WTF? 40-year old high school track coach marries one of his 16-year old athletes

By the way, I was referring to her age when they met, not now... And I predict that when she starts looking like a women and not a girl/teen, he'll leave her for another 16 year old.

Just playing devils advocate. Though I still would not call him a pedo for this.

BTW it was less than 50 years ago when it was still acceptable to marry at age 12-16 in many parts of this country.

Marrying little girls to old men was a product of a different time.

Actually, in fact, it rarely happened outside of royal or political arrangements.

Granted peeps married young from ancient times all the way through and beyond the Renaissance - but it was usually to other young people, still within a few years of their own age. Young girls typically only married older men for politics.

I can't think of a single culture in all of history where as much as an age gap of 10-15 years was considered "the norm."

I welcome someone to point to a viable source that disagrees.

Actually, in fact, it rarely happened outside of royal or political arrangements.

Granted peeps married young from ancient times all the way through and beyond the Renaissance - but it was usually to other young people, still within a few years of their own age. Young girls typically only married older men for politics.

I can't think of a single culture in all of history where as much as an age gap of 10-15 years was considered "the norm."

I welcome someone to point to a viable source that disagrees.

I don't know a whole lot about this in particular, but I know there are some places in the world where it's still common to arrange marriages when the girls are very young, usually to join families together for money making or political reasons.

nigeria buddy..

There have been many succesful marriages in history which consisted of a very young female and an older male. Actually now that i think about it, i belive that is how the human is designed. An older male has had his experience is wiser and have collected some wealth, the female is young, fertile and ready to bear children. Not everyone on earth lives in the pop culture bubble..
I agree, it is not "normal" in our current culture but i dont think it is anything worth even considering. I dont think he is a pedo, pedos usually dont like fully developed females..most females are fully developed by age 16.

It usually means prepubescent children.

By the way, I suppose your ok with the assumption that many of our great grandparents and prior generations were all pedo's right?

Just playing devils advocate. Though I still would not call him a pedo for this.

BTW it was less than 50 years ago when it was still acceptable to marry at age 12-16 in many parts of this country.

And it was only about a 100 years ago when women were considered property and not allowed basic rights.

If there should be any argument here at all, it should be why the parents signed the consent forms. This meant that the state required parental consent first.

I'm not on the whole pedo thing, i just think guys or girls at 16 are pretty easy to manipulate and are not mentally mature enough to handle the ramifications of being married, let alone to a 40 year old who chances are has kids older than her.

Would you let your 16-year old do this?



LINK to STORY: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3305652&page=1

Coach, 40, Weds 16-Year-Old Student
Anguished Parents Sign Consent Forms, Saying They Had No Choice

June 22, 2007 ?

The Hagers are trying to figure out how life went off track for their teenage daughter, Windy.

They envisioned that life for the good student and promising athlete would be filled with dreams of the prom and college, but that all changed this week when Windy, 16, married her high school track coach.

"She was a dream kid," said her mother, Betty Hager. "We'd never have to worry about Windy trying to get by with something."

At South Brunswick High School in North Carolina, Windy's greatest passion was track and field.

"She just always was outside, always running, and her name's Windy I guess she was predestined to do love to do that," Betty said.

But that passion led her down a troubling path.

Special Attention From Coach

During Windy's freshman year, her 38-year-old track coach, Brenton Wuchae, began taking a more active interest in her, offering to give the 14-year-old rides home from practice.

"He just seemed like a genuine guy, like he was there for the kids," said Windy's father, Dennis Hager.

But the Hagers eventually grew uneasy. Their phone bills showed text messages between Wuchae and Windy as late as 2 a.m.

They also discovered worrying e-mails. In one, Windy wrote to a friend, "I don't care to look at anyone other than him. He is the apple of my eye, I've never felt this way for someone, but I just don't want to lose him because of my parents' power trips."

The Hagers confronted Wuchae.

"He assured me there was nothing like that going on, [and that] they were just friends. His intentions were purely appropriate," Dennis said.

Not satisfied with that answer, the Hagers turned to the school district, which spoke to the coach.

The principal of the high school wrote to the Hagers, "I have seen nothing but a cooperative attitude from the teacher, and to the best of my knowledge, he has not had any contact with Windy since then."

