Horse-loving special ed teacher, Kara Lee, is charged with having sex with a male student – as furious parents say Arkansas school district was warned about scandal MONTHS ago
- Kara Lee, 26, was arrested Thursday for “inappropriate physical touching and sexual intercourse” with a male student
- Lee worked as a special education teacher at Cross County High School in Cherry Valley, Arkansas
- She was released from jail on a $40,000 bond and resigned
A horse-loving teacher was accused of having sex with a male high school student in Arkansas. Parents say the district has known about it for months.
Kara Lee, 26, was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Cross County authorities said.
Evidence showed Lee engaged in “inappropriate physical touching and sexual intercourse” with a student at Cross County High School in Cherry Valley after the school district contacted the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Hotline.
Neighbors said the school district had known about the relationship for months and that the minor involved is not a special education student.
“I heard that they have been interfering for a while and that the students were aware of it and told the school, but they took no action,” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous. K8 News.
Kara Lee, 26, was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Cross County authorities said.
Neighbors said the school district had known about the relationship for months and that the minor involved is not a special education student
Lee was released from jail Friday on a $40,000 bond and resigned from her position at the high school.
In a statement from Nathan Morris, the Cross County Superintendent of Schools said, “The Cross County School District has a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate relationships between teachers and students and will continue to do its utmost to provide a safe and healthy school for students. educational environment.’
The Crimes Against Children Unit reported that Lee committed sexual acts with the student in November and December.
It is not clear where the meetings took place.
“It makes me sad, it also makes me angry.” Madisyn Hill, a local parent said WREG.
“I have siblings who go to school and they basically just said it happened and this kid was somehow emailing her or chatting with her and it just kept happening.”
It is unclear where exactly Lee had sexual relations with the student, but they are said to have taken place in November and December
When WREG reporters tried to contact Lee at her home, no one answered the door.
Fellow Cherry Valley resident Matt Jarvis said he knew the teacher when they grew up together. Jarvis added that he knew Lee was a “straight A student” in both high school and college.
According to Lee’s Facebook page, she is an avid horse lover and can be seen in several photos riding her horses.
“My two forever men: 13 years old and 4 years old,” she said in a post in which she posed with horses.
In a statement from Cross County Superintendent of Schools Nathan Morris, he said the district has a “zero tolerance policy regarding inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.”
According to Lee’s Facebook page, she is an avid horse lover and can be seen in several photos riding her horses
According to her Facebook profile, Lee’s mother also works for the Cross County School District as a General Business Manager and District Treasurer.
“I understand that I have a close relationship and a relationship with students, but I think they obviously need to be monitored for certain reasons,” Hill said.
Lee is expected to appear in court in Wynne, Arkansas, on January 9, and authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
Cherry Valley is a rural community with approximately 556 residents.