A Texas teacher has pled guilty after being accused of a “sexual encounter” with a student.
Emily Marie Anderson was a special education inclusion support teacher and an assistant cheer sponsor at Canyon High School in New Braunfels during the 2020-2021 school year. However, things quickly changed after disturbing reports came out regarding an inappropriate relationship she engaged in with a student.
The New Braunfels Police Department began investigating the former educator after receiving reports from a 15-year-old student’s mother, who apparently found sexually explicit text messages on her son’s cell phone, according to KSTAT-TV. Investigations led authorities to Anderson, who was then arrested in August 2021 and charged with sexual assault of a child, and then again four months later in December, for charges related to the improper relationship between an educator and a student. Both charges are second-degree felonies.
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Following her August arrest, the disgraced teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave by CHS Principal Dustin Davisson, who explained to families in a letter at the time:
“The safety and security of our students is one of our highest priorities and a responsibility that we take seriously. During the hiring process, the District’s Human Resources department conducts full background checks and criminal history to ensure that we have in our classroom only those individuals who have student’s best interest in mind. I know that it can be quite disturbing to learn that one of our teachers was charged with a crime such as this. Please know that I, or members of my administrative staff, are available to address any concerns you may have regarding this situation.”
Now, Anderson has officially entered her guilty plea during a Monday court appearance. She admitted to having sex with the victim, who had just turned 15 at the time, in a biology classroom closet, according to the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. The victim had previously confirmed the sexual relationship while speaking with a child advocate. Absolutely horrifying.
During the trial, the victim’s mother revealed her son now deals with depression and anxiety, and spoke directly to Anderson, lamenting:
“I trusted you. You knew what we were going through, and you knew he was behind in school.”
She added:
“When I saw those messages — when I went through that phone, my [instinct] was to go and get you out of that school and deal with you myself.”
She noted the “ideal punishment” would be for Anderson to see her own children endure the same pain her child now faces.
The offender will now be required to spend 60 days in jail over the course of a 10-year probation, in addition to a mandatory fine of $2,000 and 500 hours of community service. Per her plea agreement, she will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life and receive counseling. The victim was issued a lifelong protective order, which prevents Anderson from contacting him in any form.
Truly no other words than disturbing… What an EXTREME betrayal of trust and vulnerability. We’re happy to see justice being served, but do you think her sentence was enough? We hope the young boy can eventually overcome his depression and anxiety, not to mention trauma. Let us know your thoughts on the situation in the comments down below.
[Images via New Braunfels Police Department & KENS 5: Your San Antonio News Source/YouTube]
