Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Thanks so much for leaping to the defense of Ms Mays. Even if so many who know her better are already there.

I love you guys so hard right now. Even more than usual. I am still just vibrating w/ outrage on this one, in part because of the remembered anger about the dressing-down I got from my own (former) school district employer when they found out what I wrote on the side. 

From all accounts Judy’s a delightful person and a great teacher. I just hope this whole mess ultimately means more sales for her.

activity93—I can think of at least 93 activities those idiot moms could have better spent their time on than outing Ms. Mays’ sooper sekrit identity.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  I can’t do much beyond a good righteous indignation or some comments, e-mails, and phone calls.  The thought did cross my mind that we wouldn’t be having this problem if she were a male teacher who wrote true crime or something like that, but I don’t know how to combat that.  As a former teacher myself, I can attest that we are always scared of a witch hunt.  Too many parents want teachers, especially high school teachers, to be nuns even while their kids run wild doing things I wouldn’t dream of doing.  For heaven’s sake, hasn’t she proven herself as a teacher?

Hm.  Might be time to do some shopping as well.

Asshats.  Heaven forbid the reporter find a real story that actually impacts her community.

Yahoo! It seems no one other than three parents and a TSTL news reporter thought that this was news.

Yes- what’s most disgusting is that the “news” here was the salacious nature of her writing. It’s not illegal to write erotica. It’s not even immoral. This crazy witchhunt is beyond pathetic.

Sadly, the damage is in some ways done. Though I bet she gets hella book sales from the publicity. Maybe I can find some right-wing nutjobs to “out” me!

(Doubtful as I live in Seattle. :)

Thank you, Sarah! This is just beyond all sense…I think Ms. Mays has a heckuva lawsuit should she choose to go that route…

It’s unfathomable that a woman who has served her community faithfully as a teacher for 25 years should suddenly be seen as a ‘danger’ to that same community for writing about *shock horror* sex and romance.

You have our support, Ms. Mays.

I just went over and left a comment on the Facebook page. And I’ve been retweeting like crazy. I pointed out that logically, I know a whole lot more factual information about the sex lives of all of my teachers who had children than about this lady’s.  So can only childfree people be teachers now, or else it’ll corrupt the poor kiddies’ minds?

What with the whole TN bill to prevent teachers from saying the word “gay” and the MI guy who wants to force foster kids to only shop at thrift stores, I am just full of RAGE on the internet lately.

I’m truly horrified at the way the media has taken this poor woman’s personal life and splashed it around for nothing more than entertainment. The news story didn’t mention that the parents wanted her to resign, or to have her books pulled (which I’m pretty sure is impossible anyway), or what they expected to happen. There was nothing more than “Look over here! Look at that!” in this “news” segment. (News. Right.) The parents were just whining about how “disgusting” it was.

Personally, I find ignorance to be disgusting. But hey, that’s just one reader’s opinion.

What a disgrace! This woman is being unnecessarily vilified and she should not have to give up one career for the other. But, if she does have to make a choice, I say stick with the writing career. She shouldn’t waste her creativity and talent on this group of ignoramuses.

Hi, I’m Mia Watts. I have a pen name and a private life, and I’m in full support of Judy Mays. Hang in there, Judy. We do indeed have your back.

I just knew once you’d get ahold of this story you shoot to the top for support! Thank you. I too had to “like” that FB page so I could leave a comment. I promptly “unliked” as soon as I was done but not before I 13 other people “liked” my comment.

Well done!

Support shown for Judy over at the FB page. Cannot believe how narrow minded people can be, and they’ve pretty much trashed her life now. :(

Yasmine

The one good thing about this article is it’s given us such a handy catchphrase: “I had no idea THAT was going on behind the scenes!”

The one Mom who said she didn’t want Ms. Mays looking at her son….WTF!  That’s like the serial killer example you suggested.  Would they be worried the teacher would want to murder their kids for material?  Utterly ridiculous. 

Ms. Mays deserves should be applauded, not vilified, for taking an interest in what she teaches.  A lot of teachers don’t care about their subject or their students and Ms. Mays seems to be a teacher who cares about both. 

If you don’t want your children reading erotic literature that I can understand; there is definitely some writing out there that I would think isn’t appropriate for 14-15 year old high school students.  But Ms. Mays isn’t reading sex scenes to her class, she is just writing them on the side!  And writing a lot, kudos to you for teaching full time and writing so many books Ms. Mays.  (PS LOVE the title Rednecks and Roses, def. made me smile through an otherwise cringe worthy news segment.)

Outrage… I has it.

mind88 - I can think of 88 ways to tell that news station to mind it’s own effing business.

Wasn’t it a gag in 10 Things I Hate About You that the school counselor wrote smutty romance novels?

I love you guys.

We had some parents go off on a book we were assigned in high school. All it accomplished was that every kid in the HS read it quick-quick before the school board could ban it. I assume that will be the result here, too.

From all reports—even the yellow-journalism piece by WNEP—Ms. May did her best to keep her writing separate from her teaching. I hope she sells a ton of books because of the publicity—and that the mom who outed her is exposed and labelled as a leading member of the Ignorant Tight-ass Club.

I am infuriated by this for a few reasons.
1.  To have erotic romance writing somehow portrayed as “bad”.
2.  To have parents imply the author might “look” at her son as material
3.  That the station/reporter did not present ANY opposing argument or side. 
I emailed Ms. Vernon blasting her for this shoddy story. 
It’s so easy to trash someone, but THIS was unbelievable.

It is soo no one’s business what she does in her own time.  She protected herself by using a pen name, and she didn’t tell students about it in class.
It’s not like she assigned her own literature and asked for book reports!
Find something else to do with your time, people, because slandering a good teacher because she’s a published author shows nothing but too much time on your hands.

Thanks, Sarah, for posting this. I’m a mom of two high school kids, I’m on the PTA board, AND I’m an author who writes “racy novels” under a pen name. This is just outrageous. As long as it’s not illegal, what we do in our free time is our own damn business. Last time I checked, reading and writing about romance and sex wasn’t illegal.

