Teacher Charged: Sex With 5 Students

This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," March 1, 2007, that has been edited for clarity.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Authorities in Clinton, South Carolina, believe that middle school teacher Allenna Williams Ward participated in sexual acts with up to five of her male students. Now, the 23-year-old is accused of having sex with 14- and 15-year-old victims in locations including the school, a local motel and in a public park.

Ward has been charged with five counts of sexual conduct with a minor and six counts of lewd acts on a minor.

Joining us now, Florida prosecutor Pam Bondi and defense attorney Jill Davis is with us.

Pam, why would any woman, you know, even think this is a risk anymore considering women having sex with underage boys don't seem to ever get in trouble any more, hardly ever?

PAM BONDI, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: Sean, I was just thinking that, and you're right. It is truly becoming an epidemic.

And I mean, you know, all of these women are predators, but this one didn't even convince herself that she was in some delusional relationship with one boy. She's jumping from boy to boy to boy. She's 23 years old, and she's married.

HANNITY: Yes.

BONDI: It's unbelievable.

HANNITY: Jill Davis, if this was a 23-year-old male teacher and he was jumping from girl, to girl, to girl, it would be outrage, shock, horror, indignation.

JILL DAVIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Horror.

HANNITY: What's that?

DAVIS: And a label of a pedophile.

HANNITY: And a predator and a pedophile.

DAVIS: Right. We've talked — we've talked about this before. This topic seems to be coming up, I agree with Pam, way too much.

But I'm most interested in from a defense angle as to how this will play out. Because I think we all agree that there is a double standard, that men get treated differently. When it's a man who's 23.

HANNITY: I thought women wanted equal rights, though, Jill.

DAVIS: I'm not saying that I don't want it. I'm just saying it exists. I mean, I don't like it, but a double standard does exist.

HANNITY: I'm being sarcastic. But you know something? Pam, this is what's frustrating to me. Because I'm going to go upstairs after this program here, FOX News Channel, and I'm going to get on my e-mail and this is what I'm going to read. I guarantee it. I can bring the e-mails here tomorrow.

"Oh, Hannity, get off your high horse. You would have loved to have a teacher like this."

This is — this is the predominant view of many people, as if it's not harmful to a 14- or 15-year-old boy, you know, when a woman in a position of authority like this does this to a boy. Why is there this, you know, difference in thinking?

BONDI: Well, Sean, I would think that the people who send those e- mails don't have daughters or sons, I'm sorry, who are 14 or 15. Because we deal with those parents.

And this is so traumatizing — I don't care what people say — to a 14-year-old boy. I mean, especially it's going to have long term effects. It's horrible.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: I — by the way, I've got to run in a moment. I've got to write an e-mail.

Jill, let me ask you this. What is...

HANNITY: Was that supposed to be funny?

COLMES: Yes.

What is — what is the defense for this? As a defense attorney, what — is there a defense? What would you put forth to a court in a situation like this?

DAVIS: OK, you know what I know, right, that there were — was a note that was turned over to the authorities that seemed to have inappropriate material that seemed to point the finger at her, a love note or something, to some students.

I don't know any more of the facts than that, and I'm sure in these days ahead we'll find out more. But as a defense strategy — we've seen it before, that delusional state, some kind of psychosis, some kind of abuse as a child.

COLMES: Some kind of mental defect.

DAVIS: Correct.

COLMES: Pam, is this really happening with increasing frequency? Or is it just that the media has discovered this is a juicy story? We're covering it more, we're focusing on it? Has this always been the case?

BONDI: I really see it increasing more with female teachers, Alan. It's always been prevalent with male teachers and female students, but I think, of course, the female teachers do get more coverage. But I see it increasing. We’re seeing it more and more and more.

COLMES: Why? Why is that?

BONDI: I have no idea, but it's horrible, and it has to stop. I mean, this woman is a predator, and she went after five young boys. And she was in a position of authority.

COLMES: Is there a sense, Pam, that there is a double standard, women can get away with it, which is why it's happening with increasing frequency of female teacher to male student?

BONDI: You know, I think — I think the cases that I've dealt with, I really think — you have to focus on the victim, and the victim, whether or not they can go to trial and whether or not they want this tremendous publicity involved, when it is a male teacher it doesn't get that amount of publicity.

And I think also, you know, people argue, well, it's more consensual when it's a young boy and an adult teacher. But here, this woman is a predator. A predator. I mean, five 14- to 15-year-old boys, and she's their teacher.

HANNITY: Who would have thought, you know, you have to watch out, you know, sending your kids to school. It happens way too often.

Guys, thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.

BONDI: Thank you.

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