PE Teacher NOT Guilty of Sex Crimes - Updated

(Yakima, Washington) After a grueling two-week trial, physical education teacher at East Valley High School, Michele Taylor, was found not guilty by a jury on all counts.

Obviously, the jury found her accusers to be unconvincing.

The courtroom was quiet and tense as everyone waited for the jury. Then the verdict came out, not guilty.

Taylor and her family broke out in tears. She said there aren't words to describe what she was feeling.

"You almost feel like you can't breathe. That's the point where your life's going to change so it was difficult to even just breathe," said Michele Taylor.

Taylor was accused of having sex with a student and trying to seduce another. The accusations came out last summer and ever since, family and friends say life hasn't been the same.

"We're finally going to move on for the last year its been pure hell for our family," said Vickie Lamar, Taylor's mother.

Taylor said she wants to return to her teaching job. She has been on administrative leave.

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PE Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student
[Previous 9/10/09 post]
(Yakima, Washington) A 31-year-old physical education teacher at East Valley High School, Michele Taylor, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student in the Kmart parking lot and sending a suggestive photo to another boy.

Taylor faces one count of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor and two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

According to a detective’s report filed to support the charges, Taylor exchanged more than 400 text messages by phone with the two boys — ages 15 and 16 — from March to June.

In the messages, she said she found the boys attractive, including one comment that the younger boy would be “her type” if she was in high school, according to the sheriff’s report.

The younger boy said she raised the possibility of sending him a nude photo, then sent another suggestive photo of herself at a party.

The 16-year-old said he received only one phone call from Taylor. She arranged to meet him in May at the Kmart parking lot off State Route 24, where the boy said they had sex in the back of her truck.

Arraignment has been scheduled for October 16.