Kathryn Houghtaling, a 27-year-old former special education teacher, has been arrested and charged after she allegedly had sex with underage students.
According to authorities, Houghtaling — who taught at Rochester High School in Michigan — had an illegal sexual relationship with underage students in November and December 2018 outside of the school. Additionally, police say Houghtaling also drank alcohol and smoked marijuana with them.
Specifically, police say that one of the alleged assaults is said to have occurred in a car and the other is alleged to have happened in an apartment. During the investigation into Houghtaling, deputies said that multiple students were interviewed about their sexual contact with Houghtaling.
Oakland County prosecutors charged Houghtaling with six counts of criminal sexual conduct. After her arrest, she was taken Oakland County Jail and posted $200,000 bond on Friday, January 11.
As for why there has been such a significant increase in instances of teachers having inappropriate 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.”
Hoffman 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.