She chose to write under a pen name in order to keep things separate, just as I do. Now these witch-hunt parents and a news station more concerned with salacious “reporting” rather than real news are destroying the life of a popular 25 year teaching veteran.

If Ms. Mays wrote horror fiction in her free time, I doubt this would’ve ever happened. This is a pathetic case of bullying.

BTW, I love your tags!

I’ve known Judy a long time, and she’s a terrific writer. I just have one thing to say—you can’t fight stupid. Aside from the ridiculousness of the witch-hunt—one thing truly troubled me. That the subject even came up, appalled me.

Pedophilia? Really?

To suggest that because a teacher writes erotic romance she’s now got her eye on the boys in her classroom is heinous and such a dark, sick, twisted thought, I can’t even touch it. It’s like suggesting the gynecologist is a pedophile because he looks at cootchie-la-la for a living.

It’s preposterous. Not to mention, the immature thought of a 12 year old.

I think the more important question would be “why is that parent evaluating her child’s sexual attractiveness to an adult”?

See how easy fake outrage is?

“Why did these parents enroll their children in a school where the teachers might pursue secondary careers? What if one of them works with balloons? Balloons are made of latex. So are condoms. What if they get them confused?”

People want teachers to be sexless robots devoid of personality. Happens all the time. I totally support this teacher telling them all to stuff it in the place of their choice.

(Ha! Captcha is Moral58)

Thank you so much for directing your tide to this topic. I would never have heard about it, being in California. My support fully goes to Ms. Mays. <3

I almost never comment here, (though I read everything!) This time, I can’t stop myself.

What is WRONG with people? Clearly Ms. Mays is an excellent English teacher who loves the written word.  Are books about love, romance and SEX really so dangerous? Is there a pyre already being built?

Keep going, Ms. Mays. We’re standing with you.

This story was reported on at least one Philly news station this morning. I was seriously pissed off when I saw it. It’s ridiculous to go after this woman, who was a responsible teacher, who chose to write what she chose to write and used a pen name to separate it from her teaching life.

I don’t real Ellora’s Cave stuff, but I would never in a million years question anyone’s desire to write it or read it. What she does in her own time is her own damn business.

People are stupid. You go, Ms. Mays.

You smart bitches are pretty damn sweet.

Thank you for splashing this around. This is appalling. I’m a former HS English teacher and what I do in my home (unless it’s illegal) is my own damn business. Absolutely horrible and Laurie London is right. This is bullying. I hope she finds a good sharky attorney sues the pants off them…which would be suitable since she writes for Ellora’s Cave. Ms. May, I’ve got your back sister.

I don’t read erotic, but I’ll buy some of your books.

I’m with you! Judy Mays - we got your back!

Going to buy copies of her books in support.
-Sara Megibow
Nelson Literary Agency

It is soo no one’s business what she does in her own time.

So you’d think, and I’d love that.  In teacher’s ed., however we were repeatedly cautioned that we were always teachers, no matter where we were, and to always act as if we were about to meet a parent.  People told us ‘horror stories’ about parents complaining because a teacher fetched her mail in her pyjamas every morning, or about a teacher being disciplined for participating in the city’s gay pride parade (which usually also includes the mayor).  One teacher told us about her mortification when she boarded a plane in an evening gown on New Year’s Eve, just to find parents aboard.

I don’t want to live that way - but if I wrote erotic romance & it got out, I believe I could be professionally disciplined.  It’s crap and it’s stupid and it’s antediluvian, but whoever said that many people expect teachers to be “nuns” is right.

Well said, one and all.  It is outrageous, and Jen Leeland made excellent points.  This isn’t reporting, it is (not so) thinly disguised libel in my opinion.

you can also join this group on FB http://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-Judy-Mays-Mrs-Buranich/125856067491517?ref=ts&sk=wall#!/pages/Support-Judy-Mays-Mrs-Buranich/125856067491517?sk=wall

Just to back this up - below you’ll find a link to Ontario’s Education Act, which contains the following responsibility of teachers:

to inculcate by precept and example respect for religion and the principles of Judaeo-Christian morality and the highest regard for truth, justice, loyalty, love of country, humanity, benevolence, sobriety, industry, frugality, purity, temperance and all other virtues;

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90e02_e.htm#BK429

ARGH! I have sent emails using the words “yellow journalism”, “muckraking” and “prudish, Victorian-era hysteria”. Also the word “Asshat”.

As a reporter at a small-town newspaper, I find myself appalled at this “story.” It’s crap like this that causes people to make snarky comments about reporters in general. Why do you have nothing from a supporter—there clearly isn’t any shortage of them. Instead she uses small-minded gems like, “If you’re a good teacher, you shouldn’t be doing that?” Flipping really? What in the world does the writing have to do with her ability to teach? Awesome journalism. Just awesome. This should never have been a story in the first place. If I found out a local teacher was writing erotica on the side, I’d say good for her and move on—the only thing doing a story about it would accomplish is stirring up trouble for her (or him). The ONLY WAY this should have been news, would have been if these jackhole parents had managed to get the school board involved and the teacher’s job was on the line because of it. Otherwise, it’s nobody’s business: If they had wanted it to be other peoples’ business, she wouldn’t have used a pen name. I don’t usually read a lot of Elora’s Cave—it’s not necessarily my cup of tea—but I find myself strongly tempted to go make a few new purchases at the bookstore this weekend.

Absolutely ridiculous! From the article I read, I loved the former student who said, “I had no idea what went on behind the scenes.” WTH? She sat at her computer and wrote stories. It’s not like she lived it out for real. And even if she did, that’s her business. As a romance writer, I hope another news station picks up her story, tells her side of it, and she sells tons of books!!!

... this is one of the many things that are wrong with America. We Europeans so don’t get our knickers in a bunch about this kind of shite (same reason we keep the government out of bedrooms, where it belongs… despite the fact that we love us some big government!). Hell, we’ve had female members of our equivalent of Congress pose for Playboy and politicians who like to dress in drag in their spare time and don’t bat an eyelash because those things have absolutely nothing to do with how/how well they do their jobs.

