Charges Dropped After Ex-Teacher Marries Student

Prosecutors in Missouri have dropped a sex-crime charge against a former teacher who married the student she allegedly had sex with. Baylee Turner, now 26, was 23 in February 2019, when she was charged with having sexual contact with a male student at Sarcoxie High School. She taught English at the school, Fox 4 reports. Assistant prosecutor Nate Dally tells the Joplin Globe that the charge is being dismissed because Turner is now married to the student, whose age has not been disclosed.

Joplin says the case would now be extremely difficult to prosecute because spousal privilege applies, meaning Turner's former student cannot be compelled to testify against her. It's not clear whether the student was a minor at the time of the alleged sexual contact, but state law bans sexual contact between school district employees and students regardless of age. Dally says Turner, who was in her first year of teaching at the high school, has surrendered her state teaching license. She resigned from the school after her arrest and it's not clear when the marriage took place. KSN reports that Turner and her husband have moved out of Missouri. (More Missouri stories.)