A Houston high school science teacher has been accused of giving his student perfect grades and test answers in exchange for a relationship that lasted several months. fox news digital.
Stephen Griffin, 46, a former Spring Branch Independent School District teacher, is currently facing a felony charge for having an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old student.
He was arrested on December 7th and immediately released on $5,000 bail.
“There is absolutely no evidence of this and we deny the charges,” said Griffin's lawyer, Justin Harris.
“Mr. Griffin has been an exemplary teacher throughout his career, which has blindsided everyone. We have followed some trails that may explain where these allegations came from. There is.”
Harris continued, “Typically when something like this happens, what the complaint is about and what actually happens are often night and day apart. They're on the same planet, but on the same day. We are waiting for evidence in this case.At this point, it is just an allegation.If we believe the state's allegations on the surface, this is not a sexual assault case.This is an adult It was a consensual act between two people.”
but, Texas Penal Code 21.12 Classifying inappropriate relationships between teachers and students as a second-degree felony seems to suggest otherwise. This law also applies to students who are legally adults. If convicted, he could face 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Griffin was working at Memorial High School and was in the middle of divorce proceedings at the time of his alleged relationship with the victim.
The 18-year-old student reportedly told the Spring ISD Police Department that he met Griffin at a hotel or apartment during the 2022-2023 school year. KTRK. Here their relationship became physical for the first time.
The student's mother reported the alleged relationship to school administrators on November 30th. Later that day, the student shared accusatory messages exchanged between her and Griffin.
The relationship began on September 23, 2022, when an unidentified female student asked Griffin if she could eat lunch in her classroom during recess. Around this time, Ms. Griffin gave her personal cell phone number to her student and told him she could speak to him if he contacted her. She needed someone to talk to.
The two exchanged text messages for several months, according to the complaint. In November, the student apparently met Griffin at the Staybridge Suites hotel and they ended up having sex. The student went on to say that the two had oral sex in a classroom and on one occasion had sex in the back seat of her car behind a restaurant in Houston, according to Fox News Digital.
According to the student, from around this time Mr. Griffin started telling him the answers to the tests in advance and giving him 100% points on all assignments.
However, their relationship ended in the summer of 2023, and Griffin asked her to stop texting him as he tried to get back together with his wife.
Forensic scientists took the student's phone and searched the student's Snapchat and Signal accounts for incriminating messages exchanged between the two during the alleged relationship.
The indictment reveals one of the messages Griffin allegedly sent to the student via Snapchat, which read, “We need to talk. I missed you. Can we talk? I'm feeling suicidal right now. It was like, “I have it. Call me. All right, baby. This is what's going to happen.'' “Don't do that, please call me. Can I talk to you directly? Do you want money? I'm trying to kill myself. Please call me.”
It is unclear whether Griffin is still employed at the high school.
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