Minnesota teacher Paul Joseph Johnson at c Voyageurs Expeditionary School harged with having sex with student, 16

It’s happening in the south, north east, out west and in this case in the Mid west.  Teachers are crossing the line getting sexually involved with their students across the country.  

Minnesota Star Tribune reports a north-central Minnesota high school math teacher and adviser was charged Friday with having sex with one of his female students on at least three occasions, once at a Twin Cities hotel and two other times in his car.


Paul Joseph Johnson, 48, of Backus, Minn., was charged in Beltrami County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the 16-year-old girl from Bemidji, Minn.
Johnson was arrested Wednesday evening, appeared in court Friday and remains jailed.
A statement from Voyageurs Expeditionary School in Bemidji said Johnson “has been placed on unpaid administrative leave effective immediately” as the investigation continues.

Johnson’s bio posted on the charter school’s website said this is his fifth year at Voyageurs and added that he is married, and has three grown children and four grandchildren.

According to the criminal complaint, the girl told sheriff’s investigators that she had been “involved in a romantic sexual relationship [with Johnson] for quite some time” that included sexual intercourse.

One encounter occurred in October while Johnson was in a Twin Cities hotel while in the metro area for a teachers conference, she said.

More here

This is one of the few cases I’ve seen where the teacher is placed on unpaid leave.  Most teachers around the country get paid leave.