The student allegedly told authorities that after a year-long sexual relationship with the 28-year-old gym teacher, they broke it off to be with another student — with the teacher accused of then following the student after school and harassing them through fake phone numbers.
A middle school teacher in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, has been arrested on charges of sexual assault of a child by one in a position of trust (pattern of abuse), internet exploitation of a child, and stalking after she was accused of a year-long relationship with a student — after which the student alleges she began to stalk them.
Teresa Whalin, 28, of Centennial, has been employed with the Douglas County School District since July 2021 and was working at Ranch View Middle School as an integrated wellness teacher at the time of her November 10 arrest.
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The arrest was made with the Special Victims Unit after she allegedly admitted to a sexual relationship with the underage victim, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox affiliate KDVR.
Whalin has been put on administrative leave, per a press release from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the school district is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation. While the victim’s age is not specified, the Denver Post cites that there is an approximate 12-year age gap between the teacher and the student.
The victim told authorities that the relationship began when they came to the teacher with their mental health and self-harm struggles during the 2023-24 school year, according to ABC affiliate KMGH, looking for support. At that point, the victim said they began spending more time with Whalin, including hanging out together after school, and said that Whalin, a mandatory reporter, did not report the self-harm wounds, per the affidavit.
According to the victim, the pair’s bond “increased” and they “developed a relationship with one another,” which became sexual in April 2023 and would continue for 14 months, per the court filing, with the two engaging in sexual intercourse in multiple locations, including Wahlin’s home and the school locker room bathroom.
The affidavit also alleges that the teacher and student would send photos back and forth, including nudes, and communicate via Snapchat. They also allegedly went to eat and spend time together in the teacher’s office, per the affidavit. Whalin even allegedly began driving the student to and from school without their parents’ knowledge.
Whalin even began taking the student to and from school, per the affidavit, with the victim saying that she told them not to tell anyone or she would get in trouble. KDVR further reports that both Whalin and the student said they ultimately felt trapped by their relationship and they know it was inappropriate, per the court documents, with the student describing their relationship as traumatizing.
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After a little more than a year of this, the student told authorities that they “broke up” with Whalin because they had become interested in dating another student. It was after this, though, that the victim said things started to escalate in an unexpected way.
The affidavit states that after they had broken up, the student started spotting Whalin driving near their home, and following them along their walking path to the school. Without offering specifics, the student told authorities, that one occasion in August 2025, with the teacher following them left them afraid, concerned that Whalin was “jealous” of their new relationship.
When confronted with the student’s statements, per the affidavit, Whalin allegedly admitted that she had a hard time with the breakup and began keeping track of the victim’s movements and driving near their home to catch a “glimpse” of them, as detailed by KDVR.
A month later, in September 2025, the student received a text described as “alarming” from an unknown number, which led them to the school counselor on November 10, where they allegedly opened up about the entire relationship.
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This drew in the involvement of law enforcement. As it turns out, Whalin later admitted that she had sent the unknown number message in hopes that the student would again come to her for comfort and aid, per the affidavit.
She told investigators that she knew her relationship with the student was “wrong and illegal” because of their age, but said she felt trapped in it because she was trying to help them with their mental health. She expressed remorse and said she deserved jail time for her actions.
Whalin is currently being held at the Douglas County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond.
If you believe you or someone else is the victim of child sexual exploitation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers 24/7 support for those in need at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678), or at report.cybertip.org. You can also contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. You can also call 988 to be connected to a trained crisis counselor. Both services offer free, confidential 24/7 support for people in distress.
