Sylvania teacher resigns amid investigation into alleged relationship with student

6/9/2014

Sylvania Schools elementary visual arts teacher Tressa DeBeukelaer has resigned her position at Stranahan because of a school investigation into an alleged relationship she had with a high school student, reports indicate.

The Board of Education accepted Ms. DeBeukelaer‘‍s resignation at its afternoon meeting today.

The school file on Ms. DeBeukelaer indicates the school was investigating her because she was “alleged to have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old male Sylvania high school student.”

The school’s misconduct report, sent to the Ohio Department of Education's Office of Professional Conduct on June 6, also indicates that the probe into the teacher revealed “allegations of drug use by minor students” in her Sylvania home, as well as “inappropriate social media communications with minor high school students.”

The report states that the teacher, 40, resigned under the threat of termination or non-renewal because of the course of the investigation. The Ohio Revised Code states that schools can refuse to license a teacher or school official for “engaging in an immoral act, incompetence, negligence, or conduct that is unbecoming to the applicant's or person's position.”

Ms. DeBeukelaer declined comment on the allegations.

The school has concluded its investigation, Scott Nelson, assistant superintendent, said.