Keep This Between Us

I think that some people will not understand this documentary and fall into a victim-blaming mentality. You cannot not take a 16/17 year old child to be your "Girlfriend" when you are a fully grown man ... often with a wife already .... AND be in a position of power, such as many teachers have. It requires a lot of grooming on their part. These ladies were children when this happened. The series touches on the historical sexualisation of young girls, the "Lolita" aspect, and how a predator can turn that into grooming. I'd like to see a follow up episode when Heaven Rubin gets through the next hurdle, which she has been waiting wayyyyyy too long for. Cheryl Nichols' bravery is astounding. I hope she get's the closure she needs.

I don't have kids and this topic was shocking and thought provoking. The influence teachers have, usually good, to conduct this grooming in scary. These are young girls, not women, being grinned and taken advantage of by grown men.

The way school boards handle the misconduct of these teachers is a disgusting display of passing the buck. The laws need to change. So many more students traumatized because proper action was not taken. The victim blaming must stop! This should be required viewing for all school personnel. I

Cheryl is incredibly brave to share her experiences. Obviously, she's not the first or last victim. I hope she gets an Emmy nod.

The male teacher who agreed to be in the documentary should have refused. He's so obviously lying. He and his buddy were both attracted to young girls and acted on it. The teacher on camera did not get caught. He was in the principals office more than once over inappropriate relationships with female students. (By his own admission) He makes excuses by saying he wasn't trained and he was young. Pffft! Pathetic. He was an educated professional responsible for younger people. Backing that girl into a corner to tell he to shut her mouth about the rumors is and was bullying, intimidating her to protect his bro.

I found this documentary refreshing; it's honest and necessary, and it's smart. The documentary doesn't tell the viewer 'what's happening, what to think, who to judge'...the takeaway is up to the viewer. There's plenty to observe if you enjoy abstracting themes. Cheryl and her team did a great job revealing the many nuances embedded in society that feeds misogyny, abuse, chauvinism... This isn't a story about one person's experience - that's the starting point. I thought the timing and placement for how each person was introduced was spot on, particularly the teacher with red hair (I can't remember his name) and the scene where him and Cheryl are talking outside - that was 👌.

I gave this series 10 stars because, regardless of style and even the details of these two stories, this kind of grooming and preying on teens happens and it damages lives. The betrayal of trust and the secret-keeping are corrosive. The more this is brought into the public eye, the better. Teenagers are not equipped with the life experience or psychological development to be considered an adult on equal terms with these older predators (not exclusively, but often older men with teen girls), especially those in a position of power. It really is a crime - morally and legally. It is the job of the school system to protect the children in its care, not to foster an environment that turns a blind eye and allows children to be hurt. People may not realize the long-term damage that can result from these relationships, but I speak from experience to say that it runs deep and is long-lasting. To come forward is an act of courage.