Andee Lantz: Oklahoma special-ed teacher charged with rape for having sex with teen student after nude pic leaks
An Oklahoma special education teacher is facing a rape charge after she engaged in sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student, prosecutors said. 26-year-old Andee Michelle Lantz admitted inviting the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to her home and said they engaged in sexual intercourse on at least two occasions, KWTV reported, citing local investigators.
An arrest warrant for Lantz was issued on December 18, according to court records from Caddo County. On December 23, the bond was set at $15,000 and Lantz was released the same day. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 12, 2021. Lantz is married with one young child, and her husband filed for divorce just three weeks before her arrest, according to court records from a separate case in Caddo County.
According to KWTV, Carnegie Public Schools officials began investigating Lantz after a student circulated a nude picture of hers. The school superintendent spoke to Lantz and the student involved. At first, both denied the claims, but Lantz eventually admitted that she and the student became close after a homecoming football game. She confessed to inviting the teen over to her house, where they had sex. The teacher alleged that it was the student who initiated the act by leaning in for a kiss. On December 18, Lantz was arrested by an officer with the Carnegie City Police, per court records.
As reported by KOKH-TV, Lantz was teaching special education within the Carnegie Public Schools system as the sexual relationship ensued. She resigned from the school district in mid-November, weeks before her arrest. Lantz's details have been taken down from the school website. However, online search results suggested she taught middle school students, according to Heavy.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Lantz has been a licensed educator since at least 2016. She received authorization to teach elementary school in December 2016, according to her online profile. She was reportedly allowed to teach students from first through eighth grade.
Lantz earned the appropriate credentials to impart special education in September 2019. According to the report, she was allowed to teach students across a wide spectrum of disabilities, varying from "moderate" to “severe-profound/multiple disabilities.” Her record shows she had the certifications to work in any school level from pre-kindergarten through high school. While Lantz's social media profiles appear to have been taken down. A search of online records on Instant Checkmate shows she attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University and graduated in 2016.
Lantz's husband filed for divorce on November 30, per Caddo County court records. According to the original petition, the couple had been married since August 2016 but had since become "incompatible."
The 26-year-old is now facing a charge of second-degree rape, which is otherwise referred to as statutory rape. The charge is a felony and carries a sentence of one to 15 years in prison if convicted. Furthermore, anyone convicted is required to register as a sex offender for life, according to Coventon Criminal Defense in Oklahoma.