Parents at Whittier Elementary in North Seattle are up in arms, and with good reason. The school's principal, Alex Coberly, was confronted by police and subsequently confessed to occasionally exposing himself to women while driving.

Reportedly engaging in this behavior for several years, he was finally apprehended when his most recent victim reported his vehicle and license plate to police.

Coberly is on paid administrative leave as officials look into the case, and parents have been sent letters detailing the situation.

The terms social deviant or pervert come to mind when one considers the man's behavior. If you were a parent, would you want your child to be under his watch and authority? While Coberly's habit is undoubtedly disgusting and parents have every right to be outraged, Coberly's fate is not so clean-cut.

His defense attorney argues that the crime, a misdemeanor, has nothing to do with children or his job at the school, and thus does not warrant termination of his position at Whittier. He may have a point.

A police officer in Spokane was terminated for exposing himself to a barista. The officer, a highly decorated and respected member of the force, appealed the case and was rehired. The reason? His crime did not impact his competence as a police officer.

It may be argued, however, that educators and principals in particular are not mere government employees. Is it fair to take input from parents and the community about whether to keep Coberly, since he is after all working at a public school and serving the public's children? Although many teachers cringe at the role-model argument, it stands to reason that a principal who has been publicly humiliated will thereafter be a less effective model of integrity and self-respect for students.

The Staff Editorial Board here at The Daily was torn on this issue, and we did not reach a consensus. Is it fair to hold teachers or principals to a higher moral standard than other members of society? Where is the line drawn between private life and responsibility as an educator? We want to hear your view. Send us your opinion at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu, or post below.