Comments about ‘Ex-seminary principal waiting for evidence’

"He would give me a high five and say 'you're so righteous!'"

Nice...

This is an outrageous case of how modern technology is being used to facilitate criminal behavior. This seminary teacher has obviously fallen for the message of modern society that not only are immorality, dishonesty, and immediate self-gratification acceptable, they are desirable. If anyone should have been, this seminary teacher should have been the one to uphold the standard of chastity, morality, and respect for others that made this Country great. Instead, he misused modern technology to engage in conduct that was not only immoral, it was illegal.

Still no wife at these hearings? She must be humiliated.

I think he is innocent until proven guilty. With that said, I have seen many instances where, when proven guilty, the guilty are still praised in church and the victim and victims family left behind to be humiliated by the love and adoration some people still have for a convicted sex offender.

If he is guilty, he needs to be severely punished and dealt with as any pedophile. Lets admit it. God wouldn't call a pedophile to be a seminary principal. Merely mortals called him to that position of trust and, if guilty, he betrayed that trust. For the victim and the family he needs punished (if guilty)

I spoke to a student at Lone Peak. She said she never liked this guy--never got why everybody was so in to him. She thought his stories were over the top--didn't think they were exactly true. She thought he was creepy in how he tried to be everybody's fav.

Students need to remember that if a teacher acts as though he is still a kid, and wants to be "in" with the kids--he might just have issues.

LDS policy is to terminate when accusations surface, not necessarily when they have made any determination of guilt. The courts are quite capabale and the only ones who can responsibly determine guilt or innocence relative to the laws of the land. Maybe we should wait and see.

I don't understand why he was fired. He has not been found guilty of his charges yet.

Even if the man did nothing, it would still be horrible for all the people affected to have to go through this. I hope his family is doing well and his previous students are dealing with it respectfully and without confused feelings.

The girl's father seems very concerned with all those affected as well which shows great character. I hope the girl is being honest. I only say this because today we see so many people lie to this extent, even to get others hurt. For his sake, I hope it isn't true. For her sake, I hope it is.

I have known girls and older men who have lied about rape and other things like it and the saddest part is that it seems that justice is hardly ever met.

Only until the courts on high will rule in the end can we wait for any kind of rest from these troubles.

21 felonies and not a wife in sight...what to do he definitly was framed and will be telling his new cell mate that very soon. And all his supporters will shun his victum in the most righteous way. But if there is true justice it will done , should have never got involved the parents are right and caught the thing. Gave him a warning should have stayed home , so now he has a new home for sure.

Pratt is just playing his legal cards. He has never denied the allegations, only saying that the full truth will come out at the right time. He will take a plea bargain once he sees all the cards the prosecution holds. He just doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison for a consensual relationship that was inappropriate. He will apologize to the victim next month and move on with rebuilding his life. People make mistakes. I believe most of his "Supporters" know he is guilty but they are supporting him for the good he has done in his life.

This is why the LDS Church should get rid of professional seminary teachers. The program should be phased out. These individuals are looked at as professional clergy by students. Much better having volunteers as is done outside of our sheltered Idaho, Utah and Arizona.

He might be innocent until proven guilty, but the LDS Church has already axed the guy's job. Does that say something? If he were man enough he would accept his guilty and avoid a trial, embarrassing his friends and family even more.

Why were the police able to know about all the phone calls etc. and yet it is taking so long to have these records released? Doesn't add up.

Whether he molested the girl or not, he did check her out of school. That right there & the contact with her outside school, especially when her parents had asked him to stop, would be enough to fire him.

he got fired and they knew he was a libilty now the rest of you need to find out where you stand also!

To: It's almost over ... consensual sex is sex between two adults ... it is not sex between a teacher and student or a 16 year old and a 36 year old!

"This is why the LDS Church should get rid of professional seminary teachers."

Thank you! I agree.

Also:

"She said she never liked this guy--never got why everybody was so in to him. She thought his stories were over the top--didn't think they were exactly true. She thought he was creepy in how he tried to be everybody's fav."

Glad to see there is SOMEONE who sees through this guy.

Give him credit, though. It looks like he's having a good experience in court. Give him a black rock.

The guy messed up and deserves the heartache that he will face by loosing his job, his family, and any respect he once had in the community. What type of sentence does someone get that performes sexual acts, not sex, with a minor?

It's about time the DN actually write an unbiased account of this hearing. I am interested to see what the truth holds. I hope that we will learn these things from the proceedings in court not the one sided account we have already heard from DN "reporting".
There are always two sides to a story and that needs to be remembered. The teachers from Bountiful Junior High made mistakes but no one seems to be condemning the child who courted them.
He has manipulated many teachers, who if they fall are locked up, but he has yet to be given counseling.
Were they wrong in sleeping with a child? ABSOLUTELY! Does he need help as well? ABSOLUTELY.
We don't know the whole story yet so let's wait before throwing stones at the poor guy!

To:Ugh!

I am a seminary teacher and just want to say that we are warned against all of the things that Bro. Pratt did. His behavior is not an indictment against all seminary teachers. I know from many years of experience that the seminary program blesses students, families, wards, the teachers themselves, and communiies... and has for many years. We are always only one generation away from losing everything and so the church invests a lot of money in the youth. Very wise.

Like David of old we can be called to great positions of responsibility, but if we choose to disregard counsel and follow the temptations of the flesh, anyone can fall.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. I feel bad for Bro. Pratt. His small bad choices led to his downfall just as David's did. The church took immediate action and we will go on.

Thanks for your time.

"And no matter what happens, guilty or not, the students said they will still love and support Pratt."

No matter what happens isn't what I want for my children to think. If he is guilty then he deserves everything the law can throw at him. If not, then still I wouldn't trust him with my children.