IMPD investigating, teacher no longer employed after accusation of inappropriate relationship
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Franklin Township Community School Corporation says a teacher is no longer employed after an accusation of an inappropriate relationship with a student.
The school corporation confirmed that a Franklin Central High School teacher is no longer an employee as of April 7. On that same day, the corporation received an anonymous tip that she had been having an inappropriate relationship with a student. It was not made clear if she resigned or if she was fired.
She has not been arrested. 24-Hour News 8 is not naming her since she has not been arrested. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that an active investigation is underway by the IMPD Sex Crimes Unit.
The corporation said the teacher started with the corporation on Jan. 3, 2017 after a “thorough vetting process that included a full criminal background check.”
The school said the Department of Child Services and the parents of the student were immediately notified. The school said it is cooperating fully with DCS and IMPD on the investigation.
24-Hour News 8’s Elizabeth Choi spoke with the mother of the student involved.
The mom, who WISH-TV will not identify to protect her underage son, is outraged. She claims the teacher groomed her son over the past few months, offered him drugs, preyed on him with one end goal; to satisfy her own sexual desires.
The mom showed WISH-TV some of the emails the teacher allegedly sent her 17-year-old son. One reads, “Thank you for coming to dinner yesterday and chatting. Does (another student’s name) check your email as well as your texts?”
According to the teen’s mom, the relationship began the same month she began teaching in the district; in January. As her son’s math teacher, she says the woman began to offer her son tutoring.
“She acted like she cared and then she, she built up trust with them, then she changed it over to satisfy her own; she had her own agenda,” the mom said.
She alleges things escalated to a sexual nature from there, and in March, the teacher invited her son over for dinner.
“He said he had a headache and she gave him, what she told him was Tylenol at the time. It ended up being Xanax and he said the sexual activity happened,” she claimed. She continued, “She betrayed the children’s trust. She betrayed the school’s trust. She absolutely abused her authority and I’m angry about that.”
Most of the sexual communication happened through text messages and were deleted, according to the mom. However, they were able to retrieve some emails. One, the teacher allegedly sent on April 2 says in part, “I enjoyed our time together but want to be extra cautious. Please be sure to delete everything where it can be deleted.” Another email sent days later on April 4 reads, “Hey cutie, I was thinking maybe we call in sick to school on Friday and meet at my house for the day?”
WISH-TV stopped by the teacher’s Franklin Township home, but nobody answered the door. We also called and left a message, but have not heard back.
In a statement, the school district said:
On the afternoon of April 7, 2017, the Franklin Township Community School Corporation (“Franklin Township Schools”) received information from an anonymous source that a teacher, (name redacted), was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a Franklin Central High School student. Mrs. (name redacted) began her employment as a teacher with Franklin Central on January 3, 2017 following a thorough vetting process that included a full criminal background check. Franklin Township Schools takes allegations of misconduct seriously, immediately reported the allegations to the Department of Child Services and notified the parents of the student involved. Franklin Township Schools also initiated its own internal investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mrs. (name redacted) employment with Franklin Township Schools ended on April 7, 2017. Franklin Township Schools is cooperating fully with the Department of Child Services and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in their investigation.
IMPD’s Sex Crime Unit is investigating.
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