Glen Burnie High School Teacher Charged With Having Sex With Students
GLEN BURNIE, Md. (WJZ)-- A Glen Burnie High School teacher is accused of having sex with three students, and police say, some of the alleged abuse happened on campus.
Weijia Jiang has the reaction from parents, students and police.
The principal of Glen Burnie High says the accused teacher was a trusted member of the faculty and the entire community. But now, after these stunning allegations surfaced, he stands to lose his job, reputation, even his freedom.
Twenty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Sears, Jr. is described as being well-known and popular by his students and colleagues at Glen Burnie High School. An image that came crashing down Thursday when he was arrested for having sexual relationships with at least three female students between the ages of 15 and 16 years old.
"He actually borrowed my best friend's toner saying she had nice legs," said Stephanie Luber, a student at Glen Burnie High.
"As a mother, grandmother and someone who's spent my entire adult life in education, these charges make me absolutely sick to my stomach," said Patricia Nalley, president of the Board of Education.
Anne Arundel County education leaders and police reveal the encounters happened between November 2009 to October 2011, both on and off campus, sometimes even during regular school hours.
"It shows how much he was able to hide it because you didn't even suspect it was happening right next to you," said Ashley Hall, a Glen Burnie High School student. "And you can see it. When you look back and think about it, you can see how it was. You can start to connect those dots a little bit more."
Now, Sears faces a hefty list of charges including multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor, various sex offenses and perverted practice. He was removed from the school on Nov. 1 when the investigation unfolded.
Sears, an English teacher, was also an assistant coach for the boys junior varsity basketball team. Police say it was a fellow coach who reported him.
Students received a letter hashing out the gritty details, but parents demand more answers.
"You're trusting the teachers to watch over your children while you're at work expecting them to do the right thing," said Shawn Taylor, a parent whose child attends Glen Burnie High.
Sears had a bail review earlier on Thursday. The judge set it at $3 million-- $1 million for each of the alleged victims. Police say there may be other victims and urge anyone with information to come forward.
The superintendent says he will recommend Sears be suspended without pay as the investigation continues.
