Police have arrested a teacher in Connecticut who is accused of sexually assaulting a boy over a two-year-span, after he came forward about the alleged relationship and the fear he might be the father of her baby, according to police.
Stratford police booked Michelle Sulzicki, 28, on charges of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, illegal sexual contact with a minor and risk of injury to a minor.
The investigation began on Sept. 24 when the student, who is now in high school, sought out help and said he had sex with a teacher's aide at his house when she tutored him at home in sixth and seventh grade, according to court records.
The teen said he and Sulzicki had sexual intercourse, as well as oral sex and anal sex, between 15 and 20 times over two years starting when he was 12, and that Sulzicki sometimes brought condoms for him to wear, but not always, according to the affidavit.
Soon after the last sexual encounter, the teen said he learned Sulzicki was pregnant and he was not sure if he was the father, according to court documents.
When police questioned Sulzicki, she first denied having a sexual relationship with the victim, then admitted to having sex with him once in his bedroom when he was in sixth grade, the affidavit says.
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She went on to tell police that she did not charge the boy's family for the tutoring sessions and admitted to buying gifts and clothing for the boy, according to police.
Sulzicki is being held in police custody because she could not post $100,000 bond and was taken to Superior Court in Bridgeport. It's not clear if she has an attorney.
"Outraged and appalled are the only words that can describe these very disturbing allegations being made regarding the inappropriate conduct of a teacher with a student," Supt. Dr. Janet Robinson said during a news conference. "As soon as there was an indication of a possible crime, our immediate response was to remove that teacher from any further contact with any of our students."
Sulzicki was placed on administrative leave when the allegations surfaced, and Robinson said she is moving toward terminating Sulzicki's employment.
Sulzicki has been with the school district since 2010. She was a teacher's aide, but has worked as a teacher for the last three years, Robinson said. Most recently, she worked at Chapel Street Elementary School. It wasn't immediately clear which school or schools the student attended during the relationship.
"We've been told by investigators that no impropriety occurred on school property and that this happened after school hours, Nonetheless, there is zero tolerance for this type of behavior," Robinson said.
Chapel Street Elementary School Principal Carla Armistead sent a letter to parents and guardians on Wednesday addressing the recent news.
"A recent story was reported in the news media describing an alleged case of impropriety by one of our teachers on staff," Armistead said. "When Stratford Public Schools first learned of the allegations, the teacher in question was immediately removed from the building and was placed on administrative leave. Our first priority will always be to protect children. There is an on-going investigation into the allegation and given that we do not know all the facts in the case, it is important to let the case be adjudicated in the court of law"
"The faculty and staff at Chapel Street Elementary School are shocked and saddened by these recent events," Armistead continued. "Our focus will continue to be on providing a safe, caring, learning environment for all Chapel students. If students should inquire about current events as reported by the news media, our response will be aligned with the law that has prevailed for many years in our country, which affords all U.S. citizens the fundamental protection of presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and this message will be followed up with ensuring students that they are safe"
According to Robinson, the student went to the school Sulzicki worked in, but he was not one of her students.
