Math teacher threatened to lower teen student’s grades if he refused sex: Lawsuit

A South Carolina teacher who was arrested last year for her alleged sexual relationship with a teen student reportedly docked the victim’s grade if he refused sex.

The Post and Courier reported that the student and his parent filed a lawsuit Thursday in Charleston County circuit court, accusing the Charleston County School District of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The student was victimized by Burke High School math teacher Jennifer Danielle Olajire-Aro, 27, who coerced him into sex on multiple occasions between November and December 2017, according to the lawsuit.

Olajire-Aro was arrested in late December and charged with sexual battery of a student 16 or 17 years of age. Her criminal case is currently pending. The teen’s attorneys said it was in December when the teacher lowered their client’s math grade from December 2017 a 98 to an 89.

“Each time Plaintiff John Doe would dismiss Aro’s advances and requests to perform sexual intercourse with her, Aro would remind Plaintiff John Doe that she alone controlled what grade he would receive in her class,” the lawsuit stated, adding that the teen would skip math class to avoid her.

The math teacher is accused of forcing the teen to have sex with her on school grounds, in her car, at her home and, on at least one instance, in front of her 10-month-old baby. The teen reportedly told his mother about the illicit relationship after his final grade was submitted for the semester—resulting in Olajire-Aro’s arrest three days before winter break, according to the newspaper.

Aro used her age and position of authority to induce Plaintiff John Doe into believing that she was a caring, trusting, and thoughtful individual to advance her prurient sexual interest in Plaintiff John Doe,” the suit read, according to WCSC.

Charleston County Schools issued a statement Friday indicating that Olajire-Aro was no longer employed by the district as of January 22, 2018.

[Featured Image: Jennifer Danielle Olajire-Aro/Cannon Detention Center]