Tara Taylor Richard, a 38-year-old substitute teacher in St. Landry Parish, was arrested and charged for allegedly having sexual relations with teenage two high school students.
According to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Richard — a 38-year-old from Arnaudville, Louisiana — reportedly admitted to police on Monday, December 3, that she had sexual relations with two different teenage male students during the summer break. Richard said the teens were 15-years-old and 16-years-old, respectively. It is not clear which school in the district that the students attended.
Following her arrest, Richard was charged with four counts of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of oral sexual battery.
In a statement, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Officer Bobby Guidroz said that “it’s a sad day when we must arrest someone that does harm to our kids, especially those we have entrusted in educating and molding our youth.”
“Parents should always be diligent with regards to the safety of their children,” Sheriff Guidroz said.
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.”
Stanley 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.
