A 32-year-old female Bentonville High School teacher accused of having sex with a student may have believed the sex was legal because the boy turned 18 that day, according to records filed in the case Wednesday.
Melissa Gayle Monroe of 7 Largley Lane in Bella Vista posted a $5,000 bond Wednesday afternoon for release from the Benton County Jail.
Bentonville police arrested Monroe on Tuesday on charges of second-degree sexual assault and furnishing alcohol to a minor. She is to be arraigned March 31 before Benton County Senior Circuit Judge Tom Keith.
The young man went to her house on a January evening while her husband was out of town, according to a probable cause affidavit submitted by Detective Mark Jordan. The boy later told police they had sex and he stayed the night.
Monroe was suspended with pay from the district, school officials said.
According to the affidavit, Monroe sent a text message to a fellow teacher at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 that read, "Help! I've made the worst decision of my life. And I don't know what to do." Monroe said that January night she was drinking and texting with a student. She said the student wanted to come over but she told him no. Eventually, he came over and they had sex three times.
Later that evening, Monroe texted, "You don't hate me do you?" and "At least he was legal. Haha," the affidavit says.
On Feb. 16, Monroe texted she was going to a birthday party for another student, although the fellow teacher warned her not to go.
Tuesday morning, the fellow teacher went to Principal Steve Jacoby and police were summoned. The student was interviewed and confirmed he had sex with his teacher. The student claimed she invited him over that night and he drank a couple of her beers, the affidavit says.
Monroe initially denied the allegations but then admitted having sex with the student, the affidavit states. Police asked her if the boy forced himself on her, and she said no.
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