Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Police report: Mom knew about girl’s alleged relationship with teacher

Jonathan Scheaffer

Jonathan Scheaffer

During her monthslong relationship with a Desert Pines High School teacher, a student searched the Internet for the definition of an abusive relationship, according to a Metro Police arrest report.

That is because Jonathan Scheaffer, 23, a science teacher at Desert Pines, once grabbed her by the neck and choked her until she couldn’t breathe after she “playfully” bit him, the girl told police. She said her neck was “messed up all week,” police said.

She said another incident occurred at the school, where she grabbed a computer mouse from Scheaffer when he wouldn’t get up from playing a game and he shoved her so hard two students had to catch her, according to the report.

Scheaffer was arrested Wednesday on multiple counts of a sexual act between a school employee and a pupil 16 to 17 years old, police said.

The relationship reportedly began in about November 2014, when the girl was 16, and continued through about June 2015, police said.

Scheaffer met the teen during a club meeting at school, and he told police he developed a crush on her, the report said. The girl said she was “dumbfounded” when he told her about it, because “she never thought a teacher would be interested in her,” the report said.

The girl’s mother learned about the relationship from her daughter and asked to talk with Scheaffer with the intention of scaring him away, the report said.

When Scheaffer met the mother, she said did not agree with the relationship but told the pair that if there was going to be one, it had to take place at her house, where the girl would be “safe,” the report said.

Scheaffer told the woman how much he cared about her daughter and that he would help the girl with scholarships and schooling, the report said.

The couple engaged in sex acts the girl alleged Scheaffer pressured her into, according to the report.

She said she had never been in a relationship before and was “confused,” the report said.

Once when she turned down Scheaffer’s attempts to have sex without a condom, the girl said, he told her he was a premed student and knew her body better than she did, the report said. She said he told her that if she got pregnant, he would take her to get an abortion, the report said.

The inappropriate contact happened at two of his apartments, the girl’s home and at school, police said.

They never had intercourse, both Scheaffer and the girl told police, according to the report.

The girl eventually revealed the relationship to a substitute teacher, who reported it to authorities, police said.

Scheaffer was arraigned Monday on 11 counts of sexual acts with a student and was scheduled to appear at a bail hearing on Wednesday.

Defense attorney Louis Schneider told the court his client’s relationship with the girl was consensual and that the couple had permission from the girl’s mother.

Scheaffer is no longer employed with the Clark County School District. He resigned when the 2015-2016 school year ended.

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