Teacher Sex Arrests

Florida Arrested Community still talking about shocking arrests of two Florida panhandle teachers accused of having sex with underage males

by Pat Peterson

Published: Fri, August 07, 2009 - 4:50 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, August 07, 2009 - 7:07 pm CST

In a community known for agriculture and farming, the arrests fo two Jay High School teachers accused of having sex with male juveniles, is nearly impossible to imagine. People living in this quiet, little town in Northern Santa Rosa County wonder why April Watson and Ashley Burkett put their careers...and possibly their freedom....in jeopardy. Both teachers have each been charged with three counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Both teachers taught Jay High senior Tanner Laney. Laney says the teachers were active in extra-curricular activities.

"I was pretty shocked, I didn't ever think nothing like that would happen at Jay, it's a really good school. Everybody knows everybody and didn't expect anything like that to happen," says Laney. "I was the mascot for cheer-leading and I knew them pretty well, they were volleyball coaches and cheer-leading."

School officials would not talk to News 5 about the investigation nor would they confirm whether or not the teachers are still employed with the school system.

Watson and Burkett have both posted 50-thousand dollars bond and have been released with electronic ankle monitoring systems.

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rioaguanegra Says:

Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 8:15 am

That’s not the first time that’s happened in Jay. Do your research and you will find that there have been two other incidents. One of them involved a male coach and the other was a female high school teacher.

shrimpfire Says:

Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 1:50 pm

They were put in a place of trust and violated that trust: put them in jail and make them pay for everything, as far as money goes.

KxVicious Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 9:25 am

I thought the age of consent in Florida was something like 15 or 16…Are you trying to tell me these teachers had THREE threesomes with 13 or 14 year olds?

Doesn’t that make them pedophiles?

jchndlr Says:

Sat, Aug 08, 2009 at 3:56 am

I know I’d love to electronically monitor their ankles. Though I wont say or suggest exactly what we’d be doing at the time. Oh, of all the teachers I’ve had affairs with while I was considered underage, not a single one was ever quite as blonde like these..