Teen girls frame teacher for sexual misconduct with fake messages, Louisiana cops say

Two teen girls sent their friends screenshots of sexual messages from a male high school teacher — but the messages were fake, Louisiana authorities said.

The teacher at Central Lafourche High School has been cleared of wrongdoing as deputies said phone records revealed the two students tried to frame him.

The 15-year-old and 16-year-old are now facing felony charges, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said Jan. 6.

A concerned friend reported to law enforcement that a male high school teacher may be inappropriately messaging a 16-year-old student, a spokesperson from the sheriff’s office told McClatchy News. Detectives said they learned the 16-year-old and a 15-year-old friend had been reportedly communicating with a teacher on Discord, an online messaging platform.

The teens accused the teacher of sending nude photos and messages that were sexual in nature, according to investigators.

Deputies conducted interviews and searched the phones and accounts of the individuals involved and said they learned the teacher hadn’t sent any of the messages or photos. They said he was actually the victim of a crime, not the other way around.

“The investigation revealed that the two teenage girls had fabricated messages, created fake accounts and shared screenshots with friends in an effort to frame the teacher for sending inappropriate messages,” deputies wrote in a news release.

Lafourche Parish Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin said his administration was “shocked and appalled” when it learned what the two girls were accused of doing.

One girl admitted to the framing attempt while the other didn’t cooperate and requested an attorney, the sheriff’s office spokesperson told McClatchy News. Both were then charged on Jan. 6 with false swearing for the purpose of violating public health or safety, cyberstalking and online impersonation, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Our juvenile detectives are diligent and take claims of inappropriate behavior very seriously,” Lafourche Parish Sheriff Webre said. “They are, however, equally serious about false claims. Someone’s life can be instantly ruined by a false allegation, and I am proud that our investigators were able to get to the bottom of this.”

Both girls were released to their parents and are wearing ankle monitors, deputies said.

Lafourche Parish is about a 50-mile drive southwest from New Orleans.