Franklin HS teacher arrested for having sex with student

A 32-year-old teacher from Franklin High School in Seattle has been arrested and is accused of having an ongoing sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.

“[The victim] reported to me that she has been involved in a consensual sexual relationship with one of her teachers,” the investigating officer wrote in his police report, obtained by The Jason Rantz Show on AM 770 KTTH. “Their intimate relationship began on Feb. 2, 2023.”

Rantz: Teacher disciplined for disturbingly sexual comment to young student

Police said the two communicated through Discord, email, and text message, with the victim stating that more than 3,000 text messages were exchanged between the two, according to officers.

EXCLUSIVE: A 32-year-old Seattle teacher at Franklin HS was arrested last week for allegedly having sex five times with a 16-year-old student.

There are reportedly thousands of text messages between the two and they allegedly had sex in the teacher’s car. /1

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 21, 2023

A Seattle Public Schools spokesperson told Jason Rantz that the teacher is on paid administrative leave.

Franklin High School Principal Dr. Joseph Williams III sent a letter to the school community in response to the allegations on Sunday.

Dear Franklin Families,

Last week, we received a report that a Franklin employee engaged in inappropriate contact with a student.

Our school and the district officials quickly moved to address the situation as soon as the report was received. The district has placed the employee on leave. They have been restricted from having contact with students, families, and staff. They have been restricted from entering any SPS school buildings or attending school-related events.

SPS does not tolerate any abuse of authority or sexual assault toward students.

We have initiated a full internal investigation into this allegation through the district’s Human Resources Department and Office of Student Civil Rights. As part of our process, we have informed and will collaborate with the Seattle Police Department.

Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and community.

Any SPS student or staff member who has been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted can report the incident(s) to any school staff member or the district’s Title IX coordinator by contacting 206-252-0367 or title.ix@seattleschools.org.

We will continue to keep the Franklin community informed as appropriate throughout the course of the investigation and its findings.

In a court appearance, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) argued there was probable cause for five counts of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree and an additional count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. A judge agreed, according to KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney.

KCPAO also argued the bail should be set at $250,000 because they believed the suspect is a threat to the community. The first appearance judge set the bail at $100,000.

Formal charges are expected to be filed soon.