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<\/p>\nA woman awarded 'Teacher of the Month' has been charged with statutory rape after allegedly having sex with a student.<\/p>\n
Casey McGrath, 28, was teaching at Chattanooga Central High School in Tennessee, United States, when she bedded a pupil \u201c10 years younger than her,\u201d police officials have said.<\/p>\n
The geometry teacher has been suspended without pay since March, and was charged on August 14 with \u201cunlawfully and knowingly engaging in sexual penetration with a person of at least 13 years of age, but less than 18\u201d.<\/p>\n
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According to several local news outlets, the official charge sheet claims the student was \u201cat least\u201d 10 years younger than her, and she has now been released on bail after paying around \u00a38,500 in bonds.<\/p>\n
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The exact age of the student has not been made public, nor has any of the details about how the relationship was formed or how it was reported to the police.<\/p>\n
Prior to her arrest, she had been nominated and awarded 'Teacher of the Month' earlier this year by the school, but an article announcing that has since been removed from the school's website.<\/p>\n
In it, McGrath told the site that the best part of the day \u201cgetting to interact with students and build relationships with them\u201d.<\/p>\n
She also claimed that her pupil's know that she \u201ccares\u201d about them as a \u201cperson, not just a student\u201d.<\/p>\n
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The piece also featured a tribute from an unnamed student, who said: \u201cShe\u2019s a very involved teacher.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can tell she respected her students, which makes me have respect for her in turn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her court hearing is scheduled for September 6.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, she could face between two and 12 years in prison.<\/p>\n
Her former school has not comment on the incident yet, but the Daily Star has reached out to them for a comment.<\/p>\n
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