ROCHESER HILLS (WWJ) - A former special needs teacher has taken a plea on criminal sex charges involving two Rochester High School students.
Oakland County Circuit Court records show Kathryn Houghtaling of Sterling Heights on Tuesday pleaded no contest to six counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, as well as one count of delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for sentencing.
Investigators said the 26-year-old first-year special education teacher had sex with a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old student; one in a car while other students watched, and the other at a student's home. She gave one of the teens Xanax, according to authorities, and was caught after a parent found a video of a group of students partying with the teacher,
Houghtaling was fired a little over a a year ago by Rochester Community Schools after administrators said an internal investigation unconverted "inappropriate conduct" with students during after-school hours. School officials contacted law enforcement and Houghtaling was arrested.
She was charged in January, 2019, and was released on bond on the condition that she stay away from schools.
"The allegations are serious; they involve students. One was being taught by Ms. Houghtaling -- that's the allegation. They involve various sex acts in more than one locations on more than one date through at least two months in the last year," said Judge Lisa Asadoorian, at the time. "The court's very concerned about the teacher-student relationship that's alleged to have been involved in these allegations."
As far as a defense, Houghtaling's attorney Zachary Glaza acknowledged that one alleged victim was in Houghtaling's class, but told the court that the student had a reading impediment and was not disabled.
Sentencing is set for March 3.