So “Ms. Mays” has a private life and likes to write erotic romance… so what? Is she teaching her secondary school kids to write it or making them read it? No, so gives a damn what she does in the privacy of her home! (You know, I think if she did teach an erotic writing class, maybe some of those uptight arsehats would get the stick yanked from their arses). The poor woman is being vilified and having accusations of pedophilia slung at her because some idiot(s) have their so-called ‘moral compass(es)’ stuck permanently pointing to “arsehat”. I bet the principal at that school and the “reporter” of this story have secret fetishes… should we all go splash that all over the interwebs?

I personally don’t read Ellora’s Cave stuff—mostly because I favour contemporary suspense, and if I really feel like some racy, descriptive sex, all I need to do is check out a film from the motherland—but good for those people who do. The idea that someone would try to regulate the kind of stuff I can read or have access to makes me bristle. I think unicorns are creepy… does this mean that I should go on a massive witchunt to ensure that said creepy mystical creatures are removed from all children’s books to ensure they are protected from all sorts of unicorn creepiness? If it’s not illegal, leave it the fuck alone.

Kudos on bringing attention to this. I hope Ms. Mays’s books sell a gazillion copies and she sues the arses off both the news station & the school.

Captcha: report84. I can think of way more than 84 instances of astonishing stupidity in this news “report”

I should have known I’d find good comment here. I’ve been fuming about this. (Twitter & FB, too. Didn’t know about the sites you mentioned, just on my own.)

I had no idea that hs teachers were under such scrutiny, and it’s outrageous that anyone would think it’s their business what a teacher or anyone else does in private, off the job, as long as it’s legal. Furthermore, writing and reading erotica is NOT illegal. And I’m so sick of so many people acting like sex is bad. Come on! (Loved @EvilWylie’s response to me on twitter: Can you imagine if teachers had sex, though? #gross.)

I’m shocked by the quick jump from erotic writing to pedophilia, but I shouldn’t be. My friend’s picture book MY MOM’S HAVING A BABY was recently attacked and featured on national Fox News. Giving kids the straight dope about where babies come from? People called her a pedophile!

And what’s this? The President of the United States releases his birth certificate?

Make. The. Crazy. Stop.

I am so disgusted by this! I posted in support of Judy on their FB page. I’m just…still spitting nails. Thank you for addressing this issue! I wish there was something more we could all do for Judy other than publicly show our support and buy her books.

I am not a parent but I am a bookseller and I am also studying to become a history teacher. I see no reason why a person cannot teach English, and write whatever they choose in their own private times. A person is not a pedophile just because they choose to write erotica. Heck some of the schools here are using V.C. Andrews for their “required” English readings, which includes incest. Maybe these so called news channels need to start investigating things that really matter and leave the hard working upstanding citizens alone.

If I weren’t already home sick in bed, that would have made me sick and put me in bed.

Disgusting. That’s the only word I have for it. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: death, murder, torture, kidnapping, extreme nearly pornographic violence = Good. People having sex = bad. Um…???

I have become a fan of Ms. Mays. Rock out, Judy.

XOXO
Sommer

My, darling? Yes. THIS!

“YES. THANK YOU. I can only hope that Ms. Mays has a lawyer who is most feisty with the slander slapping, because that was hideous.”

Personally, I find ignorance to be disgusting. But hey, that’s just one reader’s opinion.

Well said, Jeanette.

I am a former high school English teacher and am feeling empa-outrage for the whole wtfery.

Like others have said, at least their asshattery will result in an increase in sales for her.

Verword: using 45…um no, I think these people were using way less than 45% of their brain.

Sarah
Thanks so much for running with this story. As an active duty army officer, I’m used to the expectation that my private and professional lives are not separate. I represent my nation whether I like it or not and I accept that. But private citizens are just that, private and Ms Mays committed no crime nor violated any standards of professional conduct by doing something she loved jn her private life. The school board is sure to overreact because one or two prudish parents - who probably have a closet full of their own skeletons- are uncomfortable and DARE to imply that she is a pedophile?

And for a newspaper to publicly smear Judy Mays for writing a few books is unconscionable and appalling. It’s not as though Ms Mays was using her writing in class nor was she bringing her two lives together. For the newspaper to imply that she is in some way immoral after dedicating her life to 25 years of teaching their small town’s students is unethical at best and they should be ashamed of themselves.

I hope that this plays out in Ms Mays favor and that I’m wrong, that the newspaper will print a retraction and the school board will look at this as overblown hysterics. But if it doesn’t, what does that say about our society as a whole? Are we really lynching this woman for writing books?

As a high school English teacher who also writes on the side, and has been lucky enough to have super-supportive colleagues and administrators, I am sickened by this.  Ms. Mays, come and use your talents in some school system where the parents will appreciate you!

BUT…I just feel I have to add this: THIS IS WHAT TEACHERS’ UNIONS ARE FOR.  BE AWARE OF STORIES LIKE THIS BEFORE YOU ATTACK DUE PROCESS RIGHTS.

And yes, I am paranoid enough to see this as part of a larger political attack on teachers as a convenient scapegoat.  As in, “See those greedy teachers sucking the public dry.  They’re using their long vacations to write smut.  SMUT, I tell you.  Won’t somebody think of the children?” /sarcasm.

Oh no!  An English teacher who is a writer too?  Imagine that, someone who teaches something SHE ACTUALLY KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT!  This makes me all kinds of angry, but I’m not suprised….a friend of mine back in my teacher days married in a hurry when she and her fiance found out they were in the family way for this exact same reason.  Sadly some people have nothing better to do than judge others.

25 yrs teaching in the community & this is how she’s treated?? I’m appalled.  What a teacher does in their own time is none of my business if it’s not hurting my child.

never seen such obvious & blatant invasion of privacy in all my life. Judy Mays is an excellent author. Her love stories have made me cry, smile & cheer for all that is romantic. 

Peeved off as a JM reader/fan & that she is being treated in such a way.

I have raised three sons, who are now successful and caring young men. And let me tell you, I would be much more worried about these hysterical, narrow-minded parents being around my children, than the teacher.

I am throwing my support 100% behind Judy Mays. She did nothing inappropriate.

