A former Wisconsin high school teacher faces charges after being accused of having sex with a student in a high school parking lot.
Rebecca Ryan, 43, of Neenah, Wisconsin - a teacher at Appleton West High School – is the subject of a criminal complaint and is facing three counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff, which are listed as Class H felonies and carry a potential prison sentence of up to six years and/or $10,000 in fines if convicted.
Ryan, Student Had Sex the First Time in the School Parking Lot
According to the complaint said that each of the counts stemmed from alleged sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student on or around Sept. 1, 2017, through to around Jan. 1, 2018.
The complaint stated, the alleged victim, who is now 25 years old, spoke with authorities in March 2025 and stated that he had sexual intercourse on multiple occasions. The victim told police the first time they had sex was in a vehicle in the overflow parking lot of Appleton West High School. He described two other encounters, which both took place in vehicles in different areas of Appleton.
Ryan Initially Claimed She Does Not Remember the Sexual Encounters, Then Denies Sleeping with the Victim
On April 15, 2025, the alleged victim and Appleton police officers had a phone call with Ryan, according to the outlet. Appleton police met with the teacher at her home and asked about the sexual encounters, at which time she initially claimed not to remember.
"I did not sleep with the victim," she told police, per the report. Ryan was arrested on April 29. The accused had an initial court hearing last Thursday, where her cash bond was set at $50,000.
She worked with the Appleton Area School District from 2016-18, but there were no reports or allegations involving her and inappropriate contact with students. "We are committed to partnering with the Appleton Police Department as needed to support any ongoing investigations," the district said in a statement.
