A student has accused a special education teacher of molesting them during a tutoring session in Chicago.
According to a report by The New York Post, authorities took 30-year-old Christina Formella into custody on Sunday following a student’s disclosure that he had been molested in a classroom in December 2023.
According to The Post, Formella was the victim’s soccer coach and tutor. The alleged sexual assault took place in a classroom at Downers Grove South High School, near Chicago, before the start of the school day.
The publication reported that the victim was 15 years old when the alleged incident occurred.
“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing. It is alleged that she used her position of trust and authority as a tutor and a coach to sexually assault a minor student. The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated,” DuPage County Attorney Robert Berlin said, per The Post.
According to a report by The Daily Herald, the suspected abuse came to light when the child’s mother bought him a new phone and accessed his iCloud account. She found messages from the teacher detailing alleged sexual activities and discussing their relationship.
According to The Post, the victim and his mother approached the authorities. Formella, who tied the knot with her college sweetheart in August 2024, was arrested after being stopped by the police on Sunday.
Investigators reportedly found more evidence supporting the relationship, which the child claimed to have ended.
According to a report by The Herald, Formella obtained her teaching license in 2017 as a learning behavior specialist. The school’s principal, Arwen Lyp, mentioned in a statement to the outlet that Formella has been a teacher in the special services department since 2020.
Formella received a pretrial release on Monday and has been given a no-contact order with the boy or any individual under the age of 18, as reported by The Herald. She is prohibited from entering the high school, according to the report.
The district verified that Formella has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to a statement to The Herald.
