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Another former California 'Teacher of the Year' was arrested in relation to allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
Tracy Vanderhulst, 38, was charged with statutory rape last Thursday (May 18) following an investigation into allegations of her having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old student who attended Yucaipa High School, where she worked as a math teacher, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced via the New York Post.
Police didn't specify when or when the sexual encounter took place and it wasn't clear if the student still attended the school at the time of Vanderhulst's arrest. Detectives did, however, claim that there may have been additional victims in relation to the crime.
Vanderhulst, who Yucaipa High School named as its 'Teacher of the Year' in 2017, was booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino and had her bail set at $30,000. The arrest came two months after a San Diego educator who was recently named 'Teacher of the Year' was arrested in relation to allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage former student.
Jacqueline Ma, 34, who taught sixth-grade at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, was charged with 15 felony counts, including possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a minor, in March.
Ma was one of five San Diego County named as 'Teachers of the Year' for 2022-23 during an annual event presented by Cox and said she "considers the relationships she maintains with her students her greatest accomplishments" in a profile on the San Diego County Office of Education's website announcing her award in August 2022.