It sadden and frustrates me that we are still breeding this kind of stupidity.

I know at least one person who has never read erotica before who just bought at least one Judy Mays book from her website in solidarity.  I think I shall have to, as well, next payday. 

This is just disgusting.

I recognize that our professional careers place limitations on our public behavior even when we are not engaged in that career.  I remember the first week of medical school and regularly after that they hammered into us that our public behavior reflects on you because you never know who will see you and remember as a patient later.  So, I don’t ever do certain things in the public arena.

However, Ms. Mays did not use her real name, she did not put up posters through the school or town with the covers of her books telling people to read them.  She didn’t force any of her students to read one of her books while they were hers.  Therefore, I do not understand what the parental whining and general idiocy is coming from.  In addition, I don’t know who this reporter is, but she is in dire need of a slapdown.  This was not the national enquirer and this article was written to be salacious and scandal monger without really considering the effect on the life and career of a woman who has sacrificed to teach the children in the community.  I hope she is ashamed.

While I have read Ms. May’s work in the past and wasn’t a huge fan, I might have to buy a few for solidarity.  I am not a teacher but I have been engaged by some truly excellent English teachers during elementary through high school.  They encouraged and tried to move beyond the standard reading list and questions.  I am deeply appreciative of the work and effort they made and have never forgotten it.

I’m curious to know why that parent was googling so hard. I bet her kid is failing and she wants an excuse. She’s a disgusting person and I feel sorry for her husband. Smut’s educational and if her sex life is so bland, then it must be depressing, frankly.
That “reporter” is ridiculous. Who cares if she’s writing smut? I mean, I could understand parents having an issue with a teacher-stripper (that’s something could be seen by students), but a teacher-author?! They should be pleased! She has real advice about publishing and is a model to why English education is so important.
I can only hope the community supports this author and that the news station gives an apology. She is a private citizen and did not give them leave to do a story on her.
All people involved in this are ridiculous and need to learn to mind their damn business!

Sad and disgusting, but not surprising and not confined to PA. When a “friend” discovered I write romance, she no longer allowed her toddlers to play with mine.  And God forbid they come to my house for a play date!  Folks, I write Harlequin Americans, a line devoted to family and community, not erotica. Needless to say, I support Ms. Mays.

Going straight to Amazon and hoping Ms Mays has lots of books available for kindle.  I want to support this wonderful woman with my readership and wallet!

This is why teachers need lawyers but more importantly why teachers NEED UNIONS. The UNION will HIRE a lawyer for a teacher like this. (And one is specialized in school lawsuits)
@SB Sarah hopefully she is a union member.
I do think being a teacher requires certain decorum; even if I had two teachers who let it slip in class they were living with their boyfriends (not something my parents would approve of.)
(those teachers are still working at those schools. they also got married by the time my sister had them.)
I do think you need to reflect about your public image is perceived,
What makes me FURIOUS about this is that Judy Mays kept this a secret. I think she was professional.
It maybe hard for her to keep her job though.

This reminds me a bit of a former English teacher I had in high school. He retired the year I graduated, after something like 30 years, and was enjoying his retirement. Fast forward a couple years, and they need him out because an increase of population has forced more teachers at his old school. So he kindly gets out of retirement and works part-time.

Now, he was teaching the AP classes because that’s what was needed (fewer of those and left the majority of teachers for the rest). So he’s plopping along and they watch Elizabeth, that movie with Cate Blanchett, and it’s apparently a sign-by-form type movie. He doesn’t bother since most of the kids were 18. (Which, wrong, but dude, you begged this guy to come out retirement for this crap.) So he was fired.

But! Here’s the kicker: not a single student complained! They were mostly of age and it’s not like they hadn’t seen worse on daytime. Of course, true power lies in the irate parents who buy kegs for their kids on Friday nights (no lie, saw it every home game I went to about 4 years prior…for 4 years). It’s all about posturing. It’s easier to be seen as a caring parent when you don’t have to care too deeply. This is what reminds me of this: it’s easier to be outraged at something you can control (someone’s livelihood, for example) than the world around you. And that makes those parents chicken shit liver patties (imagine that, I’ll give you a minute). Because instead of looking at the crappy conditions of the schools, the education system, the lacking within the world scope - they’re focused on two separate identities. I can see how that’d be more important. Really. Aaaaaany day now.

Told 35: I told way more than 35 words there.

In middle school and high school, before I figured out that I much preferred being a reader to being a writer, I wrote short stories for myself and for various contents. I would have LOVED to find out that one of my English teachers was a published author. Of course, had a similar article come out about one of my English teachers, my parents probably would have taken issue with my instant desire to read one of the teacher’s books, just because some adults were so upset about them - what the writer of the article and the outraged parent probably don’t realize is that, if this causes any problems for their delicate children, they’re the ones that are responsible, because they’re the ones that linked the teacher’s name and her pseudonym. Mays never said to her students, “read my books!”

Per the FB page you linked, the story has made it to the ABC News site as well.

@Megan Kelley
That’s awful!  I just looked at your website and your book cover looks so innocent (and great btw) how could anyone object?  That’s so sad :( That shocks me even more than what happened to Ms. Mays.

So absolutely disgusted with the one sided news report on Judy Mays. I wouldn’t give a crap ass if one my kid’s teachers wrote romance. WNEP is bunch of idjits. I am so angry. I sent Judy a supportive email.

Keep strong Judy Mays!
How awful of those journalists to do something as vile as this, exposing a teacher’s pen name just for lame ratings and the sake of causing drama. I’m with her students and Colleen’s point “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.” Too many people fear women’s sexuality and seem to take any chance they can to humiliate and attack someone confident. This is definitely a clear case of that bias.

Calling this piece of trash “journalism” is a joke and the author of said piece of drivel should be thrown out on her ass so fast her head spins.  This is a witch hunt pure and simple and it’s disgusting. 

The craziest thing is that is sounds like many people (students, etc.) have known about this for quite awhile but were never disturbed by it and Judy has kept it separate from her life.  It’s just one or two self-important people decided they wanted their 5 seconds of fame. Even at the cost of this lovely woman’s privacy and career.

