Bluegrassrivals

FORT THOMAS – A former Highlands High School teacher was indicted Thursday for allegedly having a sexual relationship with one of her students – the second Northern Kentucky teacher to be charged of such crime in 42 days.

Andrea Conners, 33, of Cleves is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. A date that she will be arraigned in Campbell Circuit Court was not immediately available. It was also not clear if she would be allowed to turn herself in or if a warrant for her arrest would be issued.

The business teacher abruptly resigned from her $48,669-per-year job on May 3 after turning in a one-sentence hand-written letter that read: “I Andrea Conners resign effective immediately from the Ft. Thomas Independent School District.”

The resignation appeared to be unexpected. According to her personnel file, she advised the district on Feb. 1 that she to planned to return to teaching next school year. She started her career at the school as an intern in 2004.

Superintendent Gene Kirchner signed and accepted the resignation on the same day.

Kirchner released a statement moments after Conners’ indictment. He did not mention Conners by name, but said that after district administrators became aware of rumors about a high school faculty member having an inappropriate relationship with a student, they investigated immediately and “the faculty member in question had resigned in lieu of termination.”

The district then filed a report with Fort Thomas Police and the office of the Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney.

“Please know that the discretion we have shown in the release of information is a direct result of the ongoing investigation and an effort to protect the rights and privacy of our students,” Kirchner said. “The matter is now in the hands of the Fort Thomas Police and the Campbell County Commonwealth Attorney with whom we are fully cooperating. No further public comment will be made by the school district pending the resolution of the criminal investigation.”

“I assure you that the administration of the Fort Thomas Independent School District acted swiftly and decisively to ensure the safety and well-being of our students,” Kirchner added. “That is, and will always be, our primary concern.”

According to the Fort Thomas Independent Schools website, Conners taught four different courses this year at Highlands High School: Accounting Foundations, Contemporary Issues, Computer Literacy and Entrepreneurship/Business Management.

In her personnel file is a copy of the Professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky School Personnel, which clearly talks about sexual behavior, including “Certified personnel in the Commonwealth shall not engage in any sexually related behavior with a student with or without consent, but shall maintain a professional approach with students.”

Conners graduated from Seton High School in Cincinnati in 1996 and from Xavier University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing and management. She earned her master’s degree in teaching from Northern Kentucky University.

Reached at the couple’s home prior to the indictment, Conners’ husband, Brian Conners, had no comment. He is the principal at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place Junior High School in Cincinnati. The couple will have been married for 10 years this June.

Conners’ attorney, Rob Dziech of Cincinnati, also had no comment.

Authorities have released no details about the crime they claim Conners committed. Fort Thomas Police spokesman Lt. Rich Whitford and Campbell Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle Snodgrass both have declined to comment.

The Education Professional Standards Board, which handles all issues in the state regarding teaching certificates, had not received any complaints as of Thursday. If she did something that could warrant her teaching certificate being revoked, the superintendent has 30 days from the day of Conners resignation to inform the board of the situation.

Conners’ case has similarities to another Northern Kentucky teacher under indictment for having a sexual relationship with a student. Sarah Jones was also charged with first-degree sexual abuse after abruptly quitting on Nov. 30 from Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood. Jones cited “personal reasons” in a one-sentence resignation letter. She is scheduled to stand trial June 27 in Kenton Circuit Court.http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...CFRONTPAGE

FT. THOMAS, KY (FOX19) -
FOX19 has confirmed that Andrea Conners, who taught accounting and finance at Highlands High School, has resigned and has hired an attorney.

DIG DEEPER: Andrea Conners case
Highlands teacher resigns amid claims of relationship with student
Highlands teacher's personnel file is exemplary
Highland High teacher indicted on sex charge
DOCUMENT: Read her resignation letter
That attorney tells FOX19 she resigned, but when asked about claims of a sexual relationship with a student, the attorney declined to comment, and referred all matters to Highlands High School.

FOX19 has spoken with school officials, the Campbell County prosecutor, Fort Thomas police, the victim's father and Conners' husband. All have declined to comment.

So far no charges have been filed. Attorney Lisa Wells says, "Anytime you have a teacher/student relationship there's going to be a special statue that protects the student from that sort of sexual activity. So if there was any type of sexual conduct and that could be as minimal as touching which would be contact it would be Sex Abuse in the First Degree so you would face a Class D Felony. If there's any element of force it could go up from there it could be as high as a Class A Felony. It depends on the age of the victim and it depends on what occurred between the victim and the perpetrator."

