Tayler Seymour, a 26-year-old high school teacher and dance coach at Lockhart High School in Texas, is charged for having an inappropriate relationship with a female student, according to a statement from the Lockhart Police Department.
According to the report, Seymour surrendered herself to police and was booked into Caldwell County Jail for “improper relationship between educator and student” which is a second-degree felony.
The school district has placed Seymour on administrative leave and she will not return.
“The trust between a teacher and student is sacred, and we do not and will not tolerate any violation of that trust,” superintendent Mark Estrada said in a letter to parents. “The safety of our students is our number one priority, and we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement during this ongoing investigation.”
“She will not return to this district.”
Since the beginning of 2019 alone, a handful of teachers have been arrested on similar charges, including 25-year-old substitute teacher Alexis Mercedes Boberg in Baltimore, Beulah High School teacher Kelsie Schmidt in North Dakota, Rancocas Valley Regional High School teacher Alexandra Reiner in New Jersey, and 50-year-old Florida substitute teacher Angela Jean Stanton in Florida. Additionally, Texas teachers Meredith Null and Edna Longoria were arrested on similar charges.
As for why the number of these incidents has seemingly increased, studies suggest that smartphones are the primary reason for the spike in illicit relationships, as it allows teachers to communicate with the minors without supervision.
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.