RSSEast Valley P.E. teacher faces charges of having sex with student
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YAKIMA, Wash. — An East Valley teacher faces criminal charges over allegations that she had sex with a 16-year-old male student in the Kmart parking lot and sent a suggestive photo to another boy.
Michele Taylor, 31, of Yakima is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 16 in Yakima County Superior Court on one count of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor and two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Sexual contact with students 16 or older is considered misconduct, rather than rape, under state law.
Taylor, a physical education teacher at East Valley High School who has worked for the school district since 2004, was placed on administrative leave June 9 when the district learned of the allegations and informed the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives started an investigation.
Taylor’s husband is also a physical education teacher for the district.
East Valley superintendent John Schieche declined to comment on the case Thursday. He referred calls to Seattle attorney Michael Patterson, who said the district’s internal investigation continues.
“What we’re looking at is whether there has been professional misconduct and whether there are grounds for discipline or termination,” Patterson said.
“We’re looking at determining the credibility of these allegations, and in fact, if they are credible, in all probability that will lead to her termination.”
According to a detective’s report filed to support the charges, Taylor exchanged more than 400 text messages by phone with the two boys — ages 15 and 16 — from March to June.
In the messages, she said she found the boys attractive, including one comment that the younger boy would be “her type” if she was in high school, according to the sheriff’s report.
The younger boy said she raised the possibility of sending him a nude photo, then sent another suggestive photo of herself at a party.
The 16-year-old said he received only one phone call from Taylor. She arranged to meet him in May at the Kmart parking lot off State Route 24, where the boy said they had sex in the back of her truck.
Patterson said the school district’s investigation has been delayed because Taylor has not met with him on the advice of her criminal attorney.
He said Taylor had received training about avoiding inappropriate contact with students.
A message left at Taylor’s house was not immediately returned.
Another Mary Kay Letourneau in washington state?
One more reason to home school.
photo
http://badbadteacher.com/michele-taylor/
Well, if she is convicted she should be punished the same as a man would be.
Report Violationwww.sunvalleychurch.net/SmallGroup_View.aspx?ID=10 - [Cached Version]
Published on: 12/4/2007 Last Visited: 12/4/2007
Kevin & Michele TaylorSun Valley Church - Yakima, WA: A Place to Belong
...
Kevin & Michele Taylor
East Valley
...
Kevin and Michele are new small group leaders and we are excited to see how God will use them in the lives of the people they will shepherd.Both Kevin and Michele came to Christ through the ministry of Sun Valley Church and have been steadily growing ever since.You can't be around this couple very long without being affected by their contagious enthusiasm for the things of God and the church.Kevin and Michele have three children and live in East Valley.
Jordan, did you have to go and do that?
Report Violation(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
Are you implying that religious people are infallible? In fact, members of religious sects tend to be the most hypocritical people on earth.
Report ViolationJordan, did you have to go and do that?
Yes, I did, thank you very much !!!!
This Group is meeting in a Place designed for Public instruction for Education. East Valley High
They brought their GOD to the High School, not me.
Its where they meet, also where she works.
Funny how things seem to happen.
Nobody is beyond sin. Christians have the opportunity to repent and be forgiven, however. We need to pray for EV school district - her students and staff, Michelle and her family.
This is a sad story; although, it's not beyond repair.
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
The Kmart parking lot? How romantic. If I weren't so mature, I'd make a blue light special joke.
Report Violation(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
oh geez
she was my p.e. teacher in middles school at lewis nd clark
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
I am a christian and I am not pointing fingers but the bible does say to go to those that are followers and tell them with a loving heart of their wrong doing. Michelle also needs to confess her sin and remove herself from her temptations.Her family needs counseling .
Report ViolationThis is a great opportunity for East Valley. I have nothing against religion. Just not at the School. There are many problems with Public Education through out the US. This problem is nothing new. To bad the herald doesn't report more of the problems with public education, so they can actually be solved.
Maybe this Women made a mistake. Life goes on.
Be Transparent and actually deal with the problem. Or Re-sign from the School Board.
Your on a School Board to deal with problems in public education. Not Image Building.
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
We are a Tolerant Nation. Anybody can become a Teacher. Or a Democrat or a Republican.
Send her to the next town. With a recommendation letter of course.
She...so far...has been ACCUSED, not convicted. Whew...I would sure hate to have any of you as a jury of my peers when I was only accused of something. Smacks of the Salem witch trials.
Report ViolationThe prosecuter's office has had three months to do an investigationa and has apparently found enough evidence to bring charges. That should say something! If they hadn't , they would not have finally charged her. They would have dropped everything and let the school didtric handle the rest.
