Fifth grade Fun Park field trip goes bad
Wendie Schweikert, 36, was a 5th grade teacher at E.B. Morse Elementary School in Laurens, SC, and has been accused of having sex with one of her 11 year-old male students on several occasions in 2005.
According to the police who arrested Schweikert yesterday, she and the student began having a sexual relationship around Christmas break. He said it all began during a Christmas field trip to Frankie's Fun Park in Greenville and continued once school was back in session.
According to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, "the student told authorities that Schweikert performed oral sex on him during the field trip to Frankie's Fun Park, then fondled him after class once school was in session. He also stated that the two of them had intercourse on her desk at a later date."
Based on the kid's testimony, the cops searched the classroom for "evidence", which they say they found. Guess Wendie didn't wipe down that desk very carefully.
This small town is understandably shaken by such flagrant misuse of power: "After 31 years in law enforcement, I thought I had encountered most anything," Laurens City Police Chief Robin Morse said. "This is kind of shocking."
The kid in question told his mom what was happening on Thursday, and yesterday Schweikert confessed. At the hearing, the boy's mother tried to tell the judge how shaken her son was, but "was choked back by tears." She said he "wanted his mother to tell the court he was scared," prosecutor Jerry Peace said. "He is terrified that the defendant will get out on bond."
The bond hearing is today; she has already resigned from her job.