It seems pretty straightforward that professors shouldn't be having sex with their students, but Netflix's documentary Tell Them You Love Me follows a case where a professor didn't follow this ethical standard. Aired in February 2024, the documentary centered on the controversial relationship between Anna Stubblefield, a well-known college professor, and her student Derrick Johnson, a man with cerebral palsy who is also non-verbal.
The relationship started when Stubblefield was asked to support Johnson with verbal contact through facilitated communication. A few years after Stubblefield began assisting Johnson, the two began a romantic and sexual relationship. The documentary about that relationship sparked many legal, moral, and romantic debates. Want to know how? Let's dive deeper into Tell Them You Love Me.
The Relationship
According to Tell Them You Love Me, Stubblefield and Johnson did not start off having any romantic feelings for each other but rather as companions. Much of the documentary talks about Johnson and his family's hope for improving his mental state and showcasing more of his intellectual abilities. Johnson's continual progress in communication and his growing knowledge of the world enabled him to attend a college class. As one of his support facilitators, Stubblefield frequently described Johnson's intellectual skills and interest in the subject matter of his African-American Literature class. With her being his main supporter of facilitated communication for more than two years, she likely developed feelings for Johnson through regular contact and closeness with him.
The most shocking part of Tell Them You Love Me, however, was not that Stubblefield developed feelings for Johnson, but rather that she started a sexual relationship with him while she was still married to another man. Many will say that the relationship was inappropriate for many reasons. The power dynamic between the two, with her as teacher and him as student, couldn't have been ignored when she decided to further her relationship with Johnson. Furthermore, her already being married would have a major impact on her familial and professional integrity.
The Legality
The biggest theme of the film and Stubblefield's trial was consent. Was the relationship between Johnson and Stubblefield consensual? Was Johnson in a state of mind cognitively to propose and further any kind of relationship with Stubblefield? Dr. Howard Shane, a veteran Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) at Harvard Medical School, was brought in to assess Johnson's mental capabilities with a series of tests.
Dr. Shane determined that Johnson had the functioning of a 6-15 month old baby and therefore could never have consented to a romantic or sexual relationship with Stubblefield. Following these findings, Stubblefield was charged with aggravated sexual assault in the 1st degree. It is worth mentioning that any research or findings related to facilitated communication was dismissed from being used in the trial, as the practice is not a technique accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
The Morale And Impact
Although Tell Them You Love Me did not build the platform for disability advocacy, it did help shine another spotlight on the issue's importance. The conversation on the best ways to help those who are not able-bodied to integrate more smoothly into mainstream society has always been a difficult one.
Many professionals in the field understand that the best methods vary on a case-by-case basis, though they will agree that the dignity of people who have disabilities should be respected and upheld. Whether or not viewers agree with the verdict of the trial or the outcome of the documentary, it's clear that Stubblefield often didn't have Derrick Johnson's best interests in mind when making the choices she did.
Final Thoughts
The documentary Tell Them You Love Me highlights the complexities of boundaries and ethics within relationships, especially when an uneven power dynamic between individuals is involved. The case of Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson serves as a strong reminder that what seems straightforward in theory—such as maintaining professional boundaries—can become murky in practice if certain precautions are not put in place. The film invites its viewers to reflect on the legal, moral, and emotional implications of such relationships and challenges them to consider the ways people with disabilities can be supported or exploited.
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