AUSTIN, Texas — A Lockhart High School teacher has been arrested and charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Twenty-seven-year-old Sarah Fowlkes was arrested Monday afternoon; she had worked for the district since October 2014.
Police say Fowlkes was "engaged in sexual contact" with a 17-year-old male student, both in person and through messages.
The district says it became aware of the situation less than two weeks ago, on March 10, the last day of class before spring break.
After receiving a concerning report, the administration informed Child Protective Services as well as Lockhart police who began an investigation.
An email was sent out to parents on Monday, notifying them of the arrest and immediate suspension of Fowlkes.
Superintendent Susan Bohn said, "Lockhart parents entrust their children to us every day, and it is something we do not take lightly. Student safety is the district’s most important priority. Fowlkes will not return to the school district."
Earlier this month, a former Westlake High School teacher was sentenced to 10 years probation after pleading guilty to two counts of engaging in improper relationships with students.
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Twenty-nine-year-old Haeli Wey was arrested in December 2015. She was accused of engaging in sexual acts with two 17-year-old boys at the school and sending the teens pictures of herself with little or no clothing. She has since resigned and surrendered her teaching license.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that would crack down on improper student-teacher relationships.
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Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston authored the bill that would punish administrators who don't report inappropriate relationships and would automatically revoke a teacher's license for doing so.
The bill passed unanimously in the senate earlier in the month.