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Law enforcement officials in Charlotte County, Florida, allege that a high school teacher concealed a teenager who had been reported missing in her home this month.
The teacher, Kelly Simpson, 31—who has been placed on leave, according to a local school district—was arrested, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said.
In a press release, the office said the teen was reported missing by his parents on August 12 and was recovered safely from Simpson's home.
"Investigators successfully recovered the juvenile located inside the home of Simpson. Kelly Simpson was placed under arrest for interfering with the custody of a minor after picking the juvenile up from an unknown location and concealing him inside her home while having knowledge of his missing endangered status," the press release said.
The office also noted: "Any person who has knowledge of the whereabouts of a missing juvenile or assists with the concealment of a juvenile can be charged with a crime."
Deputies say that their investigation of the incident is ongoing, and they didn't provide further details.
In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the school system said that Simpson has been put on administrative leave following her arrest.
"Charlotte County Public Schools takes an incident such as this very seriously.
The safety, protection and well-being of our students is a top priority. The teacher arrested was employed at Charlotte High School and has been placed on Administrative Leave," the spokesperson said. "Charlotte County Public Schools can not comment on the arrest as there is an ongoing investigation by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office," they added.
Newsweek has also reached out to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
In a separate incident in April, a teacher in San Rafael, California, was arrested on charges of public intoxication and child endangerment after police said she was drunk and high while teaching. The teacher allegedly consumed alcohol, a prescription drug and cannabis.
In February, a teacher at a middle school in New York was arrested after allegedly putting a camera in a staff bathroom. Roughly 30 adult victims were caught on the camera, according to news station WTEN-TV.
In March, a teacher in Florida was arrested after police said she bit two students in a dispute over a jar of pickles. A relative of one of the students told news station WFLA at the time that the teacher allegedly bit the students after she tried to take a jar of pickles from the school store where they were working.
Update: 08/18/22 6:07 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Charlotte County Public Schools.
About the writer
Xander Landen is a Newsweek weekend reporter. His focus is often U.S. politics, but he frequently covers other issues including ... Read more