This week saw yet another story about an improper sexual relationship between a teacher and student.
This time it was a 24-year-old English teacher from Houston who was arrested Wednesday on charges she began having sex almost daily with an eighth-grader-a boy under the age of 14-several months ago.
The teacher allegedly told police the affair became a love story. And that she became pregnant by the boy. And that the boy's parents knew and approved of the relationship.
She is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, a felony, and is free on a bond of $100,000 bail.
The Houston case is in the early stages and it should be remembered that the teacher is innocent until proven guilty in court. The fact is we all have seen stories like this from across the country.
And we've seen it in our area, on both sides of the state line.
Sometimes these relationships get no further than suggestive text message or photos. But in too many cases, the relationship becomes physical.
An adult, male or female, in a position of authority having sexual contact with students, often underage students.
The relationship may be consensual, at least on the surface. But it is still a crime. Minors cannot consent to sex. And adults should know better.
Last year, former U.S. Department of Education official Terry Abbott ran the numbers and released a report showing that Texas leads the nation in these type of illegal and unsavory relationships.
By a considerable margin.
In 2014, Texas had 116 cases, both accusations and convictions. The state that came in second, Pennsylvania, had 45.
That means Texas had more than double the cases of improper teacher-student relations than any other state.
That's not anything to be proud of. Or to ignore.
When the improper relationship is between an older male teacher and a female student, most people are ready to bury the guy under the jail. Or worse.
But a lot of folks react differently when the suspect is a woman and the victim a boy. There are even those who wink and smirk, seeing such cases as some kind of joke. "Boys will be boys" after all.
They shouldn't.
Those convicted of sexually abusing children should be treated the same, no matter their gender. They should face the same punishment. And it should be harsh. That includes in the Lone Star State. Or Texas will continue to lead the nation in this despicable ranking.