CHINA GROVE, N.C. — A former China Grove Elementary School teacher has been accused of having sex with a student.
According to an arrest warrant, 28-year-old Brittany Leigh Howard was arrested and charged with two counts of statutory rape of a person 15 years of age or younger, two counts of statutory sex offense with a person 15 years or younger and two counts of sexual activity with a student.
The warrant states the offense took place in July 2017 while Howard was a teacher at China Grove Elementary School. According to the warrant, the victim was a student at the school.
Police said they were provided an anonymous tip on November 6 that a former teacher with Rowan-Salisbury Schools had a sexual relationship with a juvenile student, which led to the charges for Howard.
Rowan-Salisbury Schools said Howard was a teacher at China Grove Elementary, which encompasses kindergarten through fifth grade, from August 2012 to June 2013 and again from 2014 to 2018. Howard also served as a language arts teacher at West Rowan Middle School from August 2013 to June 2014.
The school district said Howard resigned in June 2018.
Linda Morgan, the mother of a second grader, said she was outraged to hear that a teacher was accused of inappropriate behavior with a student.
"People here are so friendly and nice, and it's so welcoming,” Morgan said. “And you just wouldn't think about people like doing that to children, and it's just not right."
China Grove police said the investigation is ongoing, and the department is still looking into the possibility of additional victims.
