A Madison County teacher suspended with pay effective, pleaded not guilty to charges that she had sexual contact with the students.
Twenty- four year-old Brandi Whitaker, who is married, faces charges after being accused of having sexual contact with one of her students . She appeared in Madison County Court via closed circuit television.
“I had a lot of friends who had her as a teacher said she was a good teacher and stuff and like her,” said Nathaniel Johnson, student.
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Tuesday afternoon, Berea Police and social services got an anonymous tip the biology teacher had sexual relations with one of her teenage students.
“We talked to the teacher and she’s been pretty open about what happened,” said Sgt. Jake Reed, Berea Police Department
Police say the teacher and student met twice during summer break.
The first time was at Fort Boonesborough State Park in June and a month, later they met again, at Mrs. Whitaker’s house in July.
Whitaker is charged with rape, sexual abuse and sodomy.
A mother who has a teenage son at Madison Southern says this isn’t the first time something like this has happened at the school,” this is the third time in less than ten years, the third teacher the third student.”
But the news comes as a shock to some current students who say the school has strict rules about teacher-student relationships.
“They’re not even allowed to add students on Facebook,” Johnson said.
Police worked quickly arresting Whitaker the same day the allegations surfaced.
“Any sort of allegation between teacher student we always take very seriously just like anyone else would,” Sgt. Reed said.
According to Kentucky law, even though 16 is the age of consent, if you’re a person of authority over a minor the law does not apply. But because the allegations were supposed to have happened over the summer, her attorney asked if the special trust laws between students and teachers were still applicable.
