A biology teacher at a Louisiana Catholic all-girls school was fired and arrested after allegedly having sex and trading explicit texts and photos with her student, according to reports.
Teddi Page, 29, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly starting an intimate relationship with her teen student last August after she was hired to teach biology at the Academy of Sacred Heart in New Orleans, according to The Times-Picayune.
During classroom introductions in August, the then 17-year-old student described feeling “a ‘spark’ between her and Page,” according to a police affidavit obtained by the outlet.
“Personal and intimate” conversations between the female student and the teacher continued for at least two months, and in November, Page allegedly kissed and had sex with the teen at her apartment and in the victim’s vehicle, court documents obtained by the outlet said.
The mother of the teen began noticing her daughter, then an 18-year-old senior, had developed a short temper and had started locking herself away during family vacations to video chat with someone, the outlet reported.
The student’s mother then accessed her social media accounts and discovered texts between Page and the victim, including lewd images of both of them, the police affidavit said.
By Monday, the mother came to Sacred Heart’s principal and showed the texts and images, leading the school to immediately fire Page and escort her off campus.
Cops then obtained a warrant on Tuesday for Page’s arrest on a count of sex between an educator and a student, the outlet reported.
Page’s bond was set at $15,000 at her first court appearance, court records showed.
A supporter, who was only identified as a relative of the biology teacher, described Page on social media as an “award-nominated teacher, beloved by her students,” the outlet reported.
“The situation has been completely misrepresented,” the woman wrote, according to the outlet. “She does not deserve to be portrayed as a pedophile or sex offender.”
The Post was unable to find the social media statement on Tuesday evening.
Academy of the Sacred Heart Head of School Gretchen Zibilich Kane said in a statement obtained by the outlet that Page’s background check and references showed no red flags, and that students, faculty, and staff have been trained to observe appropriate boundaries.
“We are supporting the student and her family who have come forward and are providing resources and counseling for our students who may be upset about these developments,” Kane said.
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