A 35-year-old Louisiana teacher has been accused of having inappropriate relationships with teenagers.
Alexa Wingerter, 35, was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with allegations of sexual relationships with students at Slidell High School, where she taught.
An investigation was launched in early March after complaints were filed alleging that Wingerter was having “inappropriate relationships” with male students.
He sent sexual photographs and messages through text messages and on various social media sites, according to Slidell police.
After investigating the allegations, police discovered that Wingerter was involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with at least one 18-year-old student, whom she taught.
Alexa Wingerter, 35, was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with allegations of sexual relationships with students at Slidell High School, where she taught.
An investigation was launched in early March after complaints were filed alleging that Wingerter was having “inappropriate relationships” with male students.
Pictured: Slidell High School in Louisiana, where Wingerter taught
Police confirmed that the 35-year-old Slidell woman “acted as the student’s educator,” according to WDSU.
In addition to having sex with his students, Wingerter also purchased alcohol for his students at local bars in Slidell, police discovered.
She was arrested on suspicion of prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and a student, as well as illegal purchase of alcoholic beverages on behalf of a minor.
Social media shows that Wingerter appeared to be married to Philip Wingerter, with whom she shared at least two young children.
The couple resided in a home in Slidell, which is located in Saint Tammany County.
Wingerter’s Linkedin suggests she worked as a business specialist for a company called Netchex in Mandeville, Louisiana, so it is unclear in what capacity she was an educator at Slidell High School.
The St. Tammany School Board issued a statement regarding the teacher’s arrest: ‘The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. Our district has responded appropriately and is cooperating fully with the Slidell Police Department in their investigation.
Social media shows that Wingerter appeared to be married to Philip Wingerter, with whom she shared at least two young children. She appears here in old Facebook posts.
‘Any allegations of inappropriate conduct are taken very seriously and reported directly to law enforcement officials. We have strict policies in place to ensure that any behavior that compromises the safety of our students is not tolerated.
“We will continue to prioritize the safety of our students above all else,” Superintendent Frank Jabbia wrote.
Police have said the investigation is ongoing.
Dozens of teachers have been arrested nationwide this year for sex crimes involving students, as the apparent number of “cougars in the classroom” continues to grow.
A long list of teachers allegedly involved with young people across the country dominates the headlines.
DailyMail.com found that 25 teachers had been arrested in 16 states in the last 12 months alone, and there are fears that this is simply the tip of the iceberg, as there appears to be no centralized data collection to track this disturbing trend.
A new DailyMail.com investigation has revealed that at least 25 teachers in 16 states have been arrested for sex crimes in the last year, I think of those sessions.
Last month, Jessica Sawicki, 37, a married teacher from New Jersey, was arrested after police found her half-naked in the back seat of a teenager’s car at a wildlife center. The mother of two allegedly admitted to police that she and the student had “unprotected” sex at least five times.
In Nebraska, Erin Ward, 45, was arrested after being caught naked in the back seat with a teenager. The substitute teacher is married to a Department of Defense official and police quickly arrested her at the scene.
According to new research, the typical physical profile of a female sexual predator is that of a Caucasian woman in her 30s.
Many of the teachers charged last year are married and one was even named teacher of the year.
Teachers are luring students with sexually charged texts, nude photographs and videos before and during physical encounters, police say.
Prominent child psychologist Dr. Michael Oberschneider of Ashburn Psychological Services said the influence of social media has contributed to the dynamics of abuse and the increase in the number of cases.
“Social media can serve to blur the lines between the student-teacher relationship, which in turn can open the door to more inappropriate outcomes,” he said.
He explained that students have more access to their teachers through various online formats, which can lead to inappropriate communication and even inappropriate relationships of a sexual nature.
“As we have seen in the news, some female teachers are choosing to post sexual content on sites like Onlyfans, Loyalfans, Fansly and other similar platforms that students can see and be a part of,” Oberschneider explained.
He said even Instagram and other social media platforms allow students to see and possibly interact with their teacher in more personal or intimate ways.