A former paraprofessional with Nixa Public Schools has been charged with multiple felonies. Investigators allege she had a sexual relationship with a student that lasted from 2022 to 2023.
According to online court records, Chelsea Paige Harper, 34, is charged with six counts of the class D felony of second-degree statutory rape and three counts of the class E felony of sexual contact with a student.
Christian County Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy filed the charges on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Allegations against Harper surfaced in April, according to Nixa Public Schools Chief Communications Officer Zac Rantz.
“The teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave and an investigation was conducted in cooperation with the appropriate authorities,” Rantz said in a statement issued May 15. “The investigation quickly revealed sufficient facts to the Board to allow it to move on and vote to terminate this teacher’s employment at the May 6 Board meeting.”
Online court records show Harper was booked and released in the Christian County Jail in Ozark, with a hearing set for June 26 in Associate Circuit Judge Douglas Bacon’s courtroom.
Harper does not yet have an attorney, according to court records.
According to the probable cause statement filed against Harper, a relationship between Harper and a student began when the student was 16 in 2022.
The investigating Nixa police officer wrote that both Harper and the student said they had sent and received nude images of themselves to each other via the Snapchat app, and that most of the sexual contact between them occurred at Harper’s home.
According to the probable cause statement, the relationship began when Harper was the student's paraprofessional instructor while working for the Nixa School District.
She reportedly left Nixa Public Schools for a job in Willard, but returned to Nixa and was employed there at the time an investigation into her contact with the student began.
“Their relationship continued as the suspect obtained her teaching certificate and obtained employment with the Willard School District,” the officer wrote.
A spokesperson for the Willard School District confirmed that Harper is not currently employed at Willard.
“During her tenure at Willard from August 2022 to May of 2023, there were no reports or findings of misconduct regarding any student of our district,” said Heather Harman-Michael, director of Communications and Public Relations for Willard Public Schools.
