A 25-year-old teacher at Winside Public Schools, Cali Heikes, was arrested over the weekend for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student. According to the Norfolk Daily News, Heikes’ arrest was in connection to an alleged sexual relationship.
Heikes is a family consumer sciences and library teacher at the school.
The specific charges Heikes is facing have not been publicized, because they have not been formally filed. She was taken to Antelope County Jail but later released on bail.
Heikes is the second WInside teacher to be accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student. Former Winside teacher Rachel McPhillips, 28, faces charges of child abuse and third-degree sexual assault for her relationship with a teenage student in 2021 and 2022.
NE: Winside teacher, Cali Heikes, 25, arrested for alleged relationship with student.
Her arrest comes as 28-year-old Rachel McPhillips, also a former Winside teacher, faces charges of child abuse and third-degree sexual assault.https://t.co/WDWJiJcJuO pic.twitter.com/BIxCYGpRjj
— Dalton (@DaltonReport) January 26, 2023
Over the course of the past year alone, a handful of teachers have been arrested on similar charges, including 25-year-old substitute teacher Alexis Mercedes Boberg in Baltimore, Beulah High School teacher Kelsie Schmidt in North Dakota, Rancocas Valley Regional High School teacher Alexandra Reiner in New Jersey, and 50-year-old Florida substitute teacher Angela Jean Stanton in Florida. Additionally, Texas teachers Meredith Null and Edna Longoria were arrested on similar charges.
As for why the number of these incidents has seemingly increased, studies suggest that smartphones are the primary reason for the spike in illicit relationships, as it allows teachers to communicate with the minors without supervision.
According to a report from the Texas Education Association, smartphones make it easy for teachers to privately text and talk with students and also make it possible for teachers and students to share explicit images.
