LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Some people still insist that teachers molesting K-12 students is an isolated and occasional problem, rather than the national epidemic it has obviously become.

Those folks should check with administrators in the Las Cruces school district in New Mexico, where three teachers have been arrested for taking sexual advantage of students in just over a year.

The latest to be arrested is theater teacher Phillip Hernandez, who has been charged with three counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

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A 17-year-old male student told police that Hernandez touched him inappropriately on numerous occasions between October of last year and January of this year. The teacher was suspended April 7 and resigned April 21.

The school district is becoming all too familiar with this scenario.

Last July, elementary teacher Jesus Solis was arrested on more than 50 felony counts for inappropriate behavior with three fourth-graders, the news report said. The previous March, middle school teacher Erik Khan was arrested for molesting a young male student during what was supposed to be a physical examination.

Obviously the officials who run the Las Cruces district should be a lot more careful about the people they hire. And those who refuse to believe that the teacher/predator problem is not out of control need to open their eyes and accept reality.

Our national love affair with the teaching profession is holding us back from seriously addressing this nightmare of an issue