Cast the First Stone

A student's memories of abuse at the hands of this so-called "victim" teacher... www.mcmeekan.net/art/wmrab/index.php

an excerpt:

One of the children, Tammy Chamberlain, was subjected to almost daily, ongoing, severe, organized bullying.

In an attempt to gain relief from the cruelty of ongoing abuse (by the teacher, and far too many others....) about her weight, her doctor approved a weight-loss drug for her. I knew what she was going through - and completely understood why she wanted to lose weight. I have always supported her Mom's attempt to help Tammy be less of a target.

She suffered a catastrophic reaction to that weight-loss drug, and died.

When she died, I could not bear to attend the funeral. It's truly a struggle to find words to describe the feelings of being there, watching that going on, and watching a teacher - someone we were supposed to be safe with - being the lead bully.

Horrific.

I honor her - and her family's pain and courageous journey forward. Her Mom was one of the school board members who tried to help her daughter - and all of us - and was tragically also sued.

I asked her Aunt Cathy if she'd like to offer her memories/comments. Her response:

'My wish for You and Tammy is that one day a Movie is made with the truth!!! My little niece did not Survive from the hands and sick mind of Jean Eckmann!!!"

The film itself is quite good and I enjoyed watching it, and to see the outcome of a rape victim who was sacked from her job working as a teacher. I found myself feeling very annoyed with that school board who should make such Dark Age opinions on women who have babies outside marriage. For the rape and single mother issues, I found it interesting as well as important. The rest of it, I don't know what is real and what isn't. I don't believe that these TV movies are based on true stories 100%. I have lost count of how many TV movies based on true stories turn out to be fabricated. The acting was okay and the storyline a bit old fashioned.

I watched this movie as a young girl and it's partially my inspiration for becoming a therapist for rape and other trauma survivors. Besides illustrating the psychological impact of rape, the movie shows how survivors can be re-traumatized by others who assume survivors' perfectly normal emotional reactions to the trauma are really evidence they're lying.

I would hope today we know better, but this movie is still a powerful reminder of the psychological harm we can do to people when we fail to believe them and offer the support they need simply because their reactions don't gibe with what we think we would feel or do if we were in their shoes.

In a strange way, I'm indebted to the user who revealed the name of the real woman for whom this movie is based. It allowed me to learn more about the case and the woman behind it.

I can't speak to who this real woman was as a teacher, and I wouldn't dishonor anyone else's experience by questioning whether she or anyone else was a "true" victim. Whatever else the woman may have done or said in her life, no one deserves to be raped and denied the support she or he needs to heal. Certainly, no one deserves to be re-traumatized.

If any of the real woman's experiences were accurately depicted here, I am grateful to her and to others who helped her to tell her story. It has stayed with me for over 20 years and I will always remember what the film taught me about trauma and its effects, as well as how not to respond to someone who discloses any sort of trauma whenever I interact with people who are hurting.

Thank you Eckmann family for sharing this part of your history so that people like myself can learn from it and be inspired by it.