Erin McAulliffe, a math teacher at Rocky Mount Prep in North Carolina, was arrested on charges she had sexual contact with three students. (Rocky Mount Police)
A North Carolina prep school math teacher is accused of sexually assaulting three male teen students, police say.
Erin McAuliffe, 25, was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of sexual activity with a student and one count of indecent liberties with a minor, WNCN-TV reports.
McAuliffe is no longer working for Rocky Mount Prep, the school said Friday, which was the last class day of the year for the public charter school.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. McAuliffe Is Accused of ‘Sexual Activity’ With Two 17-Year-Old Students & a 16-Year-Old Pupil
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
Erin Elizabeth McAuliffe, 25, was arrested Thursday and charged with three counts of sexual activity with a student and one count of indecent liberties with a minor, the Rocky Mount Telegram reports.
Rocky Mount Police said in a statement that the investigation into McAuliffe began on May 5 with Rocky Mount Prep administrators notified the department of a “possible inappropriate relationship at their campus,” according to the newspaper.
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
Police said, “The information from the school was related to a math teacher having inappropriate sexually related contact with three juvenile male students off campus.”
According to police, investigators interviewed numerous students and faculty members before the arrest was made on Thursday, June 8.
McAuliffe is accused of sexually assaulting two 17-year-old students and a 16-year-old pupil, according to WNCN-TV.
Further details about the case have not been released.
2. She Started Working as a Math Teacher at Rocky Mount Prep in 2016 & Was Fired in May
(Facebook)
Erin McAuliffe began working at Rocky Mount Preparatory School as a high school math teacher in August 2016, according to her Linkedin profile.
The school said Friday she was removed from the school on May 4 and fired on May 8, after school administrators learned about the accusations against her and reported them to police.
“We have been fully cooperative with local law enforcement during the course of their handling of this matter,” a statement from the school to WITN-TV said.
Her sister is also a teacher at Rocky Mount Prep.
(Facebook)
The Rocky Mount Prep job was the first time McAuliffe worked as a teacher full-time, according to her Linkedin profile.
According to her resume, at Rocky Mount, McAuliffe taught math III, advanced functions and pre-calculus. She also offered “after-school tutoring to help struggling students improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
McAuliffe also worked to “develop alternate enrichment activities and modifications in student programs to increase student understanding.”
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
In college, she worked as a supplementary instruction tutor, providing “classroom instruction in the absence of professors to support current curriculum and student needs.”
McAuliffe said she also “adapted (her) teaching style to fit the needs of individual students,” and “provided student feedback to professor regarding progress in class and identifying any potential teaching needs.”
She tutored students in math classes ranging from intro to college algebra to pre-calculus II.
McAuliffe wrote on Linkedin, “Experienced High School Mathematics Teacher with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Sales, Retail, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Customer Satisfaction.”
3. She Went to Methodist University, Where She Was in a Sorority & the Math Club
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
McAuliffe is a Rocky Mount, North Carolina, native, who graduated from Rocky Mount High School in 2010, according to her Linkedin profile and Facebook page.
After high school, McAuliffe went to Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and the math club, according to her Linkedin profile.
McAuliffe graduated in 2014 with a degree in mathematics. She began pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics at East Carolina University’s Graduate School in 2016, according to her Facebook page. It is not clear if she is still a student there.
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
McAuliffe, a Rocky Mount resident, has also lived in Littleton, North Carolina, according to public records.
She said on Linkedin that she has done volunteer work with The Fuller Center for Housing, which provides disaster and humanitarian relief. In 2013, McAuliffe, “traveled to Haiti to help build a new home for families who had been living in tents and shacks since the most recent earthquake. I also interacted and built relationships with the local children and adults in effort to better understand their culture and environment.”
A photo of Erin McAuliffe from April. (Facebook)
McAuliffe also volunteered for six years as a crew member at Gate Keepers Work Camp, a “local ministry providing home repairs/improvements free of charge to elderly or poor residents who are unable to maintain upkeep on their own, yet face safety issues if the repairs are not done. This is a week long project conducted each summer. Approximately 10 homeowners benefit from the ministry with volunteers of greater than 100 adolescents and 20-30 adults participating.”
4. McAuliffe Previously Worked at a San Diego Law Firm & a Car Dealership
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
After college and before becoming a teacher, McAuliffe moved to San Diego, California, where she lived for about a year.
McAuliffe worked as a data analyst at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, a law firm, according to her Linkedin profile.
She also worked at ADP, a human resources company, as an apprentice, while in San Diego.
(Facebook)
McAuliffe has also worked as a service sales representative at a Rocky Mount car dealership owned by a family member, and worked for several years in high school at a bridal and formal wear store owned by her mother.
5. She Was Released After Posting $20,000 Bail & Is Facing More Than 5 Years in Prison
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
Erin McAuliffe was arrested Thursday when Rocky Mount Police served warrants charging her with the four felony counts. She was booked into the Carteret County Jail on $20,000 bail, the Rocky Mount Telegram reports.
Jail records show she posted bond on Friday.
She made her first court appearance in Nash County District Court in Nashville on June 12, WTVD-TV reports. She did not comment when approached by reporters. She is due back in court on June 29.
McAuliffe could face more than five years in prison if convicted of the four charges against her, which are all felonies.
The indecent liberties with a minor charge is a class F felony and the sexual activity with a student accusation is a class G felony.
North Carolina uses a structured sentencing system based on prior criminal record when determining punishment for crimes, according to the state website. McAuliffe only has a speeding ticket from 2014 on her record, according to public records.
Erin McAuliffe. (Facebook)
With her lack of a criminal record, she could face up to 20 months in prison on the indecent liberties charge, though the presumptive sentencing range is 13 to 16 months and she could also be given 10 to 13 months.
The sexual activity charges all carry a sentencing range of 13 to 16 months, with the presumptive range at 10 to 13 months and the mitigated range at 8 to 10 months.
