Erin Ward, a substitute teacher in Nebraska, was caught naked in a car with a 17-year-old student from Burke High School where she worked. Ward, who is married to a high-ranking federal government employee, confessed to having sex with the teen in the back of the car. Her husband, Doug Ward, works for the US Department of Defense and has been with the US Strategic Command for nearly two decades. The couple shares three children and resides in Gretna, Nebraska.
Doug Ward has had a long and successful career within the Defense Department, starting as a deputy branch chief in 2005 and being promoted to deputy director of the commander’s action group in February. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois, Bellevue University, and Harvard Extension School, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in defense and strategic studies at Missouri State University.
Erin Ward was arrested when deputies found her in a compromising situation with the teenage boy in the car. The incident occurred on a dead-end street at around 3 a.m. The teen fled after crashing the car a few blocks away, but Erin Ward remained in the vehicle where she confessed to the police about her relationship with the boy. She was charged with felony sexual abuse by a school employee.
Despite the age of consent being 16 in Nebraska, Erin Ward was still charged with a felony for having sex with the student due to her role as a school employee. The high schooler was found hiding in a yard in his T-shirt and underwear after the incident. The details of her affair and the arrest were first reported by the Daily Mail.
The scandal involving Erin Ward and the teenage student has shocked the local community in Gretna and raised questions about the behavior of teachers in schools. The case highlights the importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries between students and teachers, and the legal consequences of engaging in inappropriate relationships with students.
The Ward family’s personal and professional lives have been thrust into the spotlight following the incident, with social media posts and news reports detailing the events. The repercussions of the arrest on their family dynamics and future careers remain to be seen as they navigate the fallout from the scandal. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of crossing professional and personal boundaries in a school setting.