Shame on them.

They are airing the original BS on ABC News now as well. Just fantastic.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/parents-say-english-teacher-wrote-adult-novels-13467409

I hope the “reporter” and the “concerned” parents and such are supremely embarrassed by now. We are all laughing AT them.

This feature seems to be…how to put his politely? Rremarkably free of actual news. Several ignorant, smallminded people made potentially defamatory statements to a so-called journalist about a teacher who moonlights as a fiction writer, but who seems to have kept professional boundaries in place between the two careers for years.

What’s the story? What crime has been committed? Why the smear job?  Because that’s what it is. 

Someone at WNEP really should have run this defamatory piece of crap though their Legal department before allowing it to air.  I hope Ms. Mays lawyers up.

This reeks of stupidity.  What is the matter with people??  The woman writes the books, she doesn’t hand them out at school for her students to read.  Get a clue!!!

I own, have read and enjoyed Ms. Mays’ books and I hope she continues to write them.

My heart goes out to Judy Mays. What that station did was wrong. I do hope she gets an apology, but more so this mess doesn’t cause her to lose her job. I also left a comment on the station’s FB page. There is no just cause for such reckless reporting.

The worst part of this is how smug and triumphant those bitches were in the news report. You know, I, for one, am glad that they’re so totally against sex. They won’t be having any more children who go on television with greasy, unwashed hair.

I suppose that’s petty… but it’s no where near as bad as insinuating that someone is a pedophile to a television audience.

*pages Stephen Colbert*

You know, I just had a thought. This smacks of the Harry Potter Is Evil woman, Laura Mallory. By that I mean that because she objects, she should be judge and jury. Um. Not so much, no. A few does not equal the majority. It must be difficult to be so unhappy with life to focus on such small, insignificant facts that have no bearing on your immediate or social life. How small a person must be.

Mind79 - Yes I mind 79 times.

Did WNEP delete FB comments? I went to their FB page and didn’t see any.

Well, Ms. May’s has another fan now.  Come payday I will be getting at least a couple of her books. 

To mis-quote Shakespeare:  “Ahh what fools these reporters be”

yep… they are all gone!

Did WNEP delete FB comments? I went to their FB page and didn’t see any.

You have to hit the “most recent” part of the feed, I think. I did about 5 minutes ago. It’s a stealthy attempt, but a poor one.

What springs to mind is the boneheaded student in In&Out; who muses:

“I have had a GAY english teacher all year. I have to find a way to deal with that and get on with my life…”

I’m a teacher. Yes, we fear the witch hunt. I won a trip to NYC when I was engaged. I was AFRAID to take my fiance because there was going to be an article in the paper and if I went on vacation with a man who wasn’t my husband (or, assumably, my father) then I could easily be subject to censure on moral grounds up to and including finding my job in peril.

My heart goes out to this teacher and I hope the news organization is financially penalized for revealing her identity and stirring the pot of crazysauce.

Captcha:
actually97: there were actually 97 real news stories they could have reported that day instead of their salacious sensationalism.

This makes me think that in this modern era, nobody’s going to be able to keep a secret any more. Any kind. Pen names, what kind of tampons you buy, anything. So far I don’t have a life where anybody cares what I do and I’m not covering up anything, but hell, we’ve all done something that somebody can nitpick and call us a whore over, or something.

Judy has my sympathy, but I am also wondering if publicizing this so MORE people know about her double career (I hadn’t heard of either persona before this) is helping anything. The more people hear about this, the more Outraged Parents will call for her head, and I don’t know if public Internet support can outshout that in real life.

Of course, I stupidly just blogged about it, so am I helping either? Uh, no.

Captcha: self 35 = by 35 everybody’s going to know everything about myself, like it or not.

I once belonged to a small professional women’s organization. During a pretty mild disagreement with one of my fellow members, I was outed for writing erotica a few years prior to joining the group. (I wrote under a pen name; it helped pay for college.)  The entire group turned on me and did a pretty good job of shaming me into leaving the org. They were horrified - horrified, I tell you! - that one of their own could do such a thing. I almost lost my business. I lost some “friends’.
I carried that experience with me for a long, long time.

I wish I had SBTB back then and this awesome community to stand behind me as we’re all rallying to do for Judy. I am damned proud to be a part of this and to stand with you in standing up for a fellow writer.

Judy, it’s going to be ok.

Liked the FB page, Retweeted, etc. One good thing about this asshattery is that it shines a light on the solid support of the romance community.

I’m dismayed to see this happen. This is why I don’t watch the local or even national news on TV.  It also brings back memories of when I was called on to testify against a junior high school teacher whom everyone loved, but was a little too “different” to survive in the school system. She didn’t write erotica but she brought a lot of her personal troubles into the classroom (such as her husband’s struggle with MS) and was a little too friendly with students in the manner of sitting around and telling dirty jokes after school.  If I’d had more sense (which I clearly didn’t at age 14) I would have refused to testify against her.

Emailed the news station.  To quote the inestimable Madeline Kahn in Clue, this story made me feel flames on the side of my face.

Disgusting, but not surprising. Apparently, there’s nothing as subversive to family values as reading and writing about sex in the context of a loving relationship. Makes me proud to be an Amurr’can.

I’ll be starting on Judy’s backlist tonight.

I just gotta tell you all how much I love you all right now!  EXCELLENT blog post!  I think Judy has an inkling of just how much she is loved and supported!  Rock on everyone!

Heh heh. They ARE deleting comments on their Facebook page, but I reckon they can’t delete them fast enough…people are posting their opinions faster then they can get rid of them. They’re wondering what kind of anthill they’ve kicked…..

Don’t Piss Off The Interwebs should be listed on the rule list right under Never Get Involved In a Land War In Asia.

I would like to try to get a blog talk radio show up in a day or so,  talking about your situation and censorship in general. Could you drop me an email or on facebook email.

What, you mean teachers have free time? That is news to me. The teachers at my dude’s school work so hard.

And I had some made-of-awesome teachers at high school who fostered curiosity and a love of learning that helped me get through the classes run by asshats who wasted everyone’s time.

