Recently, former Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District junior high teacher Cornelius Smith was arrested for sexually assaulting a female student. During a series of sexual encounters with Smith, the 15-year-old victim was also impregnated by her former speech teacher.
The girl, whose identity is being withheld due to her status as a minor, stated she became pregnant by Smith at her parent’s home over spring break, though Smith gives a conflicting account.
Throughout Christmas holiday intermission, Smith and the minor flirted and chatted almost daily via Kik (a popular text-messaging platform). By February, Smith was meeting his victim outside of school as he engaged in a physical relationship with her, according to the minor.
As the encounters continued to escalate, on June 2 the teenager contacted her former teacher to tell him she thought she may be pregnant. According to Euless Police officials, the teenager’s pregnancy was later confirmed.
An affidavit presented to the Washington Post by ABC affiliate WFAA states Cornelius Smith offered to provide the minor with aid concerning pregnancy options, depending “if she was going to have the child or have an abortion,” but “he would have to take his wife and child to East Texas first.”
The affidavit stated the minor then notified her parents concerning the pregnancy. Immediately after, Smith confirmed to the stunned couple he believed himself to be the unborn child’s father.
In Smith’s arrest warrant affidavit, which the Star-Telegram obtained Friday, the victim and accused presented differing versions of how the pregnancy transpired.
Smith first presented his testimony June 3 at the Euless Police Department. The former teacher and coach was accompanied by the girl’s mother, father and aunt, who spoke only Spanish.
While Smith was informed he did not have to speak with police, he nevertheless consented to an interrogation. Smith told a detective “he had sexual intercourse with the student once for about 10 seconds in the parking lot of a vacant 99 Cent Store on May 11 and did not believe he had ejaculated. Smith indicated he did not use a condom and that sex was difficult because it was her first time.”
After Cornelius Smith’s interview commenced, the teenager spoke with police, stating Smith would email her third-period teacher to let her go to Smith’s classroom during his conference period. They would kiss, and she described how they talked about oral sex. She admitted to performing oral sex on him, but told officials she did not want him to perform oral sex on her.
During spring break in March, the minor said the two had oral sex and sexual intercourse at her house “on more than one occasion” usually after 5 p.m. when her parents were away. She said Smith told her he used a condom.
After telling Smith of a suspected pregnancy on June 2, multiple test kits showed positive results. Smith then took her to a local pregnancy center where the girl’s pregnancy was confirmed.
Cornelius Smith turned himself in to police last month. Smith was charged with sexual assault of a child under age 17 and released on $75,000 bail. Smith also resigned from his teaching position upon learning the school district was undertaking proceedings to terminate his employment.
Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District spokeswoman Deanna Hullender spoke with the Star-Telegram.
“The human resources department met with him immediately and indicated to him the district’s intent to terminate his employment. When presented with this information, Mr. Smith resigned.”
Hullender continued.
“The district is cooperating with the local police and immediately notified the State Board for Educator Certification. The district has also reached out to the family of the victim to provide support for the student and her family.”
The victim’s father told authorities the pregnancy clinic his daughter visited on June 13 confirmed she was eight weeks pregnant.
Per school district documents, Cornelius Smith was a first-year teacher who had no prior arrest record.
[Image via Creative-AP Stock]