Former teacher accused of affair with student

CLINTON — A former middle school teacher has been arrested in Clinton, accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student.

Authorities said 39-year-old Jeannie Michelle Hodges of Autryville is charged with statutory rape, committing a sex offense with a student and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The Fayetteville Observer reported Wednesday that Hodges is accused of having an affair with the teenage boy near the end of the 2007-08 school year. She resigned as a language arts teacher from Hobbton Middle School before the school year ended June 9.

The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said a concerned resident contacted deputies last month, saying the teen had stayed overnight at Hodges’ residence on several occasions.

Hodges is being held at the Sampson County Detention Center on $50,000 bond. A messages left with the district attorney wasn’t immediately returned.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)