Common sense.

Lawrence administrators say those two words could save a lot of trouble for teachers who end up in the public eye because of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student.

“The primary posture in this thing is to make sure that we hire people that are of sound judgment and moral character, but the world is a funny place,” Lawrence Superintendent Randy Weseman said.

In the past seven years, two Lawrence teachers have been convicted for having a sexual relationship with their students who were minors.

The district has presentations about inappropriate student-teacher relationships in conjunction with its discussion about sexual harassment.

Weseman said beyond background checks before making hires, particulars about a teacher’s future behavior is not something that can be screened.

In 2001, a 33-year-old male teacher resigned his position at Southwest Junior High School after he was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child. The teacher had become involved in a personal relationship with a 15-year-old girl. His attorney said the relationship was entirely consensual. The former teacher pleaded no contest to the charge, and a Douglas County judge placed him on probation. The girl’s father had asked the judge not to send the teacher to prison.

More recently, Meredith Kane, a 24-year-old former Lawrence High School teacher, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child – a 15-year-old boy at the time the crime occurred in 2006. She is to be sentenced on Oct. 29.

Kane had been free on bond pending the completion of her case. But Aug. 27 she was arrested for violating a condition of her bond. She was not supposed to have contact with the boy. She now faces a misdemeanor charge for that violation.

Craig Grant, a Lawrence school board member and former teacher, said administrators are asked to be on the lookout for potential problems.

“You nip anything that would constitute inappropriate behavior,” Grant said. “Make sure teachers realize that we’re watching for things like that. Ninety-nine-point-five percent of the time, there’s not a problem.”

He also said he has been satisfied with the district’s response in the wake of the Kane case.

Weseman said he was “amazed and shocked” that it continues to happen with a few teachers across the country.

“Just look at the evidence that this is a life-changing event for a person. The adult involved in this kind of thing subjects themselves to pretty severe penalties and public scrutiny,” he said.

– Staff writer George Diepenbrock can be reached at 832-7144. Staff writer Mike Belt can be reached at 832-7165.