had behaved inappropriately – the two parts of her life were apparently separate – until now. And, as Colleen Thompson pointed out on Twitter, if a male teacher were writing serial killer fiction and doing well at it, he’d be lauded—probably with a soft focus profile as a “local author.”

But because a female teacher writes about sex and romance, parents feel the need to call her ethics and her professionalism into question, and expose her to public humiliation.

If you’d like to write an email to the author, the address published on her website is writermays@yahoo.com .

And oh, my gosh, look how many books Ms. Mays has written. You go on with your awesome self, ma’am.

ETA: The Associated Press has a very brief story on the WNEP site that highlights the accusations and the response. Ms. Mays has declined to be interviewed by the AP, but as per Dakota Cassidy’s comment below, Ms. Mays is aware we’re all irate on her behalf. (Hi Judy! Kick ass and take names at work today, ma’am!)

And a wise former broadcast journalist sent me a heads up that the News Director for WNEP and the General Manager for the station may be better places to direct your ire than the reporter, who may have been handed the story with little say about it (conjecture on my part, obviously). The News Director would be more likely to have approved it for airtime. Should you feel inclined, the News Director email is news@wnep.com, and the General Manager is generalmanager@wnep.com.

The Facebook page furthers the social and media fail that is WNEP: if you want to see the comments left by angry viewers and readers, you have to click on “Most Recent.” I’m hoping they come up with a better response instead of hiding them, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

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Ranty McRant

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  1. Megan Lavey says:

    I’m a visual journalist for a newspaper myself, and I am appalled at how this particular TV reporter handled this subject. It’s not newsworthy at all, nor is it balanced. Had I been handed this story, I’d either done it as a profile on an amazing teacher who balances two amazing careers or not touched it at all. There is no support shown for Mays in the article, and the reporter did not even officially confirm the identity with Mays, her employers or her publishers. The reporter just goes off YouTube videos and a contact link, which while they’re strong evidence, isn’t an official confirmation. There was no reason to pursue this story other than sensationalism, and the bias was hideous. This is why I chose to pursue print journalism rather than broadcast as a career.

    There is nothing wrong with anyone who chooses to write romance novels. These are stories filled with all the stuff we want to teach our children: the power of positive relationships, love, family and community. I’d let my toddlers play with Megan Kelly’s children. I’d let my teenager sit in Ms. Mays’ classroom. I currently write a webcomic that deals with several dark themes, and I want to write romance novels. Does that make me unfit to be a mother or a good journalist? Of course not. When I was in 10th grade, I read books with sexual themes including infidelity (“The Once and Future King”) and rape, brainwashing and submission (“The Handmaiden’s Tale”)—as required school reading.

    Ms. Mays, if you’re reading these comments, you have my support and my promise that not all journalists are like that one reporter.

    Captcha: Herself31—Fitting since I’m being myself at the moment, and I’m 31.

  2. AgTigress says:

    There is nothing wrong with anyone who chooses to write romance novels. These are stories filled with all the stuff we want to teach our children: the power of positive relationships, love, family and community.

    Well put, Megan.

  3. Patti Larsen says:

    Emailed both. This is insanity at its finest. And karma is a patient lady. I hope Ms. Vernon is aware of that.

  4. Pamela Clare says:

    I’ve already commented above on how outrageous this is.

    I just wanted to say that if there is a legal remedy here, it’s probably not going to be libel. The station reported that Ms. Mays writes erotic novels. They reported that some [blithering, uptight, inbred] parents have objects to that. The best defense for libel is truth. If her books weren’t erotic, then perhaps there’s a libel issue.

    If this does cost her her job, she may have an actionable cause there somewhere — wrongful termination or something similar. I’m not an attorney. I’m just very familiar with libel statutes because I have to be.

    But for it to be libel the reporting has to be false, not just shitty. Mays is a public figure (because she writes books; the YouTube videos clinch that) so the standards of libel are different to start with.

    I just wanted to throw that out there. Unfortunately, there’s no punishment for lousy reporting beyond public condemnation (or firing the reporter, if you’re his/her supervisor).

  5. Mireya says:

    I have been reading those “news” again: a grand total of TWO parents… not 10 not 20 … no, TWO have a problem.  Also, I’d like to know what sort of grades the son of Ms. Rotten has been getting in Judy’s class.  There are fishy smells coming out of so many places that I am beginning to have symptoms of whiplash …

    Too bad some of those sites don’t allow for comments… although that may be a good thing (for them) in this particular case.  I’d love to know why do they continue only showing one side of this story.  Bias much?

    Word of the day: Justice83 =)

  6. Chelsea says:

    This makes me really MAD. I happen to know that one of my high school teachers (who was new to the school when I was there) was dabbling in romance-ish writing under various pen names. That knowledge didn’t strike me or my parents as alarming because it had NOTHING TO DO WITH HER TEACHING.

