Alabama Teacher Shoots Herself Two Days After Arrest For Sex With Teen Students

A teacher in Alabama has died by apparent suicide two days after being arrested for having sex with teen students.

Leslie Gillespie, 44, was found dead at her Hillsboro home on Saturday morning, from what authorities said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The English teacher, who was a staff member at R.A. Hubbard High School in Lawrence County, had been booked on Thursday evening on rape and sodomy charges.

According to court records obtained by WAFF, the alleged incident happened in September of last year. One student told investigators that he and another male pupil went to her classroom after school hours, where she performed sex acts on them.

The boys were 15 and 16 at the time.

She was arrested on charges of Second-degree rape; Second-degree sodomy; and School employee engaging in a sex act with a student under the age of 19.

She was immediately placed on leave by the school.

"The Lawrence County school district has been made aware that an employee has been arrested," Superintendent of Lawrence County Schools Jon Bret Smith said in a statement. "Our school district treats this type of situation with the highest level of care. District leaders are conducting an investigation into this matter and will support law enforcement as they do the same."

"While the district cannot provide any specific details at this time, we want to emphasize that there is nothing more important to Lawrence County Schools than the safety and well-being of our students. The district will work diligently and expediently to resolve the situation."

Gillespie was released on $60,000 bail later on Thursday evening.

But at 11:30 AM Saturday morning, deputies from Lawrence County Sheriff's Office were called to her home, where they made the grim discovery.

"It appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," county coroner Scott Norwood said, per AL.com.

Her body has been sent to Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsy and official cause of death.

Gillespie was named Teacher of the Year by the school in 2019.