Report ViolationThe innocent would have already spoken out. Why hasn't the school board terminated her employement yet ? The non-profit church group should be kick out of the school with all other non-profit groups. Send a message. The school board needs to find out who had prior knowledge of the situation and didn't come forward. Terminate them as well. Of course the school board will not do any of these things in timely matter.
Report ViolationWhy is it always the hot female teachers having sex with the boys/girls?? (assuming that the story is true, of course).
Report ViolationJordan,
Your rant against religion is irrelevant to this story.
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
Jordan-the fact that the church that Michele attends holds its services at the high school has nothing to do with this case. Most kids at school don't even know that church is held there on Sundays. Its not like she met him at church.
And all non-profit groups "should be kicked out" of schools? What is your problem?
The yhr has two standards when publicly reporting a suspect.
It just depends on what color your skin is
Long time reader
persons wha activley engage in sexual activities with minor
teens/children have a problem.. this one has either tried or has had some sexual ties to 2 young men if convicted as charged she will most likley be a predatory sex offender. and has ruined her life, marriage, a very good job ,and i hope she has not given the victims any social diseases.. i hope one day she wakes up only to find herself in prison with no way out.. i feel sad as there is so many victims here the 2 she had something to do with and her family and community all are victims here.. with all that is going on in regards to sex offenses i think the predatory ones need to be locked up and get help with their problems mandatory and stay there until they can show the courts that they are cured and promise not to re offend knowing that life in prison no parole is next for them...
can any one answer this for me why can a church hold services
in a state owned place like a school when the churches cry the loudest about sepatation of church and state to me its either one side of the fence or the other.. i have never understood this ..
persons that activley engage in sexual activities with minor
teens/children have a problem.. this one has either tried or has had some sexual ties to 2 young men if convicted as charged she will most likley be a predatory sex offender. and has ruined her life, marriage, a very good job ,and i hope she has not given the victims any social diseases.. i hope one day she wakes up only to find herself in prison with no way out.. i feel sad as there is so many victims here the 2 she had something to do with and her family and community all are victims here.. with all that is going on in regards to sex offenses i think the predatory ones need to be locked up and get help with their problems mandatory and stay there until they can show the courts that they are cured and promise not to re offend knowing that life in prison no parole is next for them...
Lostdawg:
I would assume that the school district is making money on the rental of the building from the church, which is why EV has allowed the church to be there. Also, church service is not happening during school hours so there is no influence on the students.
BTW, as a born again Christian I have to correct you. We do not want church and state separated as you suggest. We want to keep God in the schools. (ie: the pledge of allegiance, prayer at graduation, etc.)
It is sad that this continues to happen. More often than not, when someone is accused of these sort of actions, it is true. We have had a number of these sort of teachers and coaches here in the Yakima Valley alone, not to mention statewide, and nation wide. Teachers need to understand that they are in a position of authority, and if that means a student gets abused in the process, this should be a crime. Teachers need to be held accountable for their actions. We send all our kids to school, thinking it is a safe environment, but many times it is the location of the "grooming" the teacher does in order to get what they want. Its unfortunate that as a state, we cannot come up with any laws to prevent this from happening to someone in the future.
Report ViolationI find it sad that so many people are so quick to jump to the conclusion that she is guilty. When I was in high school I was involved in a scandal where accusations and rumors were flying faster than you can imagine. They did all sorts of investigating, and things that happened that were absolutely not inappropriate were twisted and contorted until the teacher was fired, and had to move. That teacher/coach had his life ruined just because one of the players on his basketball team didn't like him.
Teenagers can and will say almost anything to get attention. Although I don't know personally whether or not she is guilty, from experience I find it better to assume the person is innocent until proven guilty. There is no proof before us. We'll see what evidence is presented in court. All they have so far is some text messages, and that proves nothing. What was quoted in this article could very easily be taken out of context. As for the pictures, I don't know, but I hate to assume the worst, yet everyone, her community, city, and state assume the worst. This ladies life as she knows it is ruined. Everyone is pointing a finger at her, and regardless of whether or not she actually is guilty, she is guilty in the public eye. I hate stories like this, and considering that she is from Yakima, her husband is from Yakima, and therefore I'm assuming her family lives there also they will all be tainted by this regardless of the outcome.
In response to Home-school-Mama's reply to lostdawg:
Actually it is best for both church and state that the two remain separate. If you look at world history, when the church has mixed with the state the church the church has always ended up tarnishing it's image. The church is not immune to corruption, as we all know, and when the church and state mix it only increases the probability that the church will become dangerously entangled with the problems of the state.
Mama's answer was correct about why the church can meet in the school however. The Supreme Court has ruled in the favor of churches and other religious organizations meeting in public schools. The law is interpreted such that as long as classes are not in session any group can meet in the facility. This also applies to organizations such as 4H and even, yes, the KKK.
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