Madison Bergmann, a 24-year-old school teacher from St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, has been arrested on charges of her having an inappropriate physical relationship with one of her fifth-grade students., according to CBS News Minnesota.
A police complaint filed on Thursday (US time) in St. Croix County led to Bergmann's arrest. She has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child aged under 13.
The charging documents have revealed that police officials were called to Hudson's River Crest Elementary School "regarding inappropriate conduct between a current teacher and a 5th grade student". The student in question is an 11-year-old boy.
The incident came to light after the victim's mother overheard the two of them talking on the phone, post which she decided to take away his phone.
Screenshots of a number of text conversations between the teacher and the child were shared with police officials. Encounters between the two occured during lunch break in a classroom and sometimes even post school hours.
Investigators spoke to the victim, who told the former that he and Bergmann spoke "almost daily". The publication reported that the two of them even exchanged notes throughout the day, and a search of Bergmann's backpack revealed that in one such letter she told the victim in writing: "One of my cousins is in the 5th grade and I can't imagine a man talking to her how we talk. I know we have a special relationship and I do love you more than anyone in the world but I have to be the adult here and stop."
New York Post accessed Bergmann's social media profiles to also discover that she was supposed to tie the knot in July.
Post paying a $25,000 signature bail, Bergmann was released from police custody. However, according to NY Post, she has been barred from entering school premises or contacting any student or their parents..
Published 04 May 2024, 18:54 IST