An Accuser's Story

A teenage girl who says she had a relationship with her teacher, is now frustrated he's not been arrested or charged with a crime. This is the first time she's talked publicly about the case.

Wednesday, September 13th 2006, 12:56 pm

By: News On 6

A teenage girl who says she had a relationship with her teacher, is now frustrated he's not been arrested or charged with a crime. This is the first time she's talked publicly about the case.

She tells her story exclusively to News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright.

Jessica was a sophomore at Hale High School last year. She's 16 and married and says she and one of her teachers, developed a relationship. "He told me I was the closest friend he had, I was someone he could talk to. He even told me he couldn't talk to his wife like he could talk to me."

Jessica says the relationship developed into an affair of sorts and ended when her husband and the teacher's wife found out. "I started off as a friend thing. He got my number and email address and things like that. We started emailing and then, more like, we just like had a touchy-feely thing. We never had intercourse or anything like that. I mean, it started with phone calls."

Jessica says other kids at school accused her of lying and they egged her car, forcing her to drop out and work on her GED. She says she had thoughts of suicide and went to the hospital, the doctor heard her teacher was involved and called police.

Tulsa Police investigated and sent the case the DA for a sexual battery charge, but no charge has been filed. "Something shoulda been done long before now. I don't feel like my story is being heard. I don't feel like they care. I know I did wrong, but, he's a teacher."

Jessica's mother, Sonia, is also frustrated. She feels a person in a position of authority over children, have a responsibility to those children. "Trusting a teacher, knowing you can trust them and tell them anything, for them to overstep a boundary, is horrible." Jessica hopes the DA files charges against the teacher. She says doesn't expect the teacher to go to jail, but hoped he would lose his teaching certificate and have to register as a sex offender, so he wouldn't be around other young girls. Tulsa Public schools did fire him this summer.

The Tulsa County DAâ€™s office says it's still looking at the law to see if a felony sexual battery charge would be appropriate in this case. Once they reach a decision, we'll let you know.