A teacher of the year from Yucaipa High School in San Bernardino County, California has been arrested on charges of statutory rape on a 16-year-old student.
Tracy Vandehulst, 38, was accused of engaging in sexual relations with the minor student, who is said to be enrolled at the school. She was apprehended by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department after a thorough investigation. Her bail was set to $30,000.
The Sheriff’s Department believes that other victims may exist and is encouraging anyone with more information on the incident to step forward.
Vandehulst had worked at the high school since 2013 and was notably named as Teacher of the Year there in 2017.
Yucaipa High School had taken to their Facebook page after the arrest, expressing sadness at the situation and vowing to stand by their students in this case of alleged abuse.
This former Math teacher’s alleged actions have shocked the faculty and students alike and, as with any case of teacher-student impropriety, an immeasurable amount of hurt has been inflicted.