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Former Rocky River High School teacher, Maria Heyliger, was arrested by Mecklenburg County authorities for two counts of indecent liberties with a student, and two counts of s*xual activity with a child.
She appeared for her first court date in Mecklenburg County on Monday, August 7. WSOC TV noted that in at least one instance, she is said to have met up with an 18-year-old student at a Charlotte hotel.
Trigger warning: This article concerns an abuse investigation, the reader's discretion is advised
In response to the allegations, Maria Heyliger resigned from her English teaching position at Rocky River High on July 28. Heyliger remains under investigation on the charges. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the name of the victim has not been publicly released.
The timeline of the allegations against Maria Heyliger
As per school district records, Maria started working for Charlotte-Mecklenburg School in January 2019 as a licensed substitute teacher. By August 2019, she was working in the language arts department of Ridge Road Middle School. In 2020, she changed jobs once more and started working as a social studies teacher at Mint Hill Middle School.
On her LinkedIn page, Heyliger described her approach to teaching:
"Provides all students the best education available anywhere, preparing every child to lead a rich and productive life in the 21 st century. Creates a culture of effectiveness, by setting high standards and expectations for all students."
Heyliger's LinkedIn also indicates that prior to her teaching career, she had been an outreach specialist at Atrium Health. She has previously worked in at least two banks as a lead teller.
CBS reported that in August 2021, Maria Heyliger resigned from her job at Mint Hill Middle School for undisclosed reasons. After that, she accepted a new position at Rocky River High School, starting in January 2022.
Authorities stated that while at the high school, she began an inappropriate relationship with at least one 18-year-old student. However, the charges also mention illicit activity with a minor. It remains unknown whether there were other alleged victims, or if Heyliger is accused of abusing the student before they became a legal adult.
On July 28, 2023, the initial police report was filed against the 33-year-old. WSOCTV noted that she resigned the same day. She set up a meeting with the 18-year-old student outside of school between May and June of 2022, according to the police report. Officials have not discussed the origins of the complaint against the teacher. However, they said that the student's parents have been informed of the allegations.
After being arrested for the accusations, Maria Heyliger posted a bond on August 4.
