HOUSTON The former Memorial Middle School teacher who had sex with a 15-year-old student has pleaded guilty to the charges against her.
Kathryn Camille Murray pleaded guilty to one count of improper relations with a student and one count of sexual assault of a child. Two other counts against Murray were dropped.
Murray was charged in February 2012 after investigators learned of her relationship with a teen she was supposed to be tutoring. She had multiple sexual encounters with the boy.
Investigators said Murray, who was 29 years old,had sex with the boy at his home on February 11, 2012, while his parents were away. She also had sex with him at a hotel on the night of a school dance and in her classroom on two separate occasions.
The former eighth grade teacher, who attended both Memorial Middle and Memorial High School growing up, taught at Memorial Middle for three years as a Language Arts teacher. She was removed from the classroom and let go from her position immediately after the investigation began.
Campus and District administration took immediate and appropriate action after an initial report was made by a faculty member to the school principal on Feb. 13. Mrs. Murray was removed from the classroom and the campus on the same day, the district said in a released statement.
But after the allegations surfaced and Murray lost her job, she still continued to have contact with the boy after a judge strictly forbade it, landing herself in more trouble.
In January 2013, Murray was charged with harboring a runaway when police found the boy with her at her father s home. They caught the boy, who was 16 at the time, trying to leave out the back door.
The boy s mother said her son, who was the victim in all of this, was suffering. The teen said that he was in love with Ms. Murray.
We are not good, we are very hurt. My son is really confused, hurt. We working with him very closely but he s not good, not good at all, she said.
The school district wanted Murray to be punished for her crime.
We feel that Ms. Murray s behavior is despicable, and encourage the district attorney to prosecute Ms. Murray to the fullest extent of the law, a Spring Branch ISD statement read.
Murray s bond was revoked and she was placed back in jail after they were caught together. Now she will learn her fate. Sentencing is set for January 31, 2014.
