A former Southern York County teacher, who also previously worked in a neighboring district, kissed a student in a classroom, and the two exchanged sexually explicit photos, police allege.
Southern York County Regional Police said former Susquehannock High School teacher Emily Lehneis, 30, of Hanover, was charged with solicitation to production of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, obscenity, institutional sexual assault and corruption of minors. As reported by PennLive.com, Lehneis pleaded guilty to the charges.
Lehneis Kissed the Student in the Classroom, Stuck Name Tag on Student's Pubic Area
Southern Regional Police received concerns in January about a possible inappropriate sexual relationship between Lehneis and a high school student, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police interviewed the student, who told police that she had befriended and developed a relationship with the teacher. The two communicated through phone calls, text messages, Snapchat and Instagram. The conversations ranged from life in general to flirtatious and sexually explicit talk about each other, the affidavit states.
In September 2022, the student was visiting Lehneis' classroom in between school hours and sports practice. The teen told police she was "stunned" when the teacher gave her a long mouth-to-mouth kiss as she was about to leave. She said she didn't know how to respond and left. She told police she was not OK with it.
The student "went on to say that she never thought her first kiss would be from a teacher," the affidavit states. In the classroom, on another occasion, the teacher placed a stick-on name tag on the student's pubic area in a flirtatious way, the affidavit states.
Lehneis Even Asked the Student to be Her Secret Girlfriend, Sent Her Sexually Explicit Photos
In mid-October, Lehneis asked the student to be her secret girlfriend, and the student agreed, the affidavit states. The teen said she knew it was inappropriate, and after a week or two, she told the teacher she could no longer be her secret girlfriend.
The teen reported receiving and sending nude or sexually explicit photos between the two of them, the affidavit states. Police searched the student's cell phone and found several sexually explicit photographs and/or videos of Lehneis on Snapchat.
The state Department of Education suspended her teacher certification last month, according to its website.
Lehneis, who worked as a special education teacher at Susquehannock High School, resigned from the district on Jan. 27, according to school board minutes. Lehneis is scheduled for sentencing in December.
