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From NY Post: Alleged dirty teacher Christina Formella claims she’s the victim of misogynistic “sexist scrutiny” and bemoaned being painted as a “predator” — even as prosecutors say evidence shows she sexually abused a student dozens of times over a monthslong affair that didn’t stop until the teen spoke up.
“It’s a spectacle — a public ritual that punishes women not for what they’ve done, but for how they’re perceived,” a rep for Formella’s family told The Post in a statement Thursday.
“When men face accusations, we discuss evidence and procedure. When women face accusations, we attack their character, their choices, and their worth as human beings,” they added. “This isn’t justice — it’s gender-based persecution disguised as accountability.
Formella, a 30-year-old special education teacher and soccer coach at Illinois’ Downers Grove High School, is accused of grooming a 14-year-old student and having sex with him at least 50 times after he turned 15.”
Prosecutors accuse the 28-year-old teacher of having a sexual affair with a student, supported by dozens of text messages, including one expressing her “love” of the sexual encounters.
But Formella’s camp says she is being targeted because of the way she looks and because she is a woman.
“Instead of discussing facts or law, public discourse fixates on Christina’s appearance, her private life, even her lipstick — as if those details bear on guilt or innocence,” the statement said.
“Christina has been splintered into internet caricatures — ‘predator,’ ‘unfaithful wife,’ ‘hypocrite,’” said a family spokesperson.
Formella’s family alleges that crime coverage has escalated to real-world stalking, including being followed into church.
“Christina’s case isn’t being ‘covered’ — she’s being hunted,” the statement added, and that she is now a victim of “bullying.”
“Reckless speculation, misinformation, and theatrical coverage do nothing to serve justice and set hard-won respect for women back decades,” the statement concluded.
READ MORE AT NY Post