    You know what, I think I may buy and try a few Judy Mays books now…

  7. eden baylee says:

    I read about this story from Erotica writer Savanannah Chase on her blog. http://savannahchase.com/2011/04/27/outrage-over-a-teacher-who-writes-racy-novels/  just last night and left a message – I’ve attached my comment here as well:

    Oh my, what century are we living in ? It’s a sad commentary on life when someone cannot put free speech on a page, whether it be erotica, a thriller, or a mystery novel. Erotica is a legitimate genre of writing that requires the same discipline as writing any other story.

    To make Judy Mays out to be a pariah because she is an author of sexy stories is so wrong – I can’t even voice my anger over it. Would these parents be any less concerned if she wrote novels in the Stephen King style? Would they be afraid she was some sort of a serial murderer?

    Erotica is fiction – it comes from the imagination of the writer. It does not imply she is a sex maniac, that she’ll molest their kids, or do anything of the like.

    People need to use their brains, for god’s sake! Sex is the most natural thing, but somehow erotica is dirty? Savannah, you and I and everyone commenting here support Judy, but I think it’s also our jobs to educate some of these very misinformed (I ‘m being very kind using this word) parents. They are not teaching their children any lessons by their conduct – mainly that they are intolerant, fearful of the unknown, and willing to ruin a woman’s career without all the facts.

    Bravo Parents – you set the perfect example of people I wouldn’t want my kids to grow up to be like.

  8. Gwynnyd says:

    While we are ripping at the reporter for writing such a biased story, surely her editor needs a huge heaping pile of the blame as well.  Any decent editor should have pointed out the flaws in the reporting before the story ever saw air.

    The station’s general manager is Chuck Morgan.

    generalmanager @ wnep.com

    The news director is Erik Schrader

    news @ wnep.com

    570-346-7474 – main number

  9. LeslieB says:

    I not sure if someone has mentioned this before, but usually the most effective form of protest in these cases is to find out who advertises on WNEP, especially local businesses, and inform those businesses that you cannot patronize an establishment that would allow their name to be associated with something like this. That’s the only thing that would grab the attention of the station manager. Emails can be deleted unread and I’m sure he has a spam folder just for this. As a codicil, this tactic has been used for evil as well as good.

  10. Shannon says:

    Good call Leslie 🙂  This article went to the trouble to list their advertisters and their email addresses at the end of the article

    http://www.svrowle.com/tag/wnep-ots-judy-mays/

  11. @Pamela Clare, you’re certainly right about the libel in terms of them outing her writing identity. However, the implication that she is a pedophile seems like it would fall under libel territory. At least that was my take on it.

  12. If what that reporter wrote is considered ‘journalism’ nowadays, then the news world is definitely in the gutter. So Judy wrote a book that’s racy, so what? It’s not like the woman committed murder. Unbelievable how uptight people still are in the 21st century. Surely there’s a lot more things out there that are actually newsworthy that unwarranted prying in someone’s PRIVATE life!

  13. AnnaM says:

    Regarding male authors and serial killer fiction, one of the best current crime writers (IMNSHO) is Adrian McKinty. His day job when he lived in the states?  High School Teacher.  I would love to hear his take on this rubbish.  He writes and teaches under the same name.

  14. Robin Bayne says:

    A Christian romance writer chiming in here in support of Ms Mays! I agree with all of the outraged comments here and am heading to that facebook page.

  15. I write romance and practice law, both under my real name. I’m fortunate that the Senior Partner in my law firm is very supportive. I found out from a client the other day that during a break in a mediation he was telling the client all about my writing.  Yes, I work full time, write part time, and I have 2 kids and household duties.

    Yet, these parents think Ms. May can’t teach and write romance novels.  They site the potential for conflicts that they have fabricated out of lurid imaginations as reasons for their proclamation. In response, I’ll make a proclamation too.

    None of the parents in Ms. May’s school are allowed to work and raise kids.  There’s too much conflict between the roles. 

    Hey – my proclamation makes more sense – at least it would benefit the kids. No one would be helped by Ms. May abandoning her writing career.  To Ms. May – one size fits all of nothing.  Make your own pattern.

  16. Megan Lavey says:

    @jocelynnesimone: It’s actually slander in this case, not libel. Libel is written/printed defamation while slander is spoken. Since it originated as a TV broadcast, I think it’s classified as slander.

    Whew, that bit of media law escaped from a very dusty corner where it’s resided for 10 years.

    However, there’s not much of a case here. Libel/slander is based off of people making untrue statements about a person. Ms. Mays is an erotic romance novelist, so that’s the truth. But, I’m not a lawyer, and I haven’t had my coffee yet.

