A married Maryland high school teacher has been accused of sexually abusing her student beginning when the girl was just 16 years old and ...
A married Maryland high school teacher has been accused of sexually abusing her student beginning when the girl was just 16 years old and exchanging nearly 70,000 text messages with her.
Stephanie Walzl, 26, who taught health and physical education at Reservoir High School in Fulton and coached the women's lacrosse team, was arrested last week on counts of sexual abuse of a minor and a fourth-degree sex offense.
The Howard County Police Department launched an investigation into Walzl in June, after receiving a report about her alleged relationship with a student.
Over the past three months, detectives have gathered evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Walzl and the victim dating back to December 2019 when the girl was 16 years old and the teacher was a newlywed.
Investigators have uncovered nearly 69,000 text messages between the first-year teacher and the student, some of them reportedly sexual in nature, and determined that Walzl and the girl were in regular contact before, during and after school.
Until recently, Walzl taught at Reservoir High School in Fulton, Maryland, and coached the women's lacrosse team there
Police said they consulted with the Howard County State's Attorney's Office before bringing charges against Walzl.
She was booked into the Howard County Detention Center on Thursday and remained jailed as of Tuesday morning.
Police are not aware of any additional victims.
The teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case, according to the Howard County Public School System.
Reservoir High School Principal Karim Shortridge acknowledged the incident in a letter to parents, referring to Walzl as a 'former teacher.'
Walzl and the victim allegedly exchanged nearly 69,000 text messages before, during and after school
Walzl got married in October 2019. Both she and her husband (left and right) are graduates of Bridgewater College and work in education
'Our students’ well-being is always our number one priority,' he wrote.
According to social media posts, Walzl graduated from Bridgewater College, where she met her future husband.
The couple married in October 2019. Walzl's husband is also a public school teacher.
No comments