Thank you so much for this post. I hadn’t heard of Judy Mays but I’m gonna download a few anyway to show my support. May she become a bestseller!

We’re constantly hearing how hard it is to get qualified teachers—the schools don’t pay enough, and good people go into other fields, yada yada yada. Now, by all accounts, we have a teacher who is EXCELLENT—and who demonstrably knows her field—and they want to get rid of her?

Because of something that doesn’t have any impact on her classroom performance?

Because tenth graders might hear about it and think about sex?

This gets me so mad.

The thing is, how many authors got their start as teachers of some kind?  Stephen King is one who comes immediately to mind.  If she were writing anything but erotic romance (and not even straight erotica, mind you!)  would ANY of these lame parents be objecting?

Answer:  No.  And neither would the school district. 

I’ll bet anything Apple’s kids are flunking English.  No doubt that’s why she started on the crusade: babies can’t hack it and she’s willing to do anything to discredit the teacher rather than, you know, helping her kids learn something.

Hey all,

Just heard from Judy, and I passed her email on to the SB’s, but I thought I’d share here, too.  It would seem the women who began this witch hunt should look for new work. it was unsuccessful and Judy’s gotten hoards of support from not just the Snyder County community, but the ROMANCE COMMUNITY!

All hail romance readers and writers!

This is my worst nightmare!!!  I’m a high school teacher, and I publish mainstream in my own name. But I also write hotter stuff under a pen name I keep a well-guarded secret. My heart goes out to her!!! And I’ll have nightmares tonight!!!

I am so disgusted by this story. I write “racy” romances under my real name. I work for a Christian-owned company in my day job. I thought long and hard (no pun intended) about whether or not I should write under a pen name, because I was worried about my bosses’ reactions if they discovered the types of stories I write. After my book came out and my employers DID find out, one of them said to me, “Unless it has pictures, you don’t have to worry about me reading it.” That was the extent of the conversation. :) And I’m still gainfully employed there. Thank God my employers are open-minded and have a sense of humor about the whole thing.

@elysabeth williams ROTFL ...also never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line :)

I’m so glad to hear that the local community is rallying around Judy Mays, just as the online romance community is.  I hope she ends up even more secure in her job and sells tons of books because of the extra publicity.

Nevertheless, I hope our writing organizations, especially RWA, will come to her aid and make strong public statements against this kind of journalism.  If an author’s fitness to teach and/or work with children can be called into question because of her romance writing career, that is a dangerous precedent.  I wrote to the RWA president and my regional reps in part saying,

Many of us authors work in second jobs, often with the public or with children.  I’m sure RWA has many teachers, nurses, counselors, scout leaders, and so forth in its membership.  I work part time as a librarian, myself. If my ability to safely work with children were ever be called into question because I write also write sexy romance novels, I would be devastated.  It advances the interests of our entire membership to push back against WNEP’s careless, sensational “journalism.”

I hope others will write their professional organizations, too.

The part that makes me furious is the one mother who they interviewed basically was calling Judy a pedophile.  Saying because she writes erotic novels she is worried about how Judy is looking at her son in class.  The amount of ignorance those mothers and the news station are showing is unreal.

Mays/Buranich has a decent defamation suit here. These women who tried to stir up a scandal and this inept news station who colluded with them in their harassment of Ms. Buranich should be sued, IMO.

I don’t usually read erotica, but I bought one of her books today in solidarity.

That this “news story” is based on two women slamming a teacher who has done nothing illegal or inappropriate just goes to show that for all their smug, self-righteous sneering at the content of Mays’ books, not one person involved, including everyone at WNEP, is even remotely familiar with journalistic ethics.

I sincerely hope the only thing these bored mothers and this “news” site have succeeded in doing is driving up Judy’s book sales :)

Why are you surprised?  Teachers are not allowed to have any sort of life of their own.  We are not allowed to be creative.  We are not allowed to spark creativity.  We are not allowed to delve into uncomfortable topics.  We are not allowed to explore things that may upset “leftist lunatics” OR “right wing nutjobs”.

We are to teach the test.  We are to make SURE the scores are high on any and all standardized testing.  Forget free thinking. Forget teaching students to THINK.

The news is the news - they are bred to be pathetic.  What is insane is the families and parents ready to get the tar and feathers or light the stake.  They are the ones who will lose out on their child, on their STUDENT, growing into a thinking person.  Rather than an automaton who merely poops out the right answers and makes everyone happy with their high scores.

This is the third idiotic media tale I’ve come across today.  Soooo glad I got the hell out of that field—it’s full of sensationalistic asshats.  I just might have to hit the bookstore this week myself….

The best revenge is success is I sincerely hope that Ms. Mays enjoys the best revenge ever with skyrocketing book sales.  I’ve already made a purchase and I hope that many more do the same. 

Good luck, Ms. Mays!  We’ve all got your back.  :)

Thanks for the positive post about this ridiculous non-news item. A teacher has every right to do anything in her/his private life as long as it doesn’t hurt the students. She evidently tried to keep her writing separate from her teaching because of a pen name. What right did the reporter/news department have in making it public?

I’ve included my pen name. And I will add this: I’m the VP of Nursing for PennMed Consultants, Inc and I’ve had an erotic romance (with a happy ending) published. Go ahead; make something of it!

small minds ban books.  Ordinarily I might sign this as ‘proud to be a Pennsylvanian’ but not tioay.

captcha: saw99 = I saw at least 99 positive comments about this today!

A commenter named thexjib posted this link and claims it comes from Wendy Apple’s MySpace page: http://a3.l3-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/140/01ebf7a5eaee4451b4dad03d9cda7fde/l.jpg

I have no idea if it does or not, but if it does, the hypocrisy is beyond appalling.

I’ve read a lot of this NON-story over the last hour. There is a reason why the reporter is at a small, local, low-powered television station out in the middle of podunk nowhere.

As someone else said, I hope that the positive result out of all of this is that Judy May’s book sales go sky high.

The other positive result would be for the reporter and editorial staff to fall on their collective swords and resign en-mass.

