A high school teacher in Texas has been arrested on charges of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student in his classroom, following an investigation triggered by another student who witnessed them together.
Arrest and Charges
Chad Allen Rodriguez, 38, a physics and astronomy teacher at John Jay High School in San Antonio, was taken into custody on Saturday, May 16. He faces a second-degree felony charge for an improper relationship between an educator and a student, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Rodriguez also served as a football and track coach at the school, where he had been employed for a decade. The school district placed him on administrative leave and stated it is fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities.
Details of the Relationship
According to court documents cited by local news outlet WOAI, the inappropriate relationship began last October when Rodriguez started flirting with the female student. Their interactions quickly escalated to sexting, including the exchange of explicit videos and pictures. The pair allegedly met in Rodriguez's classroom for sexual encounters on multiple occasions.
The illicit activities came to light last Thursday when another student spotted Rodriguez and the girl alone in his classroom. The court documents did not specify what the other student observed that raised suspicions. However, after being seen, the girl left the classroom and later told police about her sexual encounters with the teacher.
Legal Proceedings
Rodriguez was formally charged with having an improper relationship between an educator and student, a second-degree felony under Texas law. He remains in custody pending further legal proceedings.
