She first met the teenage student at Omaha Burke High School before she was caught with him in the early morning hours of April 13.
The Nebraska teacher accused of sexually abusing a teenage student appeared disheveled in a new mugshot before her first court appearance, during which bail was set at $25,000. Erin Ward, 45, appeared dazed and disheveled in a mugshot released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office three days after her arrest.
Ward appeared in Douglas County Court on Tuesday, wearing an orange jumpsuit, to face one charge of felony sexual abuse by a school employee. The substitute teacher who was caught naked in a car with a teenage student is a mother who is married to a high-ranking federal government employee who attended Harvard, according to records and social media accounts.
Face Says It All
“Ma’am, you are charged with a Class IIA felony. That is punishable by up to 20 years in jail, up to a $10,000 fine, or both. Do you understand the possible consequences here?” a judge asked in a clip posted by KETV.
Ward responded with a “yes” when the judge mentioned the possibility of her being required to enroll in the state sex offender registry if convicted.
Ward showed up with her lawyer, Jerry Hug, for the brief hearing. Her next court date is in May.
The married mother of three admitted to having sex with the 17-year-old student after they were found in the backseat of Ward’s and her husband’s Department of Defense vehicle.