They’ve shown their lack of honor and integrity so I doubt that will happen.

The support is wonderful and more than deserved. I bought a book today and hope she sells a bazillion more!

Unfortunately, no amount of positive support in the world will give Judy back what she deserves: the right to keep her teaching life and her writing life separate. Something which she appears to have wanted and to have successfully done for ten years until these meddlesome bitches outted her in this so-called ‘report’.

This makes me so angry. A definite witch hunt. What is worse is that they imply that it is about morals/right & wrong/what is ‘bad’/etc…..

The first time I ever read anything I would think of as erotic romance was in Song of Solomon. That’s right…the Bible. Kinda makes them have to re-think the book burning and witch hunting huh? While I am one to let each believe as they would….I would hate to think that they actually believe that they are in the right with their filthy suggestions as to why a high school teacher can’t write erotic romance. Why it isn’t ‘appropriate’. What is filthy and inappropriate are those parents, news reporters (if we can really call them that) and others that believe persecuting a writer who has dedicated 25 years to her students (who didn’t have a clue about this till now) is right and good.

So… I was at work this afternoon when I caught wind of this. I’m so glad SBTB has taken it up, and I’m so proud to be part of a community that stands up for its own. The comments on FB and elsewhere are so right on.

As an award-winning investigative reporter and the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, I am of the professional opinion that the reporting in the WNEP news segment sucks badger ass. A few prissy, disgruntled parents does not a new story make, especially when the issue that’s gotten them all riled up happens to be none of their damned business.

What this teacher does in her spare time is not their affair unless what she’s doing is their children. And because that’s not the case, they’re not really acting as concerned parents, but more as self-righteous busy-bodies out to inflict their point of view on this author. They need hobbies, more constructive ways to use that energy.

I suggest masturbation.

the hypocrisy is beyond appalling.

So are her photoshop skills. ;)

Ack…I can’t get my comment to stick on the WNEP website, so I’m posting it here because I just have to say this!

This is the most insipid, ridiculous article I’ve read in a long time.  Shame on you, Kena Vernon, for writing this.  And shame on WNEP for relying on sensationalism to attract readers.  Reporting the facts is one thing.  Inciting outrage by lending the article a flavor of scandal is quite another.  Unless her actions are breaking the law (and I assure you, THEY ARE NOT) it is of no import how she chooses to spend her free time.  I mean really, you are faulting an English teacher for pursuing a creative outlet?  Yeah, how dare she be an independent thinker with an entrepreneurial bent who pursues her own passion for writing outside of her work environment, under an assumed name, no less.  What if all teachers did this?  What if they were, GASP, like real people who have varied interests that might not align with the rest of the population?  They might all teach our children horrible things like perserverance, creativity, critical thinking, the power of believing in and pursuing ones dreams.  Yeah, those are terrible, terrible lessons to learn…

I went ahead and emailed the “reporter”—- newness is not an excuse—especially for “reporting” half-assedly on a topic that could potentially ruin a teacher’s job——see below:

Wow—I’m surprised at how a “journalist” like yourself fresh on the job didn’t even put forth a little bit of effort to present the story in an unbiased manner. I’m sure your professors at Hofstra University discussed that you can’t just interview one side’s opinions and not find other people to demonstrate the other side of the issue.  Indicating you tried contacting them and they refused comment is not enough—- did you even try to find other parents or students who either supported her or at the very least were benign on the issue?

You may be “the newest reporter assigned to the central Pennsylvania newsroom” but with the internet you can’t afford to half ass any story; people care and they care about fairness.

What crappy journalism, and how sad that ABC News picked the story up and described her writing as “salacious.”  Another reason why I only watch TV news if there’s storm coming.  Utter tripe.

If I found out one of my kids’ teachers wrote for EC, I’d buy her book and get her autograph.

There is nothing more important than finding out what our “female” teachers do in their spare time. Really. I mean drop out rates, low reading-math-science scores, bullying, etc is nothing compared to one female writing about S.E.X! Mr. David down the hall writes ‘Dexter-esque’ novels set in our hometown…but Ms. Mays writes about S.E.X!

Frankly, some of these people could use an industrial size of lube and one of Ms. Mays books. Prudish-ness doesn’t keep you warm at night :)

And….I wrote a comment on their FB page, but some pesky intern keeps deleting it. I think the Bitchery needs to drop a Google bomb on this mess.

I taught in the public schools for 36 years. I applaud Ms Mays for finding a way to suppliment her teacher’s pay so she can continue to do what she loves. I loved teaching, but I was always scrimping to get by on what I earned doing it. I agree with those who say what a teacher does on their own time is their own business.
Back in the 70’s, I was waiting with friends outside a theater to see the racy movie ‘Last Tango in Paris”. I was thinking I was pretty safe in the area where we were because it was far from home. Who could we possibly run into?
Well! Who walks out of the previous showing of the movie but a second grade teacher (probably in her 50’s) from my school! What could we say to eachother but “Hello!”

OH MY GOD THIS IS NOT NEWS. News is a story about parents slandering and witch-hunting a teacher. News is a story about a reporter who took part in the slander and witch hunt. I really truly hope another reporter sees the ACTUAL NEWS here and runs with it.

I hope she sues so other parents and reporters think twice before trying to destroy someones life.

By the way. I would be so freaking thrilled if my daughters had a teacher that not only taught them to write, but also taught them that good writing is important in everything. I wish she would come teach in our school district. We need educators like her.

Wendy Apple…The Forbitten Fruit?  Really!?  Sheesh

Also a teacher and writer, I am outraged. This is ridiculous. Do we have to be super-chaste, super-pure and super-boring, just to be teachers? Mind you, we have private lives.

Though I have sent comments in support of Ms. Mays, I decided the very best thing I could do was buy a book even though I don’t usually buy from Ellora’s Cave.  I would like to see Ms. Mays successfully pursue a libel case.  SB Sarah, thank you a thousand times for sharing this.

This is absolutely appalling, and I am in no way trying to diminish that. However, to all the people who think this is about women’s sexuality and sexism in general, it is not. A man was fired for doing the exact same thing. Well, in his case, it was erotic poetry. What happened here was awful, and I pray Ms. Mays is able to get back on her feet, but the issue here is not one of sexism.

