(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – A California high school teacher who was awarded as “teacher of the year” has been accused of having an intimate relationship with a 16-year-old student from her institution.
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Tracy Vanderhulst, 38, a mother of two, won a “Teacher of the Year” prize in 2017 when the school district praised her for her “deep care” for the students and her efficient math curriculum.
However, investigators now believe that Vanderhulst, who teaches at Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, a city of 50,000 people in San Bernardino County, has repeatedly had intercourse with a student attending her school.
The investigation by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s detectives began on May 18, with the teacher arrested at about 11 pm that day in her home.
The probe started they received a tip about her alleged (sexual) misconduct with a student. Vanderhulst’s bail was set at $30,000.
“She was booked into our Central Detention Center and she has since posted bail and has been released,” announced Mara Rodriguez from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The police decided to make public her booking photo as they believed she might have more victims among current and former students at Yucaipa High School. Vanderhulst has been a teacher there for a decade.
“I think a lot of children, teenagers, might be afraid to speak up if something like this happened to them. This gives them that reassurance it’s safe to do so,” Rodriguez said.
The Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District issued a statement saying that “that student safety is the highest priority” and that it is cooperating fully with the sheriff’s department.
The report described the allegations about Vanderhulst as “sad” for the district’s “parents, students, and staff.”
It also quotes some residents of Yucaipa who are worried that the revelations about an alleged intimate relationship between a teacher and a student could create a “negative” image for the city they take pride in living in.
“It makes us look like we are not paying attention and not speaking to our children. That might not be the case, it could be somebody preying on the innocent,” commented resident Katie Shasky.
Tracy Vanderhulst was arrested for unlawful sexual intercourse involving a minor and held on $30,000 bail, authorities said. https://t.co/xC4zGBOEF3
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 22, 2023
