A former Connecticut teacher accused of inappropriate activity with a middle school student is due in court this month. East Hartford police arrested Karen Vinick on Oct. 26 on charges of risk of injury to a minor.
Vinick taught in East Hartford at the Capitol Region Education Council's Academy of Computer Science and Engineering Middle School, formerly called CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School.
In a statement, CREC Superintendent Timothy Sullivan Jr. said administrators found out about the situation in June and placed the employee involved on leave. Without identifying the employee, Sullivan said she resigned before the start of this school year. A message left on Vinick's voicemail hasn't been returned.
"CREC’s priority is always the safety and well-being of our students and staff," Sullivan said.
East Hartford police officer Marc Caruso said the school made a report of “questionable interactions with a student” to Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families, the state’s child welfare agency. The DCF review then became a police investigation.
Caruso said Vinick was arrested for “impairing the morals of a minor,” but because of the nature of the investigation, he could not provide details about how she allegedly did that.
Court filings accessed on Tuesday did not list an attorney for Vinick. She was released on $150,000 bond and is set to appear in court Nov. 22.
