Why was the Yucaipa High School teacher arrested? Tracy Vanderhulst accused of having an inappropriate relationship with student

The local authorities arrested 38-year-old Tracy Vanderhulst, a Yucaipa High School teacher, on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of child abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.

Yucaipa Police Department, in the official statement, revealed that Vanderhulst was arrested on Thursday night at around 11:00 pm after allegations of unlawful s*xual intercourse with a minor came to light. The local police have maintained confidentiality around the victim's identity, but have mentioned that he is a 16-year-old student at Yucaipa High.

They said:

"Detectives identified Yucaipa High School teacher, Tracy Vanderhulst, as the suspect. At the conclusion of the investigation, Vanderhulst was arrested and booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino for violation of PC 261.5(c) in lieu of $30,000 bail."

The California teacher has been booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. Per the findings of the Specialized Investigations Division of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Vanderhulst is being charged with statutory r*pe due to the violation of Penal Code 261.5(c). Her bail has been set at $30,000.

---

Authorities suspect the Yucaipa High School teacher Tracy Vanderhulst has multiple victims

The former teacher at Yucaipa High School, who has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student, might have additional victims, according to the investigators on the case. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's detectives have also released the teacher's booking photograph to notify the general public about the case.

The sheriff's department has also confirmed in the statement that:

"Investigators and the Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District worked cooperatively to ensure a thorough investigation into this matter was completed"

The victim is a 16-year-old male student of Yucaipa High School (Image via Yucaipa High)

Tracy Vanderhulst, who was accused of having unlawful s*xual intercourse with a minor, was reportedly awarded "teacher of the year" in 2017 at Yucaipa High School, according to multiple local media outlets. A 2013 Facebook post from the high school's official page has also hinted at Vanderhulst joining the institution in the same year as a mathematics teacher.

For those unaware, the institution in question is a high school in Yucaipa in the Western US state of California. Besides Yucaipa, the eponymous high school also serves Calimesa and the community of Oak Glen.

---

What is the violation of Penal Code 261.5(c)?

According to CA.gov, a person is charged with violating Penal Code 261.5(c) when he or she "engages in an act of unlawful s*xual intercourse with a minor who is more than three years younger than the perpetrator." According to the PC, the culprit is "guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony."

Under the Law of California, guilty of the mentioned case, statutory r*pe [violation of PC 261.5(c)] shall be "punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170."

---

Authorities have asked those with information on the case involving Tracy Vanderhulst to contact Detective Rachel Young from San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's Specialized Investigations Division - Crimes Against Children Detail at (909) 890-4904. Furthermore, the callers can maintain anonymity via We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) and can also report the information on We-Tip Hotline via www.wetip.com.