On October 22, in a pleasant suburb north of Boston, Danvers High School math teacher Colleen Ritzer asked one of her students, 14 year old Philip Chism, to stay after school for extra help.  But just before that afternoon meeting took place, Chism confronted Ritzer in the women’s bathroom, slashed her to death with a box cutter, and raped her.  [Danvers, Mass., 14-year-old accused of raping—and murdering—high school teacher Colleen Ritzer,  by Wesley Lowery and John R. Ellement, The Boston Globe, November 21, 2013]

Chism then pocketed Ritzer’s credit cards, iPhone and underwear (perhaps as souvenir) and stuffed her bloodied body inside a recycling bin.  He then wheeled it outside and dumped her body in the woods behind the school. 

Next, Chism changed his clothes, got something to eat at Wendy’s, then went to the movies by himself. 

Philip Chism is black, and 24 year old Colleen Ritzer was white. 

The town of Danvers remains shocked by the horrible crime.  But this would not have happened in Boston, where teachers are not allowed to meet with students privately for many reasons, including the personal safety of the teachers. 

One has to wonder if Colleen Ritzer would be alive today if she had gotten John Derbyshire’s “Talk”?