Georgia Teacher Arrested for Inappropriate Relationship with Student

The Savannah Police Department announced that a high school teacher in Georgia engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage student.

Paulina Walden, a 35-year-old teacher from Chatham County, was arrested on May 1. She faces charges related to inappropriate sexual contact with a student and child sexual abuse. Following her arrest, she was booked into Chatham County Jail, where she is being held without bail.

According to Georgia state law, individuals convicted of child sexual abuse face prison sentences ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years. Additionally, those found guilty of inappropriate sexual contact while in a position of trust may receive a sentence of five to 25 years along with potential fines up to $100,000.

Police responded to a call on April 24 reporting the alleged relationship between a teacher and a student. The statement noted, “Once the administration was informed of the charges, the educator was promptly reassigned to a non-school setting and had no further contact with students.”

It was mentioned that the alleged incidents occurred off campus, and thus, Savannah Police are leading the investigation.

According to reports from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Walden has been teaching English at Jenkins High School since September 2023. The district has emphasized that it takes accusations of inappropriate conduct extremely seriously and intends to report the incident to the Georgia Professional Standards Board.

While Walden remains an employee of the district, she has been reassigned to a non-teaching role during the investigation. Interestingly, she must rely on accrued vacation or personal days for her pay. If she were to return to work, it would be in a position that excludes interaction with students.

Walden taught subjects like mythology and oral speaking and had been involved in various school activities, such as directing plays and serving as the yearbook advisor. However, her teaching certification status is currently valid until 2029, with no indication of any investigations against her ethical standing.

The district refrained from offering further commentary on the personnel matter but emphasized their commitment to addressing the allegations thoroughly.

In a related note, Walden is not the first teacher at Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools to face such charges within the past year. In October 2025, Jawan Johnson was charged with multiple offenses, including sexual exploitation of a child.

Authorities encourage anyone with additional information about the case to contact Crime Stoppers.