Two teenage girls have been arrested, accused of trying to frame a high school teacher.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre and Lafourche Parish Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin announced that the girls, ages 16 and 15, are facing charges for trying to make it appear that a teacher sent inappropriate messages to a student.
The investigation began in December, when juvenile detectives got a report about a Central Lafourche High School teacher sending in appropriate messages to a 16-year-old student. That girl and her 15-year-old friend were allegedly having conversations about inappropriate messages from a teacher on an online instant messaging platform.
For two weeks detectives conducted interviews and got search warrants for phones and messaging accounts. What they found was the two girls allegedly fabricated messages, created fake accounts and shared screenshots with friends - all in an attempt to frame this teacher.
But the investigation proved the teacher had not sent any messages or photos to the girls and, in fact, had no involvement. The teacher was actually proven to be the crime victim and has been cleared of all allegations. One of the two students allegedly admitted to their involvement in the crime.
On January 6, 2025, both girls were booked with one count each of false swearing for the purpose of violating public health or safety (felony), cyberstalking, and online impersonation. They were placed on electronic monitoring and released to the custody of their parents.
Webre issued a warning to anyone considering similar crimes.
“Our juvenile detectives are diligent and take claims of inappropriate behavior very seriously,” said Sheriff Webre. “They are, however, equally serious about false claims. Someone’s life can be instantly ruined by a false allegation, and I am proud that our investigators were able to get to the bottom of this. Technology has made it very easy for people to try to manipulate the truth, but technology also makes it easy for investigators to ultimately find the truth.”
"We are shocked and appalled to learn of the actions of two of our students,” added Superintendent Martin. “The allegations against one of our teachers were false and malicious, and we appreciate the efficiency of investigators in uncovering the source of these messages. Such attacks on a teacher’s credibility and reputation are concerning and can inhibit their ability to effectively educate our children. We are committed to investigating all allegations of misconduct in order to provide a safe environment conducive to learning and working for all of our students and staff."
