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Former high school teacher remembers Dahmer victims

A former teacher at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts remembers three students murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer

Former high school teacher remembers Dahmer victims

A former teacher at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts remembers three students murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer

OF THREE OF THE VICTIMS WHO SPOKE ABOUT HOW HE WANTS THEM TO BE REMEMBERED AND WHY HE WILL NOT BE WATCHING THE SERIES. >> HE DID NOT WANT HIS FACE SHONE BUT FELT COMPELLED TO TELL US ABOUT THE YOUNG MEN TAKEN TOO SOON. >> WHAT WAS UNIQUE WAS THE TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY OF THE SCHOOL. IT JUST HAPPENED NATURALLY. THE STUDENTS CAME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. >> DAVID KNEW ANTHONY SEARS, CURTIS STRAUGHTER, AND ERNEST MILLER. HE SAYS MILLER HAD A BRIGHT FUTURE. >> HE WAS SUCH A GIFTED DANCER AND AMAZING VOCALIST AND HE JUST STARTED PUTTING HIS FOOT IN THE POOL OF ACTING. AND SO HE WAS TRULY A TRIPLE THREAT. SO THAT YEAR, HIS SENIOR YEAR, HE DIDN’T FIND OUT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR THAT HE GOT ACCEPTED INTO ROOSEVELT IN CHICAGO. >> THAT WAS THE LAST I HEARD OF ERNEST, AND THEN THAT SUMMER, I SAW HIM ON THE NEWS AS ONE OF THE VICTIMS. AND MY HEART BROKE. >> AS FOR THE OTHER STUDENTS -- >> CURTIS STRAUGHTER WASN’T ONE OF MY PERSONAL STUDENTS, BUT HE HUNG OUT WITH THAT SAME GROUP. AND ANTHONY SEARS, WHO HAD GRADUATED ALREADY. BUT ANTHONY WAS A HOLDOVER FROM WEST DIVISION WHO WANTED TO CONTINUE AT ARTS, AND I REMEMBER HIM BEING A REALLY VERY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WHO WANTED TO GO INTO MODELING. >> DAVID HAS NO INTENTION OF WATCHING THE NETFLIX SHOWS. >> I’M CHOOSING NOT TO WATCH IT. THOSE MEMORIES HURT DEEP. >> BUT FOR ANYONE WHO DOES, HE HOPES HIS STUDENTS ARE REMEMBERED FOR WHO THEY TRULY WERE. >> >> I DON’T WANT THEM TO SEE THEM AS VICTIMS. THEY WERE BRILLIANT KIDS, TALENTED, WHO LAID THE FOUNDATION TO MAKE MILWAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL THE ARTS WHAT IT IS TODAY. DERRIC
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Former high school teacher remembers Dahmer victims

A former teacher at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts remembers three students murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer

Millions of people all over the world have tuned into the new Netflix show focusing on Milwaukee's serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. WISN 12 News spoke to a Milwaukee man who had some of Dahmer's victims in his classroom, and he shared why he wants them to be remembered for so much more.David spent more than 30 years in the classroom, 15 of them at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where three of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims went to school.David did not want his face shown, but felt compelled to tell us about the young men taken too soon."What was unique about Milwaukee High School of the Arts was the tremendous diversity of the school that just happened naturally. And, the students came from all walks of life," he said.David knew Anthony Sears, Curtis Straughter and Ernest Miller. He said Miller had a bright future."He was such a gifted dancer and amazing vocalist and he just started putting his foot in the pool of acting. And so he was truly a triple threat. So that year, his senior year, he didn't find out until the end of the year that he got accepted into Roosevelt in Chicago.""That was the last I heard of Ernest. And then that summer, I saw him on the news as one of the victims. And my heart broke."David has no intention of watching the Netflix show."I'm choosing not to watch it because those memories hurt deep."But for anyone who does, he hopes his students are remembered for who they truly were."I don't want them to see them as victims. They were brilliant kids, talented, who laid the foundation to make Milwaukee High School the Arts what it is today."

Millions of people all over the world have tuned into the new Netflix show focusing on Milwaukee's serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. WISN 12 News spoke to a Milwaukee man who had some of Dahmer's victims in his classroom, and he shared why he wants them to be remembered for so much more.

David spent more than 30 years in the classroom, 15 of them at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where three of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims went to school.

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David did not want his face shown, but felt compelled to tell us about the young men taken too soon.

"What was unique about Milwaukee High School of the Arts was the tremendous diversity of the school that just happened naturally. And, the students came from all walks of life," he said.

David knew Anthony Sears, Curtis Straughter and Ernest Miller. He said Miller had a bright future.

"He was such a gifted dancer and amazing vocalist and he just started putting his foot in the pool of acting. And so he was truly a triple threat. So that year, his senior year, he didn't find out until the end of the year that he got accepted into Roosevelt in Chicago."

"That was the last I heard of Ernest. And then that summer, I saw him on the news as one of the victims. And my heart broke."

David has no intention of watching the Netflix show.

"I'm choosing not to watch it because those memories hurt deep."

But for anyone who does, he hopes his students are remembered for who they truly were.

"I don't want them to see them as victims. They were brilliant kids, talented, who laid the foundation to make Milwaukee High School the Arts what it is today."