A high school biology teacher has been arrested after she allegedly had a sexual relationship with a student.
Miranda Nicole Pauley, 34, has been charged with four felony counts of indecent liberties by a custodian.
Pauley, a former teacher at Patrick Henry High School in Ashland, has also been charged with one felony count of use of a communication system for crimes against children.
High school biology teacher Miranda Pauley, 34, has been charged with four felony counts of indecent liberties by a custodian after she allegedly had a sexual relationship with a student
At least one incident involving the student allegedly occurred at the high school, according to WTVR.
The alleged relationship occurred in November and December of 2017 and May 2018.
Pauley was escorted out of the high school by deputies on Thursday afternoon. She has since been fired from the school, where she had been a teacher since 2006.
Hanover County Public Schools spokesman Chris Whitley called the news ‘disturbing’.
‘We take these matters seriously,’ he said in a statement on Thursday.
‘We became aware of the arrest this afternoon and immediately referred it to our Human Resources Department.’
Pauley was escorted out of the high school by deputies on Thursday afternoon. She has since been fired from the school, where she was a teacher since 2006
‘While our policy prohibits the release of specific details concerning personnel-related matters, we will continue to work closely and in full cooperation with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.’
Pauley was granted a $50,000 bond on Friday.
She is not allowed to have any contact with the alleged victim and cannot have contact with anyone under 18 unless they are accompanied by a parent.
Pauley is also not permitted to leave Virginia without court permission, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Pauley is the second teacher at Patrick Henry High School (pictured) to be arrested on sex charges in less than six months
She is only allowed one single trip to the school building so that she can pick up her personal belongings. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 12.
Pauley is the second teacher at Patrick Henry High School to be arrested on sex charges in less than six months.
Walter Summerfield, 45, was charged with four counts of indecent liberties by a custodian in December.
Summerfield, an instructor with the school’s Navy Junior Officer Training Corps, allegedly started an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student during spring break.