A 28-year-old teacher was indicted on Thursday for allegedly soliciting an eighth grade student at her all-boys’ school in Texas.
Rebecca Goerdel, a special education teacher at the Young Men’s Leadership Academy of Kennedy Middle School in Grand Prairie in Texas, was arrested on March 11 after officials reported her to the police.
Administrators accused Goerdel of engaging in an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a student at the school, which is less than ten miles from Dallas, WFAA-TV reported.
An arrest warrant alleges that Goerdel ‘sat on his lap in her car and they made out,’ but never had sex.
The relationship was said to have started in January, when Goerdel allegedly sent the student a photo of her as she was lying naked in a tanning bed.
Goerdel allegedly asked the boy to draw a portrait of her.
Rebecca Goerdel, left, was arrested in March, right, after school authorities in Texas were alerted to allegations of an ‘inappropriate relationship’ between the teacher and a student
Goerdel, pictured, who specialized in Special Education Inclusion, was immediately suspended from the Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School
Authorities are also said to have discovered sexually explicit text messages between Goerdel and the student, some of which were found on ‘third party apps that have since been deleted.’
The school said they were alerted to ‘an alleged improper relationship’ between Goerdel and a student on the afternoon of March 10 after school was dismissed.
Authorities said Goerdel was immediately ‘relieved of all duties’ and has not returned to the classroom since.
The school said they also alerted police that same afternoon, who began an investigation resulting in Goerdel’s arrest.
On March 11, a police officer sent a text message to Goerdel from the student’s phone.
She is alleged to have responded with an invitation to spend the night with her.
Goerdel taught at the Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School in Grand Prairie in Texas, pictured, until the allegations surfaced on March 10 when she was suspended
Grand Prairie Independent School District released a statement on Wednesday, saying: ‘We are pleased that law enforcement has doggedly pursued this matter and that Goerdel is being held responsible for her conduct.
‘The safety of our students is among the highest priorities of the Grand Prairie Independent School District and that starts in the classroom.
‘We believe the teacher-student relationship is sacred. It reflects a vow from teachers to parents that their children are safe – as safe as they would be at home.
‘When a teacher in Grand Prairie ISD breaks that vow, he or she will be dealt with quickly and aggressively.’
According to the Dallas News, Goerdel previously pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.