Tarrant County Sheriff's OfficeA middle-school counsellor has handed herself in after allegedly being found in bed with a 17-year-old student by his mum.
Authorities report that 33-year-old Shannon Hathaway has turned herself in after being found naked with a 17-year-old boy. The former ninth-grader is reported to have been engaging in sexual relations with the Texas middle school employee until his mother is said to have found the pair naked in bed.
The Bedford Police Department were made aware of the potential inappropriate relationship in May after receiving a tip. They launched an investigation into the 33-year-old and her potential relationship with the boy.
A warrant was issued for Hathaway on Wednesday (June 13) due to her alleged relationship with the boy, after the 17-year-old’s mother found him with the counsellor. The boy had been a student at the school the previous year (2016-17).
Hathaway was employed at Harwood Junior High School, and was charged on Thursday (June 14) for having an improper relationship between educator and student, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
The Bedford Police Department released a statement on Twitter surrounding the case.
Bedford Police Department Media Release pic.twitter.com/VmBqxuYUyo
— Bedford TX Police (@BedfordTXPD) June 14, 2018
The statements reads:
A male student who was a student at Harwood Jr high School the previous school year had allegedly been involved in a physical relationship with Hathaway, 33 years of age, who was a school counselor at Harwood Junior High School.
CBS DFW state that police contacted the school which employed Hathaway in May following the allegations, and she was placed on paid leave. Before she turned herself in on Thursday, Hathaway resigned from her job.
Parents of other children at the school were notified via an automated call, which explained that Hathaway’s absence from the campus was due to a potential violation of district policy.
Superintendent Steve Chapman spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, stating there was no evidence to suggest the alleged behaviour had taken place on the Harwood Junior High school campus.
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.