By SNEJANA FARBEROV
A former Iowa chemistry teacher has admitted to having sex with one of her male students in her car last year. Heather Adams, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation by a school employee in Linn county Court Monday. Prosecutors say Adams had sex with an 18-year-old boy last year. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports Adams resigned from her teaching position at Washington High School shortly after the incident after 18 years on the job.
Adams was given a deferred judgment, two years of probation, and will be listed on the sex offender registry for 10 years. If she successfully completes her probation, the conviction will be removed from her record. Adams' guilty plea came just before jury selection was supposed to start in her sexual exploitation trial. If she were found guilty, the 42-year-old could have faced up to two years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint cited by KCRG, on May 6, 2012, at around 9.30pm, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in the 300 block of 28th Street Drive SE. Neighbors suspected some drug activity had been taking place - and were stunned when it was revealed a teacher from Washington High School had been caught having sex. When officers approached the SUV, they found a naked 18-year-old boy in the front seat of the Chevy Suburban and Adams, who was 41 years old at the time, also naked and hiding in the backseat.
The complaint said both admitted they were engaged in sexual activity. The pair were then ordered to get dressed and removed from the vehicle. Adams was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation. She resigned from her teaching position shortly after citing 'personal reasons.' Adams' teaching license is valid until 2020, according to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners website.
Her profile on the Cedar Rapids Community School District site states that the 42-year-old teacher had taught AP psychology and chemistry, and also served as the academic decathlon coach at Washington High School. Adams wrote about herself: 'When students ask “why do we need to learn this,” there needs to be a concrete answer. ‘This process helped me to identify the “why” behind the curriculum I teach, making each assignment and assessment meaningful not only in my classroom, but also in the lives of each of my students. It helps redefine my role everyday [sic] and keeps me energized about the subjects- and the students- I teach every day.'