  17. There could still be an HEA here:  Mrs. Mays sues and is awarded damages that enable her to stay home and write all day.

  18. Colleen says:

    For the legal aspect- she can’t go for libel, because the only written aspects were true. She is a romance/ erotica writer.
    However, she can sue the hell out of Wendy Apple/ whatever other hickfaced hag who called her a pedophile and accused her ‘looking’ at her son. That’s slander and it’s documented.

  19. JenD says:

    What utter bullshit. Heaven forbid the woman have a career in the field she is teaching in. Crazy Talk!

    I can’t even think about the sexual predator accusation; my brain simply won’t process that bit of idiocy.

    Looks like it’s time to go book shopping! I wish I could do more but I hope she knows she has tons of support out here.

  20. Sharon says:

    Libel can include broadcast commentary. But we can use “defametory” and worry about the specifics later.

    The problem is that this reporter interviewed a parent who implied that, because of the nature of the material Mays writes, Mays could possibly have inappropriate designs on her male students, in particular this woman’s son. First of all, way to totally destroy your son’s remaining high school years, lady! Secondly, that the reporter and editor, news director, et al.,  allowed this comment—chose this comment in particular—to be aired is problematic. The entire angle of the story is that this woman is somehow not safe around high schoolers because of the books she writes. The graphics and rhetoric used by the network for the intro and the one-sided, narrow nature of the commentary add up to a completely unfounded attack on the reputation of this woman who, for 25 years (!) has been a valued teacher with an impeccable record. The reporter is clearly inexperienced and improperly trained, but her editor/news director should have taken one look at that story and nixed it. He probably didn’t because he figured it was a local, sensationalist piece no one would think twice about.

    Well, I guess he now realizes the power of social media and that writers tend to stick together. And that most decent people recognize that this is merely the work of a couple of petty, malicious women who clearly have an agenda here.

  21. Pamela Clare says:

    Ultimately, the reporter’s supervisor and the station are the ones to hold accountable. Young reporters make mistakes. That’s why they’re under supervision. So her supervisor has a lot to answer for.

    I’d be interested to see how other area media are covering this.

  22. Janie Mason says:

    Shame on those ignorant, ignorant women.  Hopefully their children will grown up to be more open-minded.

  23. Sharon says:

    AP ran this.

    Wendy Apple seems to be singing a different tune now. Although she still doesn’t seem to get that she is the one who has drawn all the attention to Mays’ website, not Buranich herself.

  24. Megan Lavey says:

    @Sharon: PennLive is the online arm of my newspaper, but I’m not sure if we’ve picked up the story in print form. If we did, it would be the version on PennLive. I’m curious to see if we’re going to localize this, but all the bad weather here would make it a low priority.

  25. Beth Yarnall says:

    Oh boy. Did they ever unleash the Kraken. When you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. I love the romance community.
    We support you Ms. Mays!

  26. zinemama says:

    Team AOFET (Another Outraged Former English Teacher) here. This is appalling, ridiculous and petty. I’m glad Ms. Mays is getting the support she deserves.

  27. My son wants to be a writer, and I would be so proud if he had an actual published author for a teacher at his high school.

    I did my small part and ordered one of her books today for my Kindle.

  28. SusanLS says:

    I’m wondering how many of her students, the ones the crazies want to protect, are now buying up her novels. If I were her student, I sure would be.

    Wow, be found out as a *horrors* writer, and get HUGE boost in sales. Why, oh, why didn’t I use a pen name?

    And even though I went to high school over 40 years ago, we read all sorts of stuff that probably wouldn’t pass muster with some crazies. Think Hester Pryne. Macbeth. Turn of the Screw.

  29. Amitatuq says:

    I posted on WPEN’s facebook page (unfortunately you have to click on like to do that) and they left my comment but I had to go in and re-like the page.  I guess they deleted me!  Oh well, I re-clicked and posted again. >:-D

  30. Mitzi Flyte/Macie Carter says:

    I posted on their wall, also. First time it was removed. I posted again. Let’s see if that stays up.

  31. Robin Snodgrass says:

    I’d like to say I’m surprised to read about this horrendous attack on such a talented author but I can’t.  The wishes of the few really do seem to carry the weight in this country.  The loudest minorities are the ones who are heard – especially those who are ignorant and prejudiced.  It warmed my heart to read all of the supportive comments for Ms. Mays.  I’ve been a fan of her writing since I discovered erotica and consider her to be one of my favorites.  I hope that she does not deter her in any way and that she keeps sharing her amazing talent with her fans!