If the inappropriate relationship started when he was 17, Conners could face charges.

FOX19 legal analyst Mike Allen says, "It is a crime under Kentucky law if the offender is in a position of authority over that student which a teacher obviously would be."

What about if the student is 18?

"It would appear that if the student is 18 then there is no criminal liability on behalf of the teacher under Kentucky law," said Allen.

According to the Ft. Thomas Independent School website, Conners has a Master's in Education from NKU. Sources say Conners is married with two young boys and is 33-years-old.http://www.fox19.com/story/18183726/high...th-student

FT. THOMAS, KY (FOX19) -
FOX19 News has reviewed the personnel file of the Highlands High School teacher who resigned because of claims from parents and teachers that she had an inappropriate relationship with a male student. Andrea Conners, 33, of Cleves, Ohio was a business education teacher at the school for the past eight years until she submitted a handwritten resignation letter last Thursday.

DIG DEEPER: Andrea Conners case
Highlands teacher resigns amid claims of relationship with student
Highlands teacher's personnel file is exemplary
Highland High teacher indicted on sex charge
DOCUMENT: Read her resignation letter
In the 249-page file there are dozens of pages of commendations and teacher evaluations which indicate Conners was an excellent teacher. There were many comments such as; "(Conners) has created a classroom with an excellent climate for learning" and "(Conners) background and content knowledge enhances classroom effectiveness" and "(Conners) makes excellent real world connections."

But, according to numerous parents and students Conners violated the Kentucky Professional Code of Ethics which says, "teacher shall not engage in any sexually related behavior with a student with or without consent." It also prohibits sexual jokes, sexual remarks, kidding or teasing about sex or sexual innuendo in addition to prohibiting touching, kissing, grabbing or any type of performance of sexual favors.

Sources tell FOX19 News that Conners is married and has two young sons. No criminal charges have been filed against her. Neither the district nor the school's administration has commented on her resignation. The Fort Thomas Police have referred all calls to the prosecutor, who has declined to comment. FOX19 News went to the residences of both the alleged victim and the teacher and all parties declined to comment.https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwbQgFRM...edit?pli=1

This kind of stuff goes on A LOT more than you see in the news im sure.
But this is the type of thing where it's going to ruin a family.
She's a good looking lady, and i'm sure that if she was willig, many boys would have.

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:This kind of stuff goes on A LOT more than you see in the news im sure.
But this is the type of thing where it's going to ruin a family.
She's a good looking lady, and i'm sure that if she was willig, many boys would have.

Pretty much any teenage boy would have.

I feel bad for her husband

RIUTG is spot on, this stuff is happening much more than we see on the news. We're also seeing a rise in female teachers being accused of and actually doing it. These teachers are often found trying to be the students friend instead of their instructor and when you get too close, it can backfire.

On a side note, now we know how Highlands gets all their football players

I bet the student got an A+

Im sure more pictures will come of it.

And the student she was screwing around with was 18 years old, so maybe morally and ethically its wrong, but i dont think it should be legally wrong if she was having sex with a student over 18, however, i believe in the state of ky its illegal to have be a teacher and have sex with your student no matter their age. If you have authority and use it like that, your ass is going to jail more times than not.

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:Im sure more pictures will come of it.

And the student she was screwing around with was 18 years old, so maybe morally and ethically its wrong, but i dont think it should be legally wrong if she was having sex with a student over 18, however, i believe in the state of ky its illegal to have be a teacher and have sex with your student no matter their age. If you have authority and use it like that, your ass is going to jail more times than not.

Correct

No comment.

She is pretty hot. I'd do it too

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:Im sure more pictures will come of it.

And the student she was screwing around with was 18 years old, so maybe morally and ethically its wrong, but i dont think it should be legally wrong if she was having sex with a student over 18, however, i believe in the state of ky its illegal to have be a teacher and have sex with your student no matter their age. If you have authority and use it like that, your ass is going to jail more times than not.

correct as long as the student and teacher are in the same school it's illegal no matter the age but if the student is 18 and goes to another high school it's ok

wonder if widerighto1 is going to blame NewCath

^ You're thinking Wideleft there.