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A teacher at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington was recently arrested for allegedly indulging in s*xual activities with a 16-year-old student. The teacher allegedly engaged in inappropriate activities with the teen several times over the course of 15 days. The 32-year-old teacher was arrested after the teen came forward and reported having an alleged affair with the teacher.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of the s*xual assault of a student. Discretion is advised.
The student reported that their “intimate relationship” began on February 2, 2023. The police report stated that the two communicated through Discord, emails, and text messages. Officers also discovered over 3,000 text messages that were exchanged between the two.
According to reports, in one of the texts, the teacher had said:
"You didn't even do any work and got an A from me."
Police also reported that the relationship was supposedly “consensual.” It is worth noting that according to the law in Washington, the age of consent for any s*xual activity is 16. However, if the person is under the age of 18, the age difference between them and their partner shouldn't be more than five years.
After the matter came to light, Franklin High School Principal, Dr. Joseph Williams III, sent a letter to the school community. In the letter, Dr. Williams said that the employee was placed on leave as soon as the school found out about the matter.
Claiming that Franklin High School doesn't tolerate any abuse of s*xual assault, the letter also said that they have launched an investigation in the matter.
Franklin High School teacher may face five counts of s*xual misconduct with a minor
After the Franklin High School teacher's arrest, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that he could face five counts of s*xual misconduct with a minor. The teacher could also face an additional count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also argues that the bail for the offense should be set at $250,000.
Alleging that the teacher could be a threat to the community, the judge has set his bail at $100,000. As soon as the matters became intense, Franklin High School removed the picture of the teacher, who taught science at the school, from their directory.
The school has also vowed to take such matters seriously, and asked parents and students to report such matters to the police or school instantly.
In the letter sent out to the Franklin High School community, the principal said that any student or staff member who may have been s*xually assaulted can report the incident to any school member. They can also contact the district's Title IX coordinator at 0206-252-0367 or [email protected].
The letter added:
"We will continue to keep the Franklin community informed as appropriate throughout the course of the investigation and its findings.”
In the letter, the principal also stated that as soon as school officials found out about the incident, they moved quickly to address the situation. He noted that the district placed the teacher on leave and that he has been "restricted" from making any contact with students, families or the school staff.
The principal added:
“They have been restricted from entering any SPS school buildings or attending school-related events.”
Located in the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle, the school has about 1,177 students for the 2022-2023 school year. The same has been mentioned on the school website.
If you or anyone you know is facing a similar situation, you can contact the National S*xual Assault Hotline on their helpline number 800-656-HOPE (4673).
