An Ohio special education teacher has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old female student.
Jennifer Walsh, 26, a former teacher at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, was indicted Monday on two counts of sexual battery for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with the underage student between May and August, WXIX reported.
Police began investigating the sexual battery complaint on October 18 when an investigator from a social services agency tipped them off about the alleged incident involving Walsh and the 17-year-old.
Five witnesses, including one teenager, spoke with authorities about the allegations.
A day after authorities received the complaint, Walsh resigned from her job as an intervention specialist at Sycamore High School.
The district’s superintendent told parents the alleged sexual encounters did not occur on school property.
“We find the reported allegations to be shocking, upsetting and take them very seriously,” Superintendent Frank Forsthoefel said. “We are committed to fully working with the Montgomery Police Department in their investigation and to take appropriate action to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.”
A school spokesperson told WCPO that the alleged victim was not a student with a disability, and Walsh had been on paid personal leave from mid-September until she resigned from her position on October 19.
Walsh had been an employee of the school district since 2014 when she got a job as a substitute educational assistant, a Sycamore Community Schools spokesperson told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Teachers who have been found guilty of having inappropriate relationships with students have suffered serious consequences.
A former Florida middle school teacher pleaded guilty this month to having sex with a 14-year-old student in a barn and her vehicle. The teacher faces a minimum of five years in prison at her sentencing.