A former Teacher of the Year who had recently been promoted to assistant principal has been arrested and charged with sexual battery after allegedly having sex with a student at a Mississippi middle school. Olivia Marie Smith, who won the award at Ocean Springs Middle School in 2022, was taken into custody following a tip-off received by police, according to reports.
Smith had been serving as an eighth-grade English teacher at Ocean Springs Middle School before her recent promotion to assistant principal at nearby Oak Park Elementary School. She appeared at Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday, where she was charged with sexual battery, an offence that carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison in Mississippi given her position of authority over the alleged victim. She was also charged with enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes, and was taken into custody immediately following her probable cause hearing.
How the case came to light
Investigators with the Ocean Springs Police Department said they were first alerted to the situation by officials from the Ocean Springs School District on 20 June. The district said it had immediately contacted both the Ocean Springs Police Department and Mississippi Child Protective Services after receiving an initial tip-off about potential inappropriate behaviour involving an employee. The district also said it carried out its own internal investigation alongside the police inquiry before terminating Smith’s employment.
In a statement, the district said: “After being tipped off about potential inappropriate behaviour taking place involving an employee, OSSD immediately notified OSPD and Mississippi Child Protective Services.” Speaking to WLOX, school officials added: “We understand the gravity of this situation and the concern it may raise in our community. We want to reassure parents, students, and staff that we are addressing this matter with seriousness and diligence. The safety of our students and staff members remains our highest priority.” The district said it would continue assisting investigators but would make no further public comment while the criminal case remains ongoing.
Bond and next steps
Circuit Court Judge Calvin Taylor set Smith’s total bond at $100,000, comprising $50,000 attached to each of the two charges against her. Investigators have asked anyone with additional information relevant to the case to contact the Ocean Springs Police Department or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers.
A similar case in Washington State
The case follows a separate incident in Washington State, where a married teacher admitted to having sex with a 16-year-old student. Mackenzie Naught, 25, began what was described as an “affair” with a pupil at St John Endicott High School, having sex with the boy in her truck in the early hours of 3 May, according to documents reviewed by The Spokesman-Review. Almost a week later, Naught told her husband what had happened, and he reported her to police. She was arrested on 10 May and charged with child sex crimes, initially denying the allegations before later pleading guilty as part of a deal that reduced her potential sentence from five years to just 12 months. Whitman County prosecutor Tessa Scholl said the plea deal would hold the now-fired teacher “accountable for her actions” while sparing the victim “the burden of having to testify at trial.”
