Readers in New Jersey probably remember someone in their past who was a “teacher’s pet.” Recently, a man near Sussex County has alleged in a custody filing that his ex-wife, a high school math teacher, went too far with her favorite student. According to the man, it was the root cause of their divorce.
The man said he first suspected something was wrong between his ex-wife and one of her students back in 2004. “She kept talking about her favorite student,” he said. Later that year, she started accompanying the student on college visits during his sophomore year. The man then claims that over 1,000 inappropriate e-mails and several phone calls between his ex-wife and the student occurred.
The emails are sealed as part of a 2009 divorce settlement. His ex-wife claims he is a liar, and that she had to file a temporary restraining order against him. She believes he will stop at nothing to get custody of their children. The ex-wife claims she didn’t start dating the student, who is now 24, until a year and a half ago. The two are now married.
In a non-amicable divorce like the one above, there is often disagreement between the couple as to who should receive child custody of their children. An important question then arises: “who decides who will get custody of our children?” Usually, the answer is mostly up to the parents themselves, with help from attorneys, counselors or mediators. But, if the parents cannot come to an agreement before going to court, and a dispute occurs, then the decision of which parent will get custody will usually be made by a family court judge.
The judge will then consider a number factors when deciding who will have custody. The main consideration, however, is always the child’s “best interests,” although that can be difficult to determine. Frequently, the main factor is which parent has been the “primary caretaker” of the children. If the children are old enough, the court will take into consideration their own preferences as to which parent they want to live with.
While divorces can occur for any number of reasons, they are sometimes dramatic like the one above. When handling the divorce legal issues, it is necessary to keep the children’s best interest in mind when deciding on which parent will get custody.
Source: New York Post “Jilted NJ hubby claims ex–wife bedded high–school student – then married him,” Gary Buiso, Sept. 2, 2012
