Updates on school-related posts 1: Tericka Dye
Ex-porn performer Tericka Dye is still teaching, somewhere.
Last spring the media were aflurry with the shocking revelation that a well-liked science teacher in western Kentucky had, for a brief time in her younger days, performed in porno movies. Tericka Dye, a teacher at Reidland High School in McCracken County, Ky., was dismissed, despite parental support and an excellent reputation as teacher and volleyball coach.
She appealed the decision administratively, but was not reinstated. She then filed a lawsuit against the McCracken County schools, which a local judge dismissed, then appealed that decision to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
In February Dye withdrew the appeal, ending the legal battle, preferring to set the whole episode behind her. She has found work as a teacher elsewhere, according to the Paducah Sun. Her lawyer advised the “don’t ask, don’t tell” strategy when dealing with new employers; don’t volunteer her past life if they don’t ask. She may also be working under a different name, since googling “Tericka Dye” would spill the beans.
Dye admitted to performing as Rikki Andersin in a handful of porno movies 13 years ago when she was young and foolish. As she told it, she was psychologically a mess and dead broke, and was desperate for money. She left the porn industry quickly, enlisted in the Army, and after her discharge, pursued a career in science teaching.
No one at Reidland High was the wiser, until a video store worker noticed a remarkable resemblance between the bespectacled Dye and the photo of Rikki on a video. After students and parents apparently watched the movies, Dye’s cover was blown (if you forgive the pun). Despite parental support and an excellent reputation as a teacher and volleyball coach, school officials refused to renew her contract for the following year. Her later appearance on the Dr. Phil TV show did nothing to further her cause.
Dye had hoped that folks in the Bible Belt would be more forgiving and recognize she had turned her life around, but she was wrong. Apparently, teachers if they have sex at all are not supposed to be too public about it. Having an ex-porn actress teaching high students was too much for rural Kentucky.
[In a related story, Dye's former principal lost his job, too. Glen Ringstaff was reassigned to a district office job for failing to meet expectations. It seems Dye was only part of his problems.]
Dye never had sex with a student, never encouraged them to enter the adult entertainment industry, and never told her students to watch her videos. She broke no laws (at least in California — Kentucky still has sodomy laws). She was not proud at all of her porn appearances, so clearly did not want to advertise them. She gave up the porno industry. She would rather be a teacher.
Some people would rather Dye never teach high school students again, like she was some kind of soiled goods. I disagree. She isn’t a porn actor now, and even then I’m not sure it would automatically disqualify her as a teacher. [There would be some ethical dilemmas, to be sure.] Instead she’s a great example of how someone can hit bottom and turn his or her life around.
So, I’m glad Dye has found work elsewhere. Hopefully her past will not follow her and she can once again be a well-respected science teacher.
