An Alabama high school teacher was found dead inside her Hillsboro home Saturday, just days after she was arrested for allegedly having sex with two students, Peoplereports.
Leslie Gillespie, 44, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with second-degree rape, second-degree sodomy, and two counts for being a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19. Gillespie, an English teacher at R.A. Hubbard High School, was released that same day after posting her $60,000 bond.
The Lawrence County coroner Scott Norwood “confirmed Leslie Gillespie died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot,” WAFF 48 reported.
Court records obtained by the same outlet show that a student claimed he and another male student had sex with Gillespie in her classroom in September 2020. At the time of the reported incident, the victims were 15 and 16 years old. The Lawrence County school district released a statement informing parents that it is conducting an investigation following her arrest.
“The Lawrence County school district has been made aware that an employee has been arrested. Our school district treats this type of situation with the highest level of care. District leaders are conducting an investigation into this matter and will support law enforcement as they do the same,” the statement reads. “While the district cannot provide any specific details at this time, we want to emphasize that there is nothing more important to Lawrence County Schools than the safety and well-being of our students. The district will work diligently and expediently to resolve the situation.”
