Guidance Counselor Found Dead - Updated

(Pine Grove, Pennsylvania) Sad news! Former guidance counselor Heather N. Cook, 33, facing multiple child corruption charges, was found dead at her home from an apparent suicide.

Death was pronounced at 4:21 pm Thursday. Cook reportedly left a note. According to Schuylkill County Coroner Joseph Lipsett, the note didn't explain why she took her own life.

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Fall-Out from Lesbian Teacher-Student Case - Updated
[Previous 4/18/10 post]
(Pine Grove, Pennsylvania) Another teacher has been caught up in the Heather Cook scandal. Art teacher and girls' basketball coach Pam Ryan was suspended by the Pine Grove Area school board for allegedly having knowledge of Heather Cook's reported relationship with a student and Ryan failed to report it.

Ryan strongly denies the allegation and accused the school board of labeling her "guilty by association."

"Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Ryan asked the board. "I've dedicated half of my life to this program. I have not been given a solid reason" for the suspension."

The school board tabled the motion to find a new girls' basketball coach pending further investigation. Ryan indicated that her suspension may be unlawful.

(h/t Lame)

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Lesbian Teacher-Student Case
[Previous 3/13/10 post]
(Pine Grove, Pennsylvania) A 33-year-old guidance counselor at Pine Grove High School, Heather N. Cook, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in a two-year sexual relationship with a female student, starting when the girl was 16.

Cook has been charged with multiple counts of misdemeanor corruption of minors. Disturbingly, no clarification has been provided to explain why such an outrageous betrayal of trust coupled with an extended series of child sex crimes are classified as misdemeanor offenses.

According to Pine Grove Detective Thomas Trotter, the now 19-year-old victim prepared a 53-page statement describing the relationship with Cook.

The teen told police she began meeting with Cook for counseling for problems she was having at home and in her personal life, and that a rapport developed between the two.

The following school year, when the girl was a senior, she would continue to meet Cook in the counselor's office, where Cook would close the door, hold herself against the girl, kiss her and tell her how beautiful she was, Trotter said in his affidavit of probable cause.

The meetings continued at locations off school grounds and Cook began taking the girl out of the state and purchasing items for her, including cigarettes, jewelry, clothing, flowers, a camera and a book of lesbian love poems, the detective said.

Cook also wrote two letters or love poems to the teen and the original student-counselor relationship eventually turned sexual.

Trotter said the girl began spending nights at Cook's home, where the two would sleep in the same bed and Cook manipulated her into engaging in sexual acts between three and five times a week.

Reportedly, investigators suspect there may be other victims.

Cook was booked into custody and released on $25,000 unsecured bond. She has been suspended without pay from her teaching position.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.