When does physical contact become groping? When does an out-of-class relationship become abuse? Is the disgruntled teenager lying? Those are some of the questions juries must often decide when a teacher is accused of sexual misconduct with a student. And in some cases, a jury clears the teacher — but the damage to the instructor’s reputation is already done.

Several Washington-area educators have been acquitted on sexual-abuse charges in recent years. Gym teacher Sean Lanigan was acquitted in Fairfax County of molesting a student last year. In 2007, a jury found D.C. middle school teacher Ricardo Roberts not guilty of having sex with a 13-year-old student. In 2005, Prince William County special education teacher David Perino was acquitted of sexually abusing a student with Down syndrome.