Police: Teacher's Husband Kills Teen Love Interest
Lawyer Says Client Acknowledged Killing Student
POSTED: 7:38 am EDT March 18, 2007

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- In a tragic twist to a familiar story, a teenager
who had sex with his married 30-year-old teacher was fatally shot
outside the woman's home, and authorities have charged the woman's
husband.

"You see all this stuff with teachers involved with their students. It just
comes up time after time on the national news," said Norman McLean,
father of suspect Eric McLean. But this time, he said, someone "actually
died over it."

McLean's wife, Erin, had completed half of a one-year teaching
internship at West High School, where she met the 18-year-old Sean
Powell last fall.

Powell's mother, who gave him up for adoption a dozen years ago but
re-established contact in 2005, said her son acknowledged having an
affair with a teacher.

"He wouldn't let me answer my cell phone," Debra Flynn recalled. "I said,
'Why?' He said, 'Well, Mom, I'm going out with this girl.' I said, 'So what?'
He said, 'She is a counselor at school.' I said, 'Oh, my God, Sean."'

Flynn, whose son sometimes stayed at her home in Nashville, said she
later found text messages on her phone. "Come home. Baby, I love you.
You are beautiful," they said. She believes Erin McLean preyed on her
son.

"These teachers are feasting on our children in school and something
has to be done," Flynn said.

Powell "was a great kid, full of life," Flynn said. He had taught himself
to play guitar and just received his driver's license. His adoptive parents,
Scarlett and Jack Powell, had just bought him a car.

But he left school on Nov. 20 and did not return. School officials refuse
to explain, citing privacy laws. Flynn said her son had a substance-abuse
problem and went to rehab for less than a month.

Norman McLean described his son, one of his eight children, as "an
excellent person," who was not violent, but he acknowledged that his
son "had a lot of burden on him for months now," referring to his wife's
affair.

"Now, I am only talking about myself. But I can personally only take so
much," Norman McLean said. "Everybody has a breaking point and there
is only so much you can endure before you get to that place ... where you
lose control."

Norman McLean said his son, once a percussionist in the University of
Tennessee marching band, put his own academic career on hold to support
his family while his wife of 11 years pursued a graduate teaching degree
from the University of Tennessee. He has worked as a pizza deliveryman
while taking classes at the university.

Eric McLean is one semester short of completing a bachelor's degree in
music education. A popular performer in local rock 'n' roll bands, he
hoped to become a school band director.

On the evening of March 10, McLean called police to say an intruder was
at the couple's home. About 7 minutes later, Erin McLean called back to
say her husband had just shot Powell outside in the boy's car.

Eric McLean fled in his car, which was later found at the high school.
McLean was arrested Sunday, walking along railroad tracks about 6 miles
away, still carrying the suspected murder weapon, a shotgun.

Sean Powell was buried Thursday after a funeral attended by more than
150 friends and former classmates.

"I didn't color any rosy pictures," said the Rev. Lee Wallace, who officiated.
"I said, Sean, like myself, is not perfect. He was a boy who had hopes and
dreams and goals in life, like everybody else, and those were cut short."

Erin McLean has moved in with relatives in Nashville with the couple's two
young sons, ages 11 and 7. She has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Police say she has hired a lawyer but could not provide a name.

The attorney for Eric McLean, 31, acknowledges that McLean killed Powell.
"So this trial is going to be about what really did happen and why - not
who," attorney Bruce Poston said.

Poston said McLean is in a "state of shock. Like watching a deer caught in
the headlights. Literally wondering, 'Have I made a decision that will ruin
the rest of my life as well as others?"'

http://www.nbc10.com/news/11286463/detail.html

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.associatedpress.com/
_____

I cannot believe some of what I'm hearing in commentary over this story
on TV. The 18 year old-Sean Powell is actually being blamed for the affair
that the adulterous wife had with him. It's being said who could blame the
husband for what he did-this young person was after all preying on his
wife.

You have got to be kidding.

I'm hearing that no charges have been filed against her as of yet?
Isn't this a case of corrupting the morals of a minor? She is going
to be sanctioned and disciplined or maybe fired at the school right?
Is she going to be registered as a sex offender so that she will not
obtain any other teaching position?

Let's not forget that this is a teacher. She was in the authoritative
position. She failed to enforce the boundries. It is never the young
person's fault for the lascivious behavior of an adult who
allows/permits a sexual relationship to be initiated with a young
person-a teen. The fault always lies with the adult.

This woman had to know better being 30 years old. She is a
parent herself.

It is not Sean's fault. I do not care how troubled he might have been.
I've known adults who have done this kind of thing throughout my
entire life. It was wrong of her to pursue this young man, and to
permit this kind of relationship with him-I don't care how cute
he or she is, precocious, or grown/mature they seem to
appear to be.

It was, and always is, wrong for a teacher to get involved with a student.

It is just another case of an adult lusting after a young boy or girl. It
is reflected in society with the mania in particular lately of older women
being involved with much younger men. The media has been glorifing
this idea. Frankly, many American women have simply lost their minds.

The husband's argument was with her-Not with this lovesick teen.
This was a problem that was between the two of them-open relationship
or no. He was trouble waiting to happen, and he was studying to be a
school band director? She was a teacher/counselor? Not very good
problem solving skills I don't think.

Just what are the schools going to do to screen the activity and goings
on between teachers and students? Didn't anyone question all the
private time happening between these two? Why wasn't she reported by
someone? When are the schools going to take more responsibility
to assure the safety and well-being of the students?

In general they don't seem to be doing a very good job.

School personnel- teachers, or anyone in authority as far as children
or young people are concerned - CUT IT OUT.

SCHOOL CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OFF LIMITS AS
FAR AS YOUR LASCIVIOUSNESS, ISSUES, OR ILL INTENT.
PARENTS DO NOT SEND THEIR CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE
TO SCHOOL (CHURCH, DAYCARE CENTERS, ETC.) IN ORDER
TO BE MOLESTED AND EXPLOITED BY ANY OF THE STAFF
ENTRUSTED WITH THEIR CARE.

THERE ARE INDEED BOUNDRIES PEOPLE.

PEOPLE ARE SEEMING TO BE LOSING THEIR MINDS.

It's just been one horrible story after another in the news
lately of what young people/children have had to endure at
the hands of very selfish, disturbed, depraved, dysfunctional
and deathly mentally ill adults.

The media needs to take responsibility for some of this problem too.

I will pray to the Lord for enlightenment for this world. I pray for
Sean's soul. This is really tragic.