Teacher Charged with Sex Assault on Boy

(Spring Valley, Illinois) Hall High School biology teacher Gina Purvis, 29, faces aggravated sexual assault charges for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old male student. Purvis was indicted last December and since then her case has taken more twists and turns than a Cedar Point roller coaster. First, the judge was replaced, followed by new charges being filed. There have been allegations of withholding evidence, claims that the alleged victim was lying, accusations that another teacher is involved, and suggestions that the whole case is the result of revenge for something. The case has been somewhat of a test of stamina for the prosecution, the defense, and the court.

Frankly, I've become frustrated trying to figure out what the exact status is. The only thing I'm relatively sure of is that the court is as confused as I am. Purvis has pleaded innocent to the felony sex charges against her which, by the way, carry potential penalties of dozens of years in prison. All the legalities are supposed to be sorted out by the defense before June 16 with a trial date set for June 27.

In a nutshell, it appears that the allegations against Purvis may have been part of a gossip-prone, close-knit, small-town pissing-contest which started with something relatively minor and has grown to be a major court battle.