Police: Tip led to arrest of former elementary school teacher accused of sex crimes with student

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Officials said they have charged a former Rowan County elementary school teacher with sex crimes after receiving a tip that she had a sexual relationship with a student.

Police said they received a tip accusing 28-year-old Brittany Howard, a former teacher at China Grove Elementary School, of a sexual relationship with a student last week. She was arrested Tuesday after an investigation.

Police told Channel 9 that the alleged acts started more than a year ago, but they just recently learned about them.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff's Department, the former teacher has been charged with two counts of statutory rape of a person 15 years of age or younger, two counts of statutory sex offense with a person 15 years or younger and two counts of sexual activity with a student.

"I think they need to be put in their place,” said Pete Altman, a grandparent of a student at the school. “We don't need it around here, especially right here at home."

China Grove officials told Channel 9's Tina Terry that Howard was employed by Rowan-Salisbury Schools at the time of the incident, which took place off campus.

Warrants say the acts started as early as July 2017 and ended in November 2017.

"All you can look for is signs,” Altman said. “If your kids come home and they're not acting right, you gotta watch for the telltale signs now.”

Howard is expected to appear in front of a judge Thursday.

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