  32. Okay, I feel like I came into this in the middle of the story. The lead in the linked article is as follows: “A series of racy romance novels by an author named Judy Mays are a little too racy for some parents in our area, especially now that they have discovered the woman known as Judy Mays is teaching their children.”

    My question is: how did the parents find out? The story doesn’t say.

    Did the station run an on-the-air story where they outed the teacher or what? That is, did the station find out and then tell everyone or did somebody else find out and the station thought is was news?

    How sexist this is.

    Malcolm

  33. Mireya says:

    WNEP did an “update” today, this time about the support she’s getting from people in her town: http://www.wnep.com/wnep-snyder-teacher-racy-novels-supporters-judy-buranich,0,6923268.story

  34. Rachel says:

    I wish I had a teacher like Ms Mays who cares about her students. My senior English class in high school was reading Reader’s Digest and making reports on the articles. I think the teacher was biding his time for retirement.

    I was so bored in class that I would do my homework for other classes then when the homework was finished I would read romance novels.

  35. PaxSkeptica says:

    And, as Colleen Thompson pointed out on Twitter, if a male teacher were writing serial killer fiction and doing well at it, he’d be lauded—probably with a soft focus profile as a “local author.”

    But because a female teacher writes about sex and romance, parents feel the need to call her ethics and her professionalism into question, and expose her to public humiliation.

    I’m quick to agree with the implication here that the story would be much different if the book were of a violent nature, rather than a sexual one. However, I think Colleen/the author (by endorsement) are too quick to frame this as a feminist issue besides. While it’s certainly noteworthy that the author is female, and she might well be receiving different treatment than a man would in the same scenario (and probably is, from some), I could easily imagine a man getting in the same pot of boiling water from writing trashy romance novels in his off-time from being a teacher.

    No, I think the problem here is, sadly, the culture’s almost reverence for violence juxtaposed with a visceral, frightened reaction to all but the most muted sex.

  36. Lynda says:

    I was very upset by this myself when it was broad cast. My husband looked at me when it came on knowing full well I would be over the top about it. This is such bull shit to even point it out. Those parents that have a bad word to say need their heads examined..
    I have always felt a teacher should never teach something they have never done or succeeded at. What better a teacher she has to be, what an inspiration to your children would she be as a successful writer!! Give me a compete break, who writes sex education books? A teacher? A writer? So she throws in a bit of romance that I truly love.
    Those same parents complaining let their kids on the internet and watch questionable tv shows all the time, Betcha!
    Sorry but I think she and the school need to ignore the entire thing and the news needs to keep their nose out of it!!!

  37. This teacher did not break any laws, didn’t do anything immoral and her moonlighting career had no impact at all (until the local station ‘outed’ her) on her students or on her teaching work. It’s beyond ludicrous that she be ridiculed and reviled for writing romance novels.

    With the appallingly low salaries that teachers get for dedicating the majority of their time to their jobs, it’s no wonder that many of them have to seek external sources of revenue. This teacher is to be applauded for succeeding in finding a creative way to supplement her income.

  38. Rachel says:

    I hope and PRAY that an attorney has volunteered to sue that particular parent for libel and/or slander and any other parent that has made a slanderous comment about her. 

    Unless my kid’s teacher ACTUALLY IS a pedophile or is writing pedophilic books, I don’t giving a flying monkey what they do in their spare time.  It is NOT MY BUSINESS.  Especially if it is something they love and they are making some much-deserved money, considering how little we pay them for what they do for children. 

    Welcome to America people.  It’s called free speech.  If hate speech is (for the most part) protected by the Constitution and the guy who DID write a pedophile guide was protected in his speech, than my kid’s teacher can write all the erotic romance she wants.  Hell, I would probably have bought it and read it. 

    Justice72: That teach should be getting justice against at least 72 of those people who slandered her for doing something completely legal. 

    Ugh.  I hate ignorant people.  They’ve never done something a little dirty?  Writing it is legal…in most states half the sex acts in the world are still on the books as ILlegal.

  39. Linda Hill says:

    Hi Everyone….I just e-mailed this to the news editor and general manager links posted earlier in this article.

    Shame on you for approving the inept news report made by a second class reporter who is trying to build a name for herself by destroying the reputation of a great teacher. 

    What ever happened to impartial and factual news reporting? 
    I am disgusted by your lack of professionality.

    Sure hope Judy finds herself a brillant lawyer.  This has the merits of a GREAT lawsuit….got insurance? 

    Linda Hill “…a room without books is like a soul with NO hope…”
    Member of Romance Writer’s of America / Silicon Valley/KOD/TGN Chapters

  40. Heynonny says:

    If there’s going to be scandal about teachers who write erotic stories or poetry, maybe there should be scandal about teachers who have had children, because that proves they had sex in real life! Maybe even more than once! Somebody think of the students!

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