A former married high school teacher who was convicted of having sex with an underage student will reportedly not face any jail time. The victim’s mother has claimed that the former teacher’s “predatory actions” stripped her son of his dreams, according to the Spokesman-Review.
McKenna Kindred, 25, who was previously an educator at Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree sexual misconduct with a minor and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
The teacher’s illegal relationship with the 17-year-old student began in June 2022, when the student discovered Kindred’s Instagram account. The two began messaging each other shortly after.
The communication became serious enough that Kindred and the student reportedly had sex inside her home while her husband was away on a hunting trip, according to the New York Post.
Kindred and the student denied having sexual relations despite rumors spreading around the school. At one point, the former educator was harassed on social media concerning the alleged sexual relationship.
Soon after, an investigation was launched into Kindred’s behavior. The student ultimately admitted to the authorities that he had messaged Kindred on social media, swapped inappropriate videos with her, and also that the two had even had sex.
Investigators found that Kindred had sent the student several messages with sexual connotations, including: “I wanted you to be in my room”; “When other girls talk about you in my class I could feel myself getting mad”; “I really like being touched by you.”
The student’s mother said that Kindred’s actions were an overt “abuse of power” and that she had groomed him since he was 16 years old, according to reports. The mother went on to say that her son was unable to finish high school on campus, which negatively affected him socially, academically, and emotionally. She noted that he missed out on major milestones and lost some of his youth.
Despite Kindred being convicted of the crimes, she will face no jail time. Her attorney, Andrew Wagley, said his client’s conduct did cause harm that will likely never be mended with her husband and other family members.
He went on to say that Kindred has voluntarily engaged in counseling for depression, anxiety, and marital issues, none of which were an excuse to carry out the actions she did.
Kindred’s counselor believes that the incident was an isolated event and that she poses no threat to society.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!