Kirstin Pike, a 28-year-old former teacher and coach at Dickinson High School in Texas, was arrested Friday and she is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student inside a classroom.
Pike is facing a charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student. The teenager cooperated with investigators and shared details of the alleged misconduct.
The student told officials that the incident took place inside of a classroom at the Dickinson high school and soon after it happened he told at least four of his friends.
Based on the documents accessed by KTRK-TV, the incident occurred in September 2016 when Pike was working as a 10th-grade teacher.
Dickinson ISD has put out a statement after the story gained traction in local media. It read: “A former Dickinson High School female teacher turned herself in to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, Sep. 7 for allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a student in 2016.
The teacher was employed by Dickinson ISD from August 2015 to June 2018 as a teacher and coach at Dickinson High School. Dickinson ISD was just made aware of the allegations earlier this month.
The district immediately forwarded the information to CPS and law enforcement and is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.”
Pike was able to post bond on Monday and is expected in court on November 20. If convicted, she could spend up to 20 years behind bars.
Authorities in the Lone Star State have noticed a rise in the number of cases involving improper relationships. According to the Texas Education Agency, 302 cases were counted for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. 429 cases were added in the following year.
The trend has been going in this direction for some time. In the 2015-16 fiscal year, the same agency had opened 222 investigations, and it was a record back then.
Some experts have blamed social media for facilitating exchanges between students and educators.
