How FX's 'A Teacher' Highlights Power Dynamics in Sexual Abuse

The plot line follows the struggling marriage between Claire and her husband and her apparent underlying trauma associated with having grown up with an alcoholic father. She appears to be insecure and seeking some kind of fulfillment in her life that is missing.

 Meanwhile, Eric comes from a single parent family with a mother who works nights to support her three sons and a dad who is out of the picture. He has aspirations to attend medical school but clearly lacks the finances to do so. His only hope is to excel in school and get a scholarship, which appears to be out of reach unless he can score higher on his SATs. A typical teenager, he struggles between trying to be a responsible hard working kid and fitting in. His friends constantly pressure him to party, drink alcohol, smoke pot and do other illegal things that could jeopardize his future goals.

When Claire agrees to tutor him, things quickly spiral out of control as Eric expresses his attraction toward her and in her desperation she not only doesn’t resist, she encourages him and even takes the risk of getting Eric out of possible legal trouble which would effectively end his future opportunities.

Aside from obvious ethical issues and boundary violations, including allowing Eric to follow her on social media, Claire behaves impulsively, disregarding any instinct to uphold the moral obligation she has as the adult in the situation. To be clear, teachers are taught Ethics in Education Philosophy and are considered mandated reporters. Eric may not be innocent in terms of his pursuing Claire, but ultimately the power lies with Claire, as the adult and teacher to assert her professionalism and dissuade Eric from any untoward behavior.

As a teenager myself who grew up with a single parent who was often unavailable, I know how vulnerable being in that position can be. It opens a child up to the potential for being taken advantage of. Teens are at an age where their hormones are raging, they are attempting to find themselves and they are testing the waters in terms of what rules they can get away with breaking. Without good parental guidance, these kids can easily become prey for adults with nefarious intentions.

In my particular case, I was lucky to have found a teacher who not only took interest in me, but who had my absolute best interests in mind. She knew I was vulnerable and saw that I struggled to fit in. She supported me and gave me a safe place to be when I had nowhere else to go. That’s the power a teacher can have on the life of a student. Without her I doubt I would have gotten into college or would have gotten an academic scholarship.

So when I saw this kid, I saw myself in him and I hoped that he too would find this kind of supportive mentor in this teacher. Her initial instinct to help him wasn’t necessarily the issue. In fact, if it had remained strictly a mentorship, she might have influenced this kid’s life in ways that could have directly changed the trajectory of his future. The fact that she was selfish, predatory and incapable of upholding any boundaries made me absolutely furious.

Adults are in the position of power and should have the capacity for clearly thinking through what the ramifications might be of any interaction they may have with children. Even a high school senior is still a kid without the mental maturity to comprehend how they might be taken advantage of to their detriment even if they believe they can consent. Let me repeat that — by default, a child cannot consent to a relationship with an adult. This is an example of how power can be used to exploit the immaturity of a child and therefore the child is in no way responsible for it. Period. End of story.

Understanding where Claire’s questionable judgment comes from and having some modicum of empathy for her as a person doesn’t absolve her of her malfeasance. It’s not uncommon for abusers to have experienced trauma and to seek some semblance of control in their life by re-enacting or perpetrating trauma upon others. Claire is flattered by the attention she’s so desperately lacking within her marriage, but to respond to that attention with anything other than establishing clear boundaries with Eric is dysfunctional and criminal.

I don’t know where the story will go as there are more episodes ahead, but if the story is anything like the movie, I predict she will get caught and it will destroy her career. Sadly, I suspect it will end any hope for Eric to achieve his full potential and that is really the tragedy of this story. Sexual abuse seldom works out well for the victim. One way or another it catches up with them, derailing their sense of trust, security and self awareness. It’s tragic and it’s avoidable. Let this show be a much needed warning of the dangers of sexual grooming, lack of parental supervision and the power of social media and technology in cultivating an atmosphere ripe for the perpetuation of sexual trauma upon minors.