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Amanda Butterfield ReportingOne week into the school year and an employee at Tooele High School is accused of sexually abusing students.
Leslie Baird was an assistant to a teacher. Today she was arrested by Tooele police for sexual abuse of at least three students.
As a teacher's assistant, she helped kids with reading and math. And from what some students and parents say, she was well liked.
Student: "I think she's a great teacher." "She did all of our lessons and things really well."
Parents like her, too.
Roxanne Christensen/Parent: "I've known her for many years and she's a wonderful lady."
None of them can believe that Leslie Baird-- a wife, mother, and employee of 6 years at Tooele High School-- would sexually abuse, sodomize, or give alcohol to students.
Roxanne Christensen/Parent: "I'm very shocked and very stunned."
Student: "I'm stunned, really, really stunned. I can't believe it."
Tooele Police: "What started the whole thing was there was a student at the high school who saw on somebody else's cell phone, a text message. He was disturbed by what he saw, told his father about it, and his father called us."
Police say that text message was very explicit and inappropriate.
Then by coincidence, a parent of a victim called police to complain.
After questioning students, police determined that Mrs. Baird had been having inappropriate relationships with as many as three male students, dating back to the end of the last school year.
With one, it was the explicit text messaging, and police say she gave him alcohol. There was oral sex with another student. The third student is 18-years old so there will be no criminal charges.
None of this happened on school property. And though it was all consensual, when you're a minor in Utah, you can not legally consent to sexual activity with someone in a position of special trust, like a teacher's assistant.
Baird is in jail.
She has been suspended from her job, and the Tooele County School District is also investigating. They don't think there are any more victims, but if there are...
Michael Johnsen/Tooele County School District: "We'll share that info with police. We're concerned about any victims, and extend to families any assistance we can give."
If Baird is found guilty, she'll lose her job.
Roxanne Christensen/Parent: "She's innocent until proven guilty, and my heart goes out to her family."
We understand Baird does have a family of her own, with children of high school age.
Also note, the victims were not close friends. Police say they may have known each other, but they did not hang out together.
Baird is expected in court in mid-September.
