UPDATE: Felony Charge Dropped Against Broadneck Teacher
Police say the student was a minor at the time, but is now an adult.
Photos
UPDATE (12:30 p.m. April 22)—A felony charge against Erin Thorne, a former English teacher at Broadneck High School has been dropped, according to Maryland court records. A misdemeanor charge of displaying obscene material to a minor remains.
Kristen Fleckenstein, spokesperson for the State's Attorney's Office, said the felony charge was dropped during the course of the state's investigation. According to court records, the charge was formally dropped Friday.
"Count number 2 (solicitation) only was dropped," Fleckenstein said. "This was done in the continuing course of the investigation as we prepared the case further."
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) spokesman Bob Mosier said Thorne resigned her position with the school on April 8. Before then, she had been on administrative leave since November 2012 pending the ongoing investigation.
In March, Thorne was arrested and charged with exchanging sexually explicit text messages and images with a student.
Thorne, 28, of the 700 block of Rusack Court in Arnold, was charged with displaying obscene material to a minor and felony solicitation of child pornography. A statement from police said the minor involved graduated from the school in 2011, and is now an adult.
Authorities said that when the minor was a senior at the school, he and Thorne exchanged text messages and images, and after the student was an adult, became engaged in sexual activity.
According to court documents, Thorne was charged with displaying "an obscene picture of a nude figure," and permitted the minor to "engage as a subject in the production of obscene matter, to wit: nude photos."
Thorne was placed on administrative leave by the Anne Arundel County Public School System in November 2012 pending an investigation. On Monday, she surrendered to authorities. Thorne was a long-term substitute teaching English to Broadneck students and was also a former basketball coach at the school.
A letter was issued to parents Monday saying Thorne will be suspended while the Board of Education seeks to terminate her employment. The letter was signed by both Superintendent Kevin Maxwell and BHS Principal David G. Smith.
"We encourage you to discuss this matter with your children as well, and contact our school counselors if your children need support. While this entire situation brings up many troubling emotions, we urge you to keep in mind the sensitivity of this situation. As the legal proceedings play out, our children and their welfare should continue to be our focus."
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Fran Klassen
3:05 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Was the "Letter" sent home with all students or sent in the mail?
Nick
3:35 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The letter was sent home with students along with an email and most likely a phone call.
Nick
3:37 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Also, Ms. Thorne was not a long-term substitute, she was a teacher.
D. Frank Smith
4:44 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Nick, I based that line off of this listing of English faculty, which was updated for spring semester 2013: http://broadneck.org/departments/english.pdf
Lauren B
10:47 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
D. Frank Smith- I think the update was referring to the substitute for Thorne's classes since she was placed on leave, not that Thorne herself was a sub.
Nick
10:47 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Ah, if they updated it for the spring semester then they may have changed her status since she was placed on adminstrative leave in November. Previously she did have an email address in place of long term sub.
Bob Mosier
8:05 am on Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Frank,
The line on that website you reference means there is a long-term sub in Ms. Thorne's class, not that Ms. Thorne was a long-term sub.
Bob Mosier
Public Information Officer
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
D. Frank Smith
4:56 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A comment was removed due to a violation of Patch's terms of use: Profanity.
D. Frank Smith
7:05 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Your username is profane.
abeer
9:57 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
it's very bad...
W. L.
9:57 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Frank, should you have listed her address?
D. Frank Smith
9:58 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
If a person is charged with a felony, we list an address range, but not the actual address. In this instance, it's a block.
Sabrina
5:47 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Do you want to know what really goes on in schools? Read "Banned." Written by a teacher and inspired by true events, "Banned," is an eye opener. "Banned" is available on amazon.com and at Anne Arundel County Public Library.
John Dolly
8:50 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I don't see the boy as a victim here. He was a senior in high school and weeks away from turning 18. Should she have known better? Yes. But don't play this out as him being an innocent child.
Nacho Mama
10:24 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
How would you feel if a 28 year old male teacher was sending illicit photos to your 17 year old daughter?
Mary johnson
12:47 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Seriously John Dolly? She is 28. She knows the law. All teachers do. She thought she could get away with it by waiting to have sex until he was 18--- she is not dumb--- just a pervert! I am a teacher. It is our job to do the right thing.... Now matter how old the student is. She is wrong, and a pervert--- stick with men your own age, not boys! D
Don Eslin
10:15 pm on Monday, April 22, 2013
So. It looks like all of you were present at the time the alleged incidents occurred? You must have been, because it does seem you know so much, and in incredible detail! So, Why didn't you put a stop to it? If it was happening, and you apparently were witnessing this act, why the hell not stop it?
Or, ..... Is this all just "hear say" at this point? Let me ask you, Aren't we innocent until proven guilty, or is that just the BS you save for yourselves until needed? Hey Mary, lets just say, for the fun of it, a 14 year old son of your next door neighbor, sends you a sexy picture of himself, to your cell. You write back saying "come on Joey, thats inappropriate" and you just can't do that. Now, You have now exchanged info Mary, and you are now a child predator, Mary. Are you a pervert, Mary?
Just think about it. Circumstances and situations can just happen, perception of those events can have a handful of reasonable explanations. Why don't you back it down a bit until it plays itself out. And for god sake, get out more!
Chip
Sue Crandall
12:47 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
What am I missing? The "victim" graduated over a year ago. Had sex with Teach after he did. He's now an adult. How the heck did anyone find out about this since it seems to have been consensual. Did somebody turn her in? Hey Patch reporters, this story needs work. Find out what the cause was, you just reported on the effect. Inquiring
minds wanna know...:)
D. Frank Smith
12:50 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
The source was an anonymous tip sent to police in 2012, which prompted an investigation. That's in the police press release.
Amber Hairston
4:49 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Erin Thorne is not a pervert. She was my high school English teacher at North County in 2008 and I aided for her as well. She is a wonderful person and teacher. Yes she should have known better than to send inappropriate text messages to a student, however she didn't engage in sexual contact until he had graduated and was an adult in the eyes of the law. Therefore I don't see her as a predator or pervert.
Kris David
10:33 pm on Sunday, March 31, 2013
Its sad that some little punk is gona have his cake and eat it to. He gets to live out every teenage boys dream, & then he goes to the cops so that everyone can find out what he got to do. If he felt like it was wrong he should have said something after the first text. When i was 17 i had known right from wrong for a long time im sure he did to. Im sure Miss.Thorne is a great woman she just made a mistake like we all have mang times before. All of you that act like you havent done something way worse then this in your life should be ashamed cause you i both know we all have.
Jonathan Banks
2:58 pm on Monday, April 22, 2013
Sad story, but pretty good writing. Needs some more fact checking, but Patch writing has historically been "patchy." Getting much better. Nice job.
Jack Mayoffer
1:31 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013
I wonder if Ms. Thorne was on paid Administrative Leave. Somewhere in all this mess the taxpayers are most likely footing the bill. Odds are the so called "victim' will lawyer up and sue Thorne for emotional distress.