Comments about ‘Vernal teacher is arrested, accused of having sex with student’

"allegedly having sexual contact with a student."

If he can be held for an allegation, what will his sentence be if he is found guilty?

I am following this one on the Trib also.
This is hitting way too close to home. I have two girls in that school. I always thought that Mr. Bernard was a good guy. I don't know what to think now. Do I take the accusations at face value? Or do I believe that the accuser is simply trying to "get even" with his/her teacher? I will have to follow this story more closely.

I do agree with both sides. There are perv teachers out there, and there are disgruntled students who will cry wolf when something didn't go their way.

Which is it this time?

I think the report is a little more than "allegedly".

"five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and four counts of sexual abuse of a minor"

How did they arrive at $132,400 bail? Does the bail amount come from an equation or was the judge here just being creative?

This is going to become more and more common due to our highly sexualized society. Most of the barriers and taboos have been disregarded. Welcome Baby Boomers to the brave new world you have created.

For those interested in the truth. No formal charges have been filed.

I would hope that the school and law enforcement did more due diligence than jail this guy simply...

"...after someone notified Uintah School District officials that he had allegedly been involved in an inappropriate relationship"

Yet it's sad that the D-News can't say just what that due diligence is. Otherwise, and on the face of it, this trend would differ very little from a Salem witch hunt.

is a teacher at this school. Kids are always threatening teachers with these kinds of accusations, mostly because they earned a bad grade or were disciplined(kind of an I'll-show-you). This investigation has been on-going since before Christmas.

I hope that it is proven false, and if so, that the student is severely reprimanded (Norms' reputation will never be the same). But if it is proven to be true, I hope that Norm is given the appropriate punishment.

I don't think these allegations should even be printed unless one is found guilty in court! Allegations such as this along with speculation
RUINS lives!

I have worked with Norm Bernard in his theatre program. On many levels have I spent extra time with the other students, and Mr. B., after school to work on stagecraft, costuming and propwork. I know him well and know that he has intentions of only the best for his students. This man is only guilty of teaching his young students to work through struggles and to find the best in those they may find the worse in. His favorite quote read, "Forgiveness is the mightiest swored." Norm, along with his wife, has taught me more in two years of working with him than any other educator. "We must learn to endure... Forgiveness is the mightiest swored"-Remember those words Mr. B., after all, it was your favorite. Mr. B. we love you and pray for you. God bless him. God bless his family.

My spouse...I hear you here. I have two girls who's jaws dropped after hearing of these allegations. They both believe that this could not have happened. I am not trying to defend Mr. Bernard, but if he did commit these acts, then I wish him the proper justice. BUT, If he did not commit these acts, I would like to see him exonerated. I have heard similar stories here of students who got upset and cried wolf when they got upset at their teachers for a bad grade, stayed after school or got chewed out for a bad performance.

I am a former student of Mr. Bernard and also a female. I never saw anything inappropriate in any of his classes or interaction with students. I think it's odd after 23 years of teaching and volunteering in his community that there would be only one alligation surface in that time. What seems more likely, a 13-15 year old girl lying? or a decorated teacher who's taught for 23 years with no misconduct to act out now??? If he's truely guilty then he should be punished but if he's innocent like I believe then he's being punished for teaching, caring for his students an community and taking care of his family. Where is the justice in that?

They need to put closed circuit video cameras in every classroom and hallways of school.

They have cameras placed throughout the hallways of the school. There is not one spot of the hallways in the school that is not under survellience. Classrooms however are not.

My son was just cleared from a false claim of child abuse. It would have ruined his life. Be careful with accusations if you don't know the truth yet.

I was a student of Mr. B and I don't know what to think of this, he was a good teacher and I never noticed anything off. I am friends with some of his children and I'll be praying for them and him. If IF he is guilty he should be punished but if he is not as I suspect he isn't then I hope things will be straightened out!

Inocent untill proven guilty; Where did that go?

I agree with granny. He is innocent till provern guilty.

wow i go to that school and i took his class last year. He was a little weird but this is crazy!

Be careful before you pass judgment. False allegations are also common against teachers. As an attorney, I've seen totally false allegations that have led to an actual charge but later are tossed out of court. One case in particular was interesting where it was proven that two young girls were completely lying because their teacher gave them a bad grade. The judge was so furious he was about to throw the two girls and their parents in jail and even suggest that the teacher file a civil lawsuit against them.