Charleston Police Department Jennifer Olajire-Aro's mugshot.
A South Carolina teacher has been arrested and charged with the sexual battery of a child, according to police in Charleston. Jennifer Olajire-Aro, 27, was arrested on December 18. The Charleston Post and Courier reports that Olajire-Aro is a resident of John’s Island. The Post and Courier report says that it was the victim who told officials at Burke High School about the alleged abuse. A school spokesman, Charles Francis, told the newspaper, “The incidents occurred off campus.” ABC Charleston reports that the alleged abuse between Olajire-Aro and the student lasted for “several months.”
Olajire-Aro has admitted to the abuse and said that occurred three times in different locations between November and December.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Her Bond Has Been Set at $100,000
The Charleston Post and Courier reports that Olajire-Aro made her first appearance in court on December 19 at the Charleston County Bond Court. There, her bond was set at $100,000. The Post and Courier report adds that Olajire-Aro is being represented by lawyer J. Kevin Holmes. The victim’s family was also in court for the hearing. The suspect’s family had been to fly in for the court date but delays saw them miss it.
During the hearing, the Post and Courier reports that the victim’s mother gave a “tearful” statement that read, “She is an awesome teacher but she is a hellacious person for what she did. He is 17, 17. He is not an adult. … Emotionally, he is not ready for this. I’m not ready for the texts, the phone calls, the comments.”
2. Social Media Pages Say Olajire-Aro Is Married & Was Expecting a Baby in 2017
A The Knot page for Jennifer Olajire-Aro says that she married Taofeek Olajire-Aro in Dallas, Texas, on February 8, 2017. Although records in Texas indicate that the couple was married in Dallas County on August 3, 2014. The couple has a similar registry at The Bump, where it says their baby was due on February 2, 2017.
During her court appearance Olajire-Aro’s lawyer said of the teacher, “She is married… She has a 10-month old baby.”
3. Her Husband Is a Surgeon in South Carolina
Dr. Taofeek Olajire-Aro.
Taofeek Olajire-Aro is listed as general surgery doctor based at 171 Ashley Avenue in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Olajire-Aro is a graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Olajire-Aro is a resident at the Medical University of South Carolina, reports the Post and Courier.
4. Olajire-Aro Has Is Qualified to Teach Special Ed
According to her LinkedIn page, Olajire-Aro attended the University of Texas at Austin. Olajire-Aro’s profile on the Burke High School website says that she is a tennis coach at the school. While separate records show that Olajire-Aro graduated from Western Governors University in Austin, Texas, in October 2015. Her qualification was in special education.
A school spokesman told the Post and Courier that Olajire-Aro was in her first year of unemployment with the school district. After the allegations, Olajire-Aro was placed on administrative leave.
5. A Former Department of Education Official Says Abuse Between Female Teachers & Male Students Is on the Rise
Slate reported that female educators make up 4 percent of convicted rapists in teacher/student scandals in 2006. While in 2016, former Department of Education chief of staff, Terry Abbott, wrote in the Washington Post that teacher/student sex scandals were on the rise. For example, in Kentucky in 2011, the state saw the number of teacher/student sexual relationships nearly double.
