Teacher had baby with student and had sex with other boys, cops say

A Redlands high school teacher arrested this week after giving birth to a baby allegedly fathered by one of her students may have had inappropriate sexual relationships with three students from two different schools, authorities say.

Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst, 28, joined the Redlands Unified School District six years ago as an English teacher at Redlands High School and allegedly began sexual relationships with two boys, one as young as 14, authorities say.

Whitehurst was arrested Monday night in an alleged sexual relationship with a then 16-year-old Citrus Valley High School student that lasted nearly a year, authorities said. Whitehurst gave birth on June 18 to a son fathered by that student, said Cmdr. Shawn Ryan of the Redlands Police Department. Whitehurst remains free on $25,000 bail.

Redlands police launched their investigation after the student’s mother alerted school officials.

San Bernardino County prosecutors say they have been in contact with Redlands police and expect to review possible charges early next week.

Since her arrest, other former students have come forward.

Police said a 20-year-old man told detectives that he began his relationship with her in the fall of 2007 when he was a 14-year-old freshman, Redlands police said.

He said he and Whitehurst had sex in her classroom before school, in her apartment and in her car, said Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker. He told police the relationship ended in early 2008.

Another alleged victim, now 22, told police he had a sexual relationship with the teacher while she taught him at Redlands High. He said the relationship took place when he was a junior at the high school in 2007 and 2008, according to Baker.

The man told authorities the relationship began after a discussion about an English paper about dreams and she told him she had a dream about kissing him. Whitehurst left Redlands High in 2009, and worked at another school before going to Citrus Valley High.

The 28-year-old teacher attended school in Redlands before graduating from UC Santa Barbara. She has also served as the Girls Varsity assistant soccer coach. Her father was a senior administrator at the school district.

She has been placed on leave by the Redlands Unified School District.

The investigation into Whitehurst is ongoing and authorities are asking anyone with additional information to contact Det. Natasha Crawford at (909) 798-7623.

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