Concord Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Student On Raleigh Field Trip

RALEIGH, N.C. — A former world history teacher is out of jail after she was arrested on Monday for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old male student last month during a field trip.

Janet Klatt, 44, was arrested and charged with sexual activity between a school personnel member and a student, a felony offense. Klatt, who was released on a $5,000 bond Monday afternoon, is not charged with statutory rape because the victim turned 16 in March.

Investigators said Klatt, a native of Zimbabwe who taught at a private school in Concord, N.C., called The Cannon School, was discovered having sex with the student at the Clarion Hotel on Hillsborough Street during the overnight trip on April 28-29.

Raleigh police said they had been investigating the allegation since school administrators reported it several weeks ago.

Klatt had no comment on the charges against her. As a condition of her release, she surrendered her passport and is not to have any contact with the student.

Although there is no evidence that the student was forced to have sex, it is illegal in North Carolina for a teacher to have sex with a student.

"Consent doesn't enter into this," said Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue. "That type of relationship is specifically forbidden by law regardless of what the surrounding circumstances might be."

Concord police are also investigating Klatt to determine whether similar crimes may have taken place in their jurisdiction. If they find any sex acts between the teacher and student occurred when the boy was 15 or younger, she could face more charges, which could include statutory rape.

Cannon School Board of Directors head John Robbins confirmed with WRAL that Klatt is no longer teaching, but would not say whether she resigned or was fired. He did say, however, that the school conducted a background check prior to hiring her.

Klatt lives with her husband and children in a neighborhood called the Highland Creek Golf Club. Neither she nor her family are shedding any light on exactly what happened in Raleigh.

Klatt's next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday in Wake County.