Independence, MO Teacher Clears His Name After Nasty Online Spoofing

From Facebook scams to phony e-mails . . . Deception and trickery is now a big part of the online world.

Here's a glimpse at the nightmare scenario that confronted a local educator:

Tad Whitmire loves teaching 8th-grade English at Bigham Middle School, but his career and life were nearly ruined in November.

“It was frustrating, really hard to deal with,” Whitmire said during an exclusive interview with KCTV5 anchor Zac Summers. “It makes me hesitate to continue in this profession.”

A student reported receiving Snapchat messages from someone claiming to be a Bingham teacher. The name on the account was “Jackson Smith.” The two had a lengthy conversation before the person ultimately sent the minor a nude picture, from the chin down. Despite the sender never confirming he was Whitmire, the student assumed it was him because he had a similar beard to the person in the picture.

Rumors quickly spread at school.

The main point:  

HE WAS CLEARED OF ANY WRONGDOING!!!

It's unfortunate that he was forced to have to work to clear his name and this important story from KCTV5 is part of that  . . . But serves as a reminder that digital trickery will be a big part of the future.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Independence teacher cleared of allegations, likely victim of 'identity spoofing'

In November, a student reported receiving Snapchat messages from someone claiming to be a teacher at Bingham Middle School.