A slap on the wrist for a slap on the face

FARMINGTON - A former substitute teacher pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct Friday after she successfully completed a deferred disposition agreement in connection to slapping a Rangeley school student in 2005.Heidi Sorensen, 49, of Oquossoc, had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault June 9, 2006, in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington with the understanding that if she went a year without any other offenses, she would be able to withdraw that plea and plead to an amended lesser charge.

She received an unconditional discharge in court Friday for the disorderly conduct charge, which means the lowest level misdemeanor charge will stay in her file but she'll receive no other penalty.

Sorensen, who was substituting as an art teacher at Rangeley Lakes Region School, said in December 2005 that she had taken students down to the school library and ended up slapping a 14-year-old girl in the face after the student spoke loudly.Sorensen, who had substituted and volunteered at the Rangeley school for about five years, said at the time that the class was disruptive and she had most of them quieted down when the girl asked a question in what she considered too loud of a voice in the library."I open-handed slapped her, not hard," Sorensen said in 2005. "I just wanted to wake her up to be quiet in the library."

Sorensen admitted then that she had overreacted and was appalled at her action and shouldn't have done it. She also said she wrote the girl's family and apologized.

School officials banned Sorensen from substituting or volunteering at the school after the incident.

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Read that last line again folks. She was barred from subbing at that particular school. Do you really think she will stop "teaching" after 5 years? Nah, I'm guessing she will simply find a new school to work with. I'm sure she'll even get a great recommendation.