Tericka Dye

Tericka Dye[1] (born November 10,[3] 1972[4]) is an American former pornographic actress whose stage name was Rikki Anderson (sometimes spelled Andersin).[5] Later known by the name Tera Myers,[4] she made national headlines when, after retiring from the adult industry and becoming a teacher in Kentucky, her brief pornographic career was discovered. Dye said she became involved in pornography while working as an impoverished exotic dancer in California, later saying that she had "screw[ed] up royally."[5]

Rikki Anderson
Born	Tericka Dye[1] (1972-11-10) November 10, 1972 St. Louis, Missouri, United States[2]
Other names	Rikki Anderson, Rikki Andersin, Tera Myers, Tericka Ringler-Chien
Years active	1997–1999

Film career

After serving in the U.S. Army, Dye did a few movies in 1997, including Amazing's Tight Ass. Afterward, she re-enlisted. She was stationed at Fort Lewis as a member of the Military Police in the Army's Regional Confinement Facility. She appeared in a few more films after this, including Cream Entertainment Group's Major Slut, and was a contract star for Cream Entertainment.[6] Dye appeared in at least eleven adult films overall.[7] She later revealed that she suffered from bipolar disorder and appeared in her first pornographic movie in 1995 because she was homeless, unemployed and seeking treatment. She said she used a pseudonym during the one day of filming in which she was involved, saying, "I absolutely 100% regret doing that. I've always tried to look ahead and not focus on it. But I wasn't diagnosed at the time."[8] Dye was 22 years old when she appeared in her first adult movie, and went on to receive a bachelor's degree from Murray State University.[9]

Controversy

Dye rejoined the Army after leaving the pornography industry and used the GI Bill to attend college.[10] She appeared on the December 6, 2006 episode of Dr. Phil where she explained that she had worked at Reidland High School in Paducah, Kentucky.[11] Dye was a science teacher and volleyball coach at the High School until 2006 when school officials learned of her pornographic career. According to ynot.com, "Dye was suspended from work, banned from school property, her contract not renewed once it expired, and she was never given a public hearing because she was paid through the end of her contract."[10] School officials said she would be a disruption in the learning environment,[12] but Dye claimed that she would be a good example to students since she had "risen above a troubled childhood with an alcoholic father" and turned her life around despite having bipolar disorder;[10] she also needed the money to support her four children.[5][12] Dye also spent time as a science teacher at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky,[10] where she once lived.[13]

In May 2006 she defended herself, saying, "I'm a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who's made a lot of bad decisions in life. Anybody who's been in my classroom could tell you how much I love teaching and how much I love these students, and that should be what matters more than anything in my past." In 2007 Dye's lawyer confirmed she would not pursue the appeal of a lawsuit against the McCracken County Public Schools and was moving out of Kentucky, though he did not disclose where.[2]

2011 incident

In March 2011 Don Senti, interim superintendent of the Parkway School District in St. Louis County, Missouri, said Dye was on administrative leave from her position at the school at her own request. Her decision, granted "out of respect for her privacy and that of her family," came after a student inquired about her pornographic career. The district said Dye passed background checks before being hired as a teacher in 2007,[2] but it did not know about her past until the student found out about it online, because her career in the industry was legal and her references did not discuss it.[14] A district representative said Parkway contacted the Kentucky school to verify her references in 2007, and no mention of her suspension or stint in porn was made.[13]

Dye will continue to be paid until the end of the semester, at which time she is to leave the Parkway School District.[14] "We're surprised, very surprised," said Parkway School District spokesperson Paul Tandy. "At the same time, we feel for her and her family. We do believe she has tried to move on with her life ... Unfortunately, even though it happened 15 years ago, [the video] is still there."[4] Dye was supported by parents and other educators at the time of her 2006 suspension,[14] and students continued to defend her in 2011.[15]

According to KMOV news, Dye's name while working in St. Louis was Tera Myers, the name also seen on the website of Parkway North High School, where she was a science teacher.[14][16] According to Tandy, Dye "was concerned about the impact it would have in the building,"[4] and, on March 4, informed the school's principal of her past after being asked by the student.[17][18] Myers also was the coach of the girls' volleyball at Parkway North High School.[19]

References

1. "Teacher Out Of Job After X-Rated Video Surfaces". WAVE 3 TV. May 11, 2006. Archived from the original on December 24, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
2. Heartland News (March 7, 2011). "Former Heartland teacher's past haunts her again". KFVS. Raycom Media. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
3. "North High Birthdays 2010–11" (PDF). Parkway North High School. August 26, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
4. Shahid, Aliyah (March 8, 2011). "Tera Myers, ex-porn star, loses teaching gig in St. Louis, after student discovers her X-rated past". New York Daily News. NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
5. Associated Press (December 8, 2006). "Teacher let go for role in adult movies reapplies for job". Kentucky New Era. Kentucky New Era. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
6. "Rikki Anderson – Cream's New Contract "Killer"". AVN. May 26, 1999. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
7. Associated Press (May 24, 2006). "Teacher suspended over adult movie will get a hearing". Park City Daily News. News Publishing LLC. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
8. Associated Press (May 5, 2006). "Porn Past Cost Kentucky Teacher Her Job". Fox News. FOX News Network, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
9. Holland, Elizabethe (March 9, 2011). "Teacher who once made porn films steps down". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
10. Darklady (December 14, 2006). "Dismissed Ex-Porn Star Teacher Wants Her Job Back". ynot.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
11. Jim Brown (July 28, 2006). "Lawsuit Seeks Reinstatement of KY Teacher Dismissed for Appearing in Adult Film". agapepress.org. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
12. Associated Press (December 8, 2006). "Former Porn Star Wants Teaching Job Back". WPVI-TV. ABC Inc. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
13. Associated Press (March 9, 2011). "Mo. district knew nothing of teacher's porn past". NECN. Comcast. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
14. "Local school teacher quits after student discovers her x-rated past". KMOV. KMOV-TV, Inc. March 7, 2011. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
15. Nolan, Casey (March 9, 2011). "Parkway North teacher Tera Myers has past in adult films". KSDK. Multimedia KSDK, Inc. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
16. Myers, Tera (2011). "Ms. Myers' Website". Parkway North High School. Archived from the original on March 8, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
17. Associated Press (March 8, 2011). "Porn actress-turned-teacher placed on leave in Mo". WXIX. Raycom Media. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
18. Holland, Elizabethe (March 8, 2011). "Parkway teacher placed on leave for adult film work". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
19. Muessig, Ben (March 9, 2011). "Teacher Resigns After Student Finds Out About Her Porn Star Past". AOL News. AOL Inc. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2011.

External links

• Rikki Anderson on IMDb
• Rikki Anderson at the Internet Adult Film Database
• Rikki Anderson at the Adult Film Database