Photo: Gaston County Sheriff’s Office
The alleged sexual relationship between a married assistant principal and a 17-year-old male student she’d been tutoring was no secret at the North Carolina high school where she worked, say authorities.
“There was some chatter among students that was passed back and forth, which made its way to school administration, which then got reported to us,” Gaston County Police Capt. Billy Downey said Monday, theGaston Gazetteand local station WSOC 9 report.
On Friday night, Rothwell appeared — in tears — before a Gaston County magistrate, who ordered her held on a $1 million bond at the Gaston County Jail because of “the seriousness of the charges,” theGaston Gazettereports.
She has been suspended with pay from her $66,000 a year job at Stuart Cramer High School in Belmont, WSOC 9 reports.
Rothwell also shed tears when she made a court appearance via jailhouse video on Monday, WSOC 9 reports.
Her husband, who is a teacher, was in court for the brief hearing, where her attorney, Trippe McKeny, asked the judge to reduce her bond.
“There is no history of any criminal charges at all in my client’s life,” McKeny told the judge, local Charlotte station Fox 46 reports.
“My client has helped a lot of children in the Gaston County community,” he said.
Still, the judge said no.
The judge will make her final decision on Friday when she hears from the 17-year-old victim in court, theGaston Gazettereports.
It is unclear whether he is still a student at the school.
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The alleged relationship between the two began when Rothwell began tutoring the student, Downey said, theGaston Gazettereports.
“The assistant principal in this case was helping the young man with some issues related to school,” he said.
The alleged sexual activity took place off campus, Downey said.
The Gaston County Police and Rothwell’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
source: people.com