Kena Vernon….......shame on you

‘The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility’.

The blame for this monumental debacle falls squarely of the shoulders of gobshite Kena Vernon, she has brought her profession into disrupt and should be forced to resign immediately.

It would be instructive for that so-called journalist if she would now turn to trying to expose everyone who READS “racy” and “salicious” books and magazines, starting with her colleagues and bosses and the nasty women who brought her this “story,” moving next to the town and county administration.  She could clearly make a career of it, since—guess what!—she will find a hell of a lot of people reading romance, erotica, and even (*shudder*) pornography.  She might even get run out of town on a rail, or at least told to shut up and learn the difference between news and slanderous gossip. 

average76: The average person has read 76 books with sex scenes.  You’ve got your work cut out for you, Kena1

This really is beyond ridiculous. They act like she’s a terrorist or something. It’s soooooooooo silly. So silly. I can’t say I’m shocked because people who are bored/unhappy with their own lives tend to try and muck up others. I am quite pleased, however, at the overwhelming response of the literary world. Don’t mess with us book readers/writers! And you know some of those mothers have Judy Mays books holed up in their basement. For shame!

Sadly, ignorance, stupidity, malice and hypocrisy are part of the human condition.  But as many people have pointed out, journalism is a serious profession, and it has definite standards.  Those standards have clearly been violated in this case, so while one just has to roll one’s eyes about the original complaint, which was mere ignorant and spiteful gossip, the decision to turn it into a ‘news’ story seems to me to require some sort of legal slap on the wrist to both the woman who wrote it and her employers.

On a more general note, from outside the USA, it does seem extraordinary to us, the extent to which American parents are apparently able to browbeat their educational establishments, insisting on the teaching of this, or forbidding the teaching of that.  As somebody said above, very eloquently, education should teach children and young people to think and reason for themselves, to become rational human beings, not simply to parrot the views of their elders.  All parents have ample opportunity to influence their own children, and to bring them up according to their own standards and beliefs;  in many cases, the influence of teachers and students from different kinds of home backgrounds is essential to give children a wider and more balanced view of the world.  Some parents will bring their children up to be intellectually inquisitive, tolerant and generous people:  others will try to make them into petty-minded, joyless bigots in their own image, but school should be a place where they should learn that we are not all the same, that there are different ways of looking at life, and that people who are ‘not like us’ may still be good and worthy human beings.

Here’s a new article on a different site that at least mentions the Facebook page:

http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x1250116361/Teacher-s-novels-upset-parents

Here, Apple is quoted as saying that the erotica is “is unethical, totally unacceptable. Period. It just sort of sickens and saddens me to know everybody’s sort of looking at this like, hey, this is OK.”

Also, she complains that she’s being attacked on Facebook for speaking out.  Poor wittle baby.

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.

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.

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

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).

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 =)

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…

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.

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.

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The news director is Erik Schrader

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

570-346-7474 - main number

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.

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/

@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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

@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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

@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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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

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!

The original story was bad enough but I just checked the follow-up and what do I find in the very first sentence?!?!?  She misspelled “racy” and even my 8-year-old word processing software’s spellchecker knows “racey” is wrong!  If the reporter cannot even be bothered to use a spellchecker, why would we expect her to check her facts and write a responsible report?

There are so many great comments here already, but I have to say, once again, that the continuing public indictment of human sexuality and embrace of violence is just appalling to me.

To state the amazingly obvious, disapproving of and condemning actual child abuse is a good thing. But then the hysteria becomes so intense that even the faintest, most indirect possibility that children might be exposed to sex (or someone who writes about sex, talked about sex to anybody, or someone who may have had sex in an insufficiently shamed and puritan manner) banishes all reason.

Anyway, excuse me, I’ve got some book shopping to do. Censors never seem to grasp how popular they can make their targets, and it’s hilarious every time.

Xcore is right. That’s like revealing a super hero’s secret identity. Why would you do that? Especially seeing as she is a teacher. Ugh. Sometimes I really hate the media.

I’m glad that Ms. Mays has the support that she has. Apparently the administration was aware that she wrote on the side and they are standing up for her as well. Those parent spouting ridiculousness need to just go jump in a lake.

This is another fine example of how uptight Americans are about sexuality in general. If Ms. Mays was a man writing mysteries or SF or violent thrillers, HE would be held up as a fine example of a local success. They would roll out a red carpet for his accomplishments. He would have his photo and book reviews in the local paper. He’d be featured in the local library and bookstores. It’s perfectly acceptable in these United States of America to commit murder and mayhem within the pages of a novel, on the silver screen or the small one, but heaven forbid we should pen a word about SEX or LOVE or ROMANCE.  And—oh, dear!—if it borders anywhere near eroticism, and…and…and is written by a female then it’s just plain wrong!

Where did that Scarlet Letter go anyway…?

The best revenge is success, and I hope your sales skyrocket, Ms. Mays.

~Deb Stover

CMD says “The poor woman is being vilified and having accusations of pedophilia slung at her because some idiot(s) have their so-called ‘moral compass(es)’ stuck permanently pointing to “arsehat” “

Your post was great and amusing.“Arsehat” indeed.An example of people ‘thinking’ that they are supposed to ‘think’ like this.
Shallow,shallow ‘outrage’ that does not stand up to scrutiny.It’s just incredible that it got on the news.I mean most TV news is bullshit but rarely so transparently so.In the words of Billy H. - ’ ’ ’ ‘Four questions that weren’t asked-Yeah?And?So?What? ‘

Perfumed Heat The start of the Heat series! Since the death of his mate, Artemis Gray has desired no other to take her place.
_________
Nancy.
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Unbelievable!  In every way.  First to have your secret identity exposed and then to be subject to ridicule for it and accused of pedophilia just for the type of genre you write?  It’s insane.  I wonder what we’d find in the closets of these high and mighty parents who are so quick to judge.

Writing is a fine art and to be ridiculed for your talent is just wrong.

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!!
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