Tennessee Teacher Guilty of Statutory Rape

(Knoxville, Tennessee) A 35-year-old business teacher, Dianne Dubay Dieterich, pleaded guilty yesterday in Knox County Criminal Court to statutory rape of a 17-year-old Knoxville Catholic High School student. Dieterich taught at Knoxville Catholic until August 2007 when she was terminated.

Dieterich's guilty plea, a last-minute addition to the Friday docket of Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz, was part of an agreement between Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Charme Knight and defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs. In return, the married mother of two will receive four years probation with the chance of clearing her record if she stays out of trouble.

Details of the relationship with the 17-year-old were not disclosed.

Rich Haglund, general counsel for the Tennessee Board of Education, said Friday that Dieterich's case would be reviewed for consideration of license revocation.


[Update 11/29/07]

Dieterich reported pregnant by student.