GREENSBURG, Ind. (Fox59) — A South Decatur High School teacher has been charged with stalking after sending a 15-year-old student more than 600 text messages, which included lewd and smutty jokes and memes.
The teacher allegedly even showed up at one of the student’s baseball games after he quit responding to her messages, according to court documents.
Paige Simon, 28, of Osgood, was arrested on Friday. She is charged with stalking and official misconduct, both Level 6 felonies, along with a misdemeanor charge of battery.
According to the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, the investigation into Simon began in early April after reports surfaced of possible inappropriate behavior between the teacher and the student.
In addition to sending hundreds of text messages to the student between February and April, Simon allegedly had sexual-related conversations with the juvenile and another student while in the classroom.
Simon reportedly told the students about her sex toys and how she uses them, according to the court documents.
A teacher reported that Simon let the students call her derogatory names that were sexual in nature, including letting kids refer to her as a “— dumpster.”
Police reviewed the 600+ text messages sent between the juvenile and Simon and noted many of them were jokes and memes that were sexual in nature.
The student also reportedly told police that Simon would frequently touch his arm or shoulder and, on one occasion, ran her fingers through his hair. The school was also informed of an incident in which Simon tried to take the student’s phone and reached toward his crotch with her hand lingering in the area.
Police said that the student quit responding to Simon’s messages but she kept messaging him vulgar jokes anyway. Simon also reportedly showed up at one of the juvenile’s baseball games after he had blocked her number.
Simon was reportedly found crying on at least two occasions by another teacher. Simon had allegedly been upset that the student was no longer interacting with her and feared she’d done something to make him mad at her.
Decatur County Community Schools said Simon resigned from her position three weeks ago.