Okaloosa County middle school teacher in Florida allegedly abused a 15-year-old minor by starting a sexual relationship, according to local deputies on Friday. The defendant, Hayley Hallmark, 35, has been arrested by authorities.

Hallmark was described as not only a teacher, but a coach at Ruckel Middle School in the city of Niceville. Deputies claim that the relationship lasted for about two year, which was from August 2018 to August 2020. The minor was only 15 when it started.

The interaction between Hallmark and the minor allegedly began with texting, which became sexting, and then turned into physical, according to a Law and Crime report.

Authorities said this became known to them after the teenager told a teacher at Niceville High School on Thursday. The claims were then relayed to the school resource officer.

The Okaloosa County School District released a statement, saying that they put Hallmark on administrative leave after learning claims of abuse against her. The school district added that they started working with the Department of Children and Families, as well as deputies in the investigation.

Superintendent Marcus Chambers will recommend to the school board that Hallmark be suspended without pay, while pending the result of investigations and criminal proceedings.

Chambers said that Okaloosa County teachers represent the highest standard of professionalism, ethics, and morality.

"When an educator fails to live up to that high standard, we're all impacted. Student safety and well-being is our highest priority, and we expect our employees' conduct to be consistent with that priority," Chambers was quoted on a report.

Hallmark was arrested on Friday and acharged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a student by an authority figure. She is currently being held without bond in Okaloosa County Jail, according to an NBC Miami report.

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Probe in The Case

The student said she and Hallmark had multiple sexual encounters in Hallmark's classroom and at each of their homes. The minor then allowed an investigator access to her cellphone, wherein the investigator confirmed that there was an inappropriate relationship, as stated under court documents.

"Numerous sexual acts occurring at Ruckel Middle School, in the defendant's classroom when she helped coach the soccer team after school," according to arrest reports.

The arrest report further revealed that the defendant and student would tilt the classroom camera away and lean against the classroom door so no one could enter, according to a WKRG New 5 report.

Hallmark's arrest report showed a forensic interview was done with the Child Advocacy Center during the investigation. It reveals that the student was in 8th grade when text exchanges took place.

The student then was in 9th grade when those texts turned into sexting.

Abuse of Authority

Meanwhile, a middle school teacher in Louisiana was also charged after having sex multiple times with a 15-year-old student at her home, while her child was also in the residence, according to authorities.

The suspect in this case was Ellarea Silva, 34, wherein she surrendered to officials after allegations surfaced that she had sex with the teen eight- or nine-times last summer at her home, according to a New York Post report.

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