A senior US official’s wife, a substitute teacher at a Nebraska high school, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a minor.
Erin Ward, 45, allegedly admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old boy after being caught by police officers in action in her car.
The forty-year-old is also accused of having cheated on her husband, a 53-year-old senior official who works at the US Department of Defense, according to “USA Today” on Monday.
Her husband Doug Ward, with whom she has three children, was appointed deputy director at the ministry and is currently completing his doctorate at the University of Missouri.
Ms. Ward was arrested around 3 a.m. Saturday by Douglas County sheriff’s deputies in her car parked on a cul-de-sac, according to the New York Post.
When the police arrived, the teenager panicked and jumped behind the wheel of the vehicle to flee before causing a collision two blocks away.
While the boy fled on foot, the teacher preferred to stay in the Honda Pilot vehicle, admitting to the police that she had slept with the student.
The suspect narrowly avoided rape charges, due to the teen’s age, but was accused of sexually abusing a student at Omaha’s Burke School.
School Principal Darren Rasmussen notified the school community in writing after the teacher was arrested “for inappropriate conduct with a minor.”
“Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of the students we serve. We take this very seriously,” Mr. Rasmussen said in a press release.
