Teacher investigated for having student's baby

School police, in cooperation with Washoe County sheriff's deputies, have been talking with the pupil, who's now 17, as well as confidants of the teacher, according to district spokesman Steve Mulvenon. They are awaiting an opportunity to talk to her.

"She's been out of town for several weeks on medical emergency leave, so school police have not yet been able to interview her," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "She told our human resources office late last week that she intends to resign. We don't have the letter yet, but she will not be teaching at any school in our district."

Mulvenon said allegations that the woman had a child by the student five or six weeks ago began surfacing March 3 when Principal Tom Owens notified school police.

Mulvenon said it was not known if the student was in any of her classes. She transferred to Sparks High from Traner Middle School in 1994.

KOLO-TV reported that the woman was divorced with two other children. They quoted Mulvenon as saying the teen-ager was being treated as a victim in the case.

The 1997 Legislature made it a felony for a teacher to have sex with a student in response to an incident the year before where a teacher pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a Pahrump Valley High School pupil.

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