ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says a former Rochester High School teacher who is charged with having sexual relationships with students also partied with them.
Kathryn Houghtaling, 27, was charged with six counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct in the case. She was arraigned on those charges Friday in Rochester and given a $200,000 cash surety bond with no 10 percent.
It all started when a parent found a video of a group of students partying with a teacher and wanted to let the school administration know. A student learned of the information and came forward about Houghtaling to school administrators.
Detectives were sent out to Rochester High School to begin investigating, and during an interview, Houghtaling told them she had sexual contact with both a 16-year-old male student and 17-year-old male student. She was immediately fired by the district.
According to deputies, the incidents happened in November and December 2018 outside of the school. They say Houghtaling also drank alcohol with the students and smoked marijuana with them outside of school hours.
Deputies say multiple students were interviewed about their sexual contact with Houghtaling.
A statement released by Superintendent Robert Shaner of Rochester Community Schools Thursday afternoon reads:
Today, the Rochester Community School District was notified by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office that former Rochester High School Teacher Kathryn Houghtaling will be arraigned Friday morning on charges of criminal sexual conduct. The charges are related to an alleged incident involving inappropriate conduct with students after school hours.↵↵As soon as the District learned of the alleged incidents on Tuesday, an investigation was conducted, which resulted in Houghtaling’s immediate termination.↵↵The safety and welfare of our students and staff is always our primary concern. We are thankful for our partnership with the Rochester Police Department, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and our security consultants who provide us with the necessary guidance to make informed decisions.↵↵The District fully cooperated with law enforcement officials throughout the investigation. In order to protect the integrity of the criminal investigation process, the District did not publicly disclose any information that could have a negative impact on the case while the investigation was pending.↵↵Rochester Community Schools is committed to providing a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment for every student. District personnel are required to meet the highest standards of personal integrity, professionalism, and performance. Employees whose conduct or performance falls short of expectations will be subject to disciplinary action, or in this case, termination.↵↵All members of our school community will experience an environment where they are safe, valued, and respected. Our support staff of counselors, social workers and psychologists are available to provide ongoing support for students and staff who are struggling with processing this disturbing information.↵↵We also appreciate your support to encourage your son or daughter to talk to a trusted adult if they see, hear, or experience something that doesn’t seem right. They can also anonymously report information using OK2SAY at www.michigan.gov/ok2say.
