AUBURN, Wash. – Principal Marvin Mitchell is launching an investigation after learning that former Bible teacher Scott Spies and a 15-year-old student left campus and had sex in his apartment at least 15 times.
The Bible teacher at an Auburn school has now been charged with having sex with the 15-year-old student.
Police say Scott Spies, 49, confessed to having sex with a girl from Auburn Adventist Academy more than 15 times over the course of the school year. He is charged with third-degree rape and sexual misconduct. He was arrested last week and released from jail on Saturday after posting bail.
Auburn Adventist Academy Principal Marvin Mitchell calls it a tragedy.
"We do not want male teachers taking female students off campus, we try to be very careful about that," said Mitchell. "The situation escalated into something that was unacceptable."
Mitchell said the now 16-year-old student, who is part of the boarding program at the private Christian academy, looked to Spies as a mentor.
"She found a person who she felt like she could share with and that was the beginning of it," he said.
Detectives call what happened rape.
"The student described them as starting to get close in about February of 09," says Sgt. Dave Colglazier with the Auburn Police Department.
On Tuesday, the student told police that she and Spies began having sex at the beginning of the school year at his apartment just a few miles away from the school. Apparently, Spies and the student slipped past three people in charge of watching over the boarding students.
The school first starting hearing rumors about the relationship late last week and brought both the student and Spies in the office for questioning. They both denied it until Monday. The school immediately notified police and fired Spies.
"Because of this we are re-examining all of our policies and teacher student relationships, we are dedicated to the safety of our students," said Mitchell.
Mitchell said the main focus now for the 300-plus student body is moving on and helping the victim.
The school says it's now reviewing its policies, but administrators believe this is an isolated incident.
"I've seen this happen very rarely in my years of working with the church," says Doug Bing, Vice President of the Washington Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Schools.
Because it is a private school, the Academy is not subject to state supervision of the boarding program. The school is solely responsible for the welfare of its students.
"The girls are well taken care of," said Mitchell. "But of course even the best policies need to be reexamined."
Spies is charged with 3rd degree Child Rape and Sexual Misconduct. He is scheduled to arraigned on March 3.
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