New sexual assault charges filed against 24-year-old former teacher

by: Brett Cihon

A new set of charges was recently filed against a 24-year-old former Tacoma high school teacher already accused with third-degree rape of a child.

Meredith Powell, a former math teacher at Lincoln High School, faces the new charge of second-degree sexual misconduct with a minor after a former student came forward to claim the teacher assaulted him while the two were in her classroom.

According to court documents, the mother of an 18-year-old student at the high school told police her son confessed to having sexual contact with Powell in the 2012-2013 school year as the initial allegations against Powell came to light.

The male student told his mother he went to Powell’s classroom when he was a 17-year-old junior in the 2012-13 school year for some “extra help with math” after class, court documents show.

Powell allegedly gave the student extra math problems and sat at the corner of his desk while he worked on the problems. Toward the end of the session, the student told Powell he would do anything to help get his grade up in math, as he was struggling in Powell’s class.

Powell allegedly asked, “you’ll do anything” and reached over and unzipped the student’s pants. Powell grabbed the student’s groin and engaged in a sexual act, documents said.

After the incident, Powell allegedly told the student, “This stays between us.”

The student’s mother told police she noticed behavioral changes in her son following the incident, and the son even requested to change schools during his junior year.

The allegations come after the 24-year-old female teacher was accused of sexual activity with two students at Lincoln High School and sending a nude picture to another. She resigned from her teaching position and has surrendered her state teaching certificate.She will not be able to teach again in Washington state without the certificate.

Her case drew international attention, as well as an online Facebook Page from Lincoln High School students supporting their former teacher.

Source: q13fox