"School officials can't be responsible for what happens the other hours of the day, and I would think the relationship developed much more outside of school," said Brian Shaw, an attorney for the school district.

The Hagers contacted police; they even tried to get a restraining order.

"We've tried everybody. We've been to the law. We've been to the school board," Betty said. "Our family has come and tried to talk to her. We've had people on the phone with her for hours family, friends. We've been to our pastor asking for guidance. We've been to his pastor."

Meanwhile, the Hagers say Windy withdrew, refusing to speak to them until she asked them to sign a consent form so that she and her coach a man more than twice her age could get married.

Although anguished, her weary parents gave in.

"Signing those consent forms was the hardest thing I did in my whole life, but we had to move on, it was going to kill us all," Dennis said.

Monday, Windy and Wuchae married, and he resigned from the school.

But was Windy really old enough to understand her decision? Experts say it's a difficult situation.

"With most teenagers, they're not sure yet who's who and what's what and what should be done," said Henry Paul, author of the book "Is My Teenager OK?" "It's obviously up to the adult figure to set the boundaries."

Windy and her new husband would not comment for this story, but the Hagers realize what they've lost.

"She could have done anything," Betty said. "She could have set the world on fire. She threw it all away."

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

and in our current culture, it is a sign of wealth for a male to marry someone half his age..just look at Hef.

yeah that's the part that really gets me. Those parents didn't try. If they had, they could have EASILY gotten a restraining order and gotten him fired.

"She could have done anything," Betty said. "She could have set the world on fire. She threw it all away."


Umm she did do something, she married her coach.

I am also glad she never got a chance to set the world on fire, cause well that would suck. I have many things I do not want burnt up.

"She could have done anything," Betty said. "She could have set the world on fire. She threw it all away."


Umm she did do something, she married her coach.

I am also glad she never got a chance to set the world on fire, cause well that would suck. I have many things I do not want burnt up.

I dont disagree with you, but many a 16 year old consider themselves adults, especially the female ones. Males mature quite a bit slower. With this I mean the 16 yo is probably not being manipulated..she seems to have a strong personality.
And i think this is a far cry from pedos..he may be a pig and we can dislike him but it is not fair to bundle him with real pedos.
Keep in mind normal is not always the case, many of the people on GFY are not coinsidered normal by others not part of the adult industry, but between ourselves, certainly we consider ourselves pretty normal.

and in our current culture, it is a sign of wealth for a male to marry someone half his age..just look at Hef.

The Hagers are trying to figure out how life went off track for their teenage daughter, Windy.

Yeah 16 year olds think they know everything but they don't. They are for the most part, stupid.

Yeah 16 year olds think they know everything but they don't. They are for the most part, stupid. I was 16 not too long ago and i didn't see any kind of 30 year old maturity level. Just kids playing grown up. Like i said, i don't agree that he is a pedo but when the day comes that you let your 16 yr old make decisions that even 30-40-50 year olds fuck up, then i guess i will agree that 16 year olds are really mature enough to handle such things.

Ok, here's my take.

Fuck the whole pedo debate.
It's much simpler than that.

He took advantage of his position of authority
as her teacher. That, in itself, is wrong and un ethical.
I dont care if he was a 30 year old college proff
and she was his 25 year old student.

Rule number one of teaching is "You don't fuck your students."

...I'll amend my statement to say that I don't think it's the norm in any culture in Western History.

"She could have done anything," Betty said. "She could have set the world on fire. She threw it all away."


Umm she did do something, she married her coach.

I am also glad she never got a chance to set the world on fire, cause well that would suck. I have many things I do not want burnt up.

Man, when I have kids I hope I don't have a daughter. Or atleast not one like this. I would be in jail for murder if I was that girls dad

On what grounds would a restraining order be issued, he is covered by the law and she is not protesting. And, how do you know the parents did not try real hard, are you friends of theirs.
Also in an earlier post you say that youngsters were more mature 100 years ago. I think you will find the opposite applies with situations like this.
Its people like you who convict the innocent by engaging mouth before brain.


Amazing how people judge this situation when they don?t know anything about the girl?s personality or level of maturity. US drama queens, I love em.

I know she is 16, but she looks 30.