Apparently she was seen hugging the kid before the allegations came out, and she also attended his basketball games:

A police report says a former Laurens County teacher accused of having sex with her eleven-year-old student had hugged and kissed the boy in front of others and attended his basketball games.

The report shows the boy’s mother complained to the guidance counselors and the school principal before the student was removed from 36-year-old Wendie Ann Schweikert’s class.

No word on whether she is able to pay the lowered amount:

A judge reduced the bond Thursday for a Laurens County teacher accused of having sex with an eleven-year-old student.

Bail for 36-year-old Wendie Ann Schweikert was lowered from $175,000 to $100,000.

[...]

Her attorney had asked for a bond amount of $70,000 and that she be placed on electronic monitoring and house arrest.

I’m not sure that’s unreasonable. We’re not talking about a murderer here. Unless the judge thinks Schweikert is likely to snatch a kid off the street then house arrest seems about right.

From the State:

A 12-year-old boy is scheduled to be interviewed Wednesday by authorities after allegations surfaced that a teacher at E.B. Morse Elementary School might have touched him inappropriately.

[...]

The new allegations apparently do not include criminal sexual conduct, but involve “inappropriate touching,” Morse said.

“We’ll know more after the interview,” he said.

It looks like the Schweikert case is getting ever more complicated:

Laurens police are investigating whether a second child at E.B. Morse Elementary School is involved in sex allegations against a teacher at the school.

The investigation follows the arrest last month of Wendie Ann Schweikert. The 36-year-old teacher has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and committing a
lewd act on a child younger than 16 years old.

Laurens Police Chief Robin Morse said Monday the grandmother of a 12-year-old child brought the child to the police station where he was interviewed by investigators. Morse says the child will now go for what is called a forensic
interview.

Once again, poor kid:

Kind of surprising it took this long:

The state Board of Education has suspended the license of a Laurens teacher accused of having sex with her 11-year-old student.

Wendie Schweikert, 36, will receive a letter from the board and have 15 days to request a hearing to avoid a possible revocation of her certificate, state Department of Education spokesman Jim Foster said.

If Schweikert does not request a hearing, her certificate could be revoked as early as April 12, the date of the board’s next meeting, Foster said.

“Absent this action it would be possible for a teacher who resigned in one school district or who was where fired in one school district to go the district next door and get a job there because they still have their certificate to teach,” Foster said.

An attorney assigned to Schweikert’s case did not immediately respond to telephone messages Wednesday.

Typically a hearing is held before a teacher’s license is suspended, but Schweikert’s license was suspended without a hearing. There were seven suspensions without hearings last year, Foster said.

Summary suspensions like the action taken against Schweikert on Wednesday are done in cases where the board feels the immediate safety and welfare of children may be at risk, Foster said.

More details on Wendie Schweikert:

The doors are locked at the former Golden All-Stars and Cheerleading Gym in Mauldin. Inside, old beams still stand where cheerleaders trained for competition, but now the lights are off and the sign that once beared the gym’s name is gone. Wendie Schