DennyMcLain
06-22-2007, 11:12 AM
There's hope for us all.
http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/abc_gma_coach_edit_070621_ms.jpg
Coach, 40, Weds 16-Year-Old Student
Anguished Parents Sign Consent Forms, Saying They Had No Choice
http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/abc_gma_coach_edit_070621_ms.jpg
Track coach Brenton Wuchae and 16-year-old Windy Hagar wed Monday. (ABC News)
The Hagers are trying to figure out how life went off track for their teenage daughter, Windy.
They envisioned that life for the good student and promising athlete would be filled with dreams of the prom and college, but that all changed this week when Windy, 16, married her high school track coach.
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At South Brunswick High School in North Carolina, Windy's greatest passion was track and field.
"She just always was outside, always running, and her name's Windy — I guess she was predestined to do love to do that," Betty said.
But that passion led her down a troubling path.
Special Attention From Coach
During Windy's freshman year, her 38-year-old track coach, Brenton Wuchae, began taking a more active interest in her, offering to give the 14-year-old rides home from practice.
"He just seemed like a genuine guy, like he was there for the kids," said Windy's father, Dennis Hager.
But the Hagers eventually grew uneasy. Their phone bills showed text messages between Wuchae and Windy as late as 2 a.m.
They also discovered worrying e-mails. In one, Windy wrote to a friend, "I don't care to look at anyone other than him. He is the apple of my eye, I've never felt this way for someone, but I just don't want to lose him because of my parents' power trips."
The Hagers confronted Wuchae. "He assured me there was nothing like that going on, [and that] they were just friends. His intentions were purely appropriate," Dennis said.
Not satisfied with that answer, the Hagers turned to the school district, which spoke to the coach.
The principal of the high school wrote to the Hagers, "I have seen nothing but a cooperative attitude from the teacher, and to the best of my knowledge, he has not had any contact with Windy since then."
"School officials can't be responsible for what happens the other hours of the day, and I would think the relationship developed much more outside of school," said Brian Shaw, an attorney for the school district.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3305652&page=1
http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/abc_gma_coach_edit_070621_ms.jpg
Coach, 40, Weds 16-Year-Old Student
Anguished Parents Sign Consent Forms, Saying They Had No Choice
http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/abc_gma_coach_edit_070621_ms.jpg
Track coach Brenton Wuchae and 16-year-old Windy Hagar wed Monday. (ABC News)
The Hagers are trying to figure out how life went off track for their teenage daughter, Windy.
They envisioned that life for the good student and promising athlete would be filled with dreams of the prom and college, but that all changed this week when Windy, 16, married her high school track coach.
Related Stories
http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/icon-photos.gif (http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LegalCenter/popup?id=1318804)PHOTOS: Accused Female Sex Offenders (http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LegalCenter/popup?id=1318804)
http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/icon-story.gif (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3273901)Teacher Resigns Over Naughty Prom Pic (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3273901) "She was a dream kid," said her mother, Betty Hager. "We'd never have to worry about Windy trying to get by with something."
At South Brunswick High School in North Carolina, Windy's greatest passion was track and field.
"She just always was outside, always running, and her name's Windy — I guess she was predestined to do love to do that," Betty said.
But that passion led her down a troubling path.
Special Attention From Coach
During Windy's freshman year, her 38-year-old track coach, Brenton Wuchae, began taking a more active interest in her, offering to give the 14-year-old rides home from practice.
"He just seemed like a genuine guy, like he was there for the kids," said Windy's father, Dennis Hager.
But the Hagers eventually grew uneasy. Their phone bills showed text messages between Wuchae and Windy as late as 2 a.m.
They also discovered worrying e-mails. In one, Windy wrote to a friend, "I don't care to look at anyone other than him. He is the apple of my eye, I've never felt this way for someone, but I just don't want to lose him because of my parents' power trips."
The Hagers confronted Wuchae. "He assured me there was nothing like that going on, [and that] they were just friends. His intentions were purely appropriate," Dennis said.
Not satisfied with that answer, the Hagers turned to the school district, which spoke to the coach.
The principal of the high school wrote to the Hagers, "I have seen nothing but a cooperative attitude from the teacher, and to the best of my knowledge, he has not had any contact with Windy since then."
"School officials can't be responsible for what happens the other hours of the day, and I would think the relationship developed much more outside of school," said Brian Shaw, an attorney for the school district.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3305652&page=1