This story is wild. From Salon:
A former Pennsylvania GOP lieutenant governor candidate and leader in the state’s conservative school board movement, Clarice Schillinger, was sentenced to 12 months probation for a misdemeanor alcohol charge this week. That came after she pleaded no contest Wednesday to supplying alcohol to minors at her daughter’s 17th birthday party last fall, an event that police say ended with drunk adults assaulting intoxicated minors.
I bolded this because, wow. I’m not going to get too upset about an adult letting their teenager drink. Teenagers are going to do it anyway, and providing a safe space isn’t especially problematic. YMMV.
But good lord this was not a safe space:
At a January court hearing, three teenagers in attendance at the party described a wild evening that included Schillinger taking shots of vodka in the basement of her home and sitting on a boy’s lap. The teenagers said there was a fully stocked bar with New Amsterdam vodka and Malibu rum, with the games of beer pong using hard liquor instead.
Holy fuck. This is dangerous.
While one boy mentioned falling asleep in the bathroom after 15 shots, another described getting slammed into a wall by Wilson when he tried to intervene in a fight between Schillinger and her boyfriend. The third teen, who testified that Schillinger sat in his lap, claimed that the formerly "fun mom" punched him in the face when he tried to leave the party.
I’ve done a lot of binge drinking in my life, but FIFTEEN SHOTS? They’re lucky no one died.
Sat in his lap? YUCK. And then punched him when he left? Sure looks like predatory behavior to me.
It sounds like grooming.
Because plying a teen with alcohol, sitting on his lap and then abusing him is how an adult would groom a teenager.
Which brings me to the punchline.
In February, Schillinger pleaded guilty to a separate charge of public drunkenness. But she insists her legal problems will not stop her from working "to help educate and protect other Pennsylvania moms and continue her support of Pennsylvania youth and schools,” according to a statement issued on her behalf by a public relations firm.
I don’t think they need her support.
I can think of a few ways she could protect youths. Like moving to a cabin in the woods. Getting a restraining order against herself that prevents her from interacting with anyone under 18.
Maybe get a real job. (Probably wouldn’t help anything, but I like saying this)
It’s example number one million of complaints about “grooming” are really just people saying “look over there!” while doing the exact thing they’re pretending to care about.