New Haven Police Department
Kirvanna Jones, a 27-year-old former New Haven Public Schools teacher, has been sentenced to prison for nine months after she allegedly sexually assaulted one of her students.
According to police reports, Jones — who was 24-year-old at the time of the assault in December 2015 — had sexual intercourse with a student who was just 15-years-old at the time.
Back in February 2016, Jones was arrested and charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor after she admitted to having intercourse with the teenage victim. Following her admission, she pled guilty to the risk of injury charge and was convicted on that charge.
According to the New Haven Police Department, Jones sent the boy photos of herself in a bra and a thong in November 2015. A female student later saw the pictures on the victim’s phone and subsequently notified school officials, who then informed the New Haven police department.
Prior to her arrest, Jones was teaching math at Engineering and Science University Magnet Middle and High School.
As for why there has been such a significant increase in instances of teachers having sexual relationships with students, researchers believe that technology is to blame.
According to a report from the Texas Education Association, smartphones make easy for teachers to privately text and talk with students and also make it possible for teachers and students to share explicit images.
SESAME (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation) President Terri Miller echoed that sentiment, stating “before cell phones, we knew who our kids were talking to” but today, “kids have their own phones, they’re taking them to bed, and parents need to watch more.”
Jones has been one of many teachers to be charged for inappropriate conduct. Over the course of just a few months, teachers across the United States have been charged, tried, and convicted of various abuse and sex crimes.
The list goes on to include 22-year-old Oklahoma science teacher Hunter Day, 28-year-old teacher Megan Kotarski, 23-year-old history teacher Michelle Schiffer, 29-year-old Alyssia Marie Reddy, special education teacher Jordan Ondish and 28-year-old Samantha Fitzpatrick have all been allegedly carrying on inappropriate relationships with their students.
Most recently, teachers such as 29-year-old Haylie Smart, 25-year-old Alaina Ferguson, 26-year-old Amy Nowaczyk, and 32-year-old Laura Bucy were arrested and charged for similar crimes.