Education
“I’ve been told about her sex life with another teacher many times,” a student told the School Committee last week.
A Chelsea High School employee is on leave in the wake of an online petition and a protest at the high school accusing a teacher at the school of inappropriate conduct with students.
A staff member at Chelsea High School was placed on leave after “concerns were raised” recently about the teacher, Chelsea Public Schools said in a statement on Friday.
“School and district staff reported these concerns to the City of Chelsea Law Department, who initiated a full investigation,” the district said. “Any allegation involving inappropriate conduct is taken extremely seriously and is addressed promptly in accordance with district policy, state law, and Title IX procedures.”
The district also hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations.
The teacher is the dance and drama teacher, according to the students and the online petition. She was accused of misconduct by at least two students, who spoke to the School Committee about their teacher last week.
Jaylannie Hunter, a junior at Chelsea High School, authored the Change.org petition, which has garnered more than 1,200 signatures.
What are the allegations?
Hunter said the misconduct, which “include but not limited to provocative work attire, sharing her sexual life with students, using manipulative tactics when teaching, and her inability to protect students and their boundaries,” have been going on for “many years,” according to the petition.
“I’ve been told about her sex life with another teacher many times,” Hunter told the Committee. “She ran her fingers through a 14-year-old boy’s hair and borderline flirted with him, but you already know that. I’ve gone to the school, city hall and police, which have all failed. She has deep roots into the city which protect her.”
Chelsea police did not return a request for information about potential complaints against the teacher.
Hunter, along with another student, voiced their concern about the teacher at the School Committee meeting. The other student said she was in her dance class last semester and this semester.
“‘You have a boyfriend, right? Should I have sex with this person? Or should I not?’” the student said that the teacher asked her. “I was 16 at the time that this was happening, and it made me feel very uncomfortable and unsafe being in an environment with her the rest of the dance semester.”
‘Many students’ protest teacher at Chelsea High School
Hunter led a protest at the high school with “many students” last Wednesday before police arrived at the school and forced her to leave, she said. She shared videos of the protest on Facebook.
In a statement, Chelsea Public Schools said the demonstration was related to the teacher placed on leave, and, while the district encourages free speech, “students who caused the disruption will be subject to discipline in accordance with school policies.”
“When it became time to go to third period, some students remained in the hallways and disrupted the instructional day for themselves and others who did not participate,” the district’s statement said. “Safety is a paramount consideration for students while at school.”
The teacher named in the petition did not return a request for comment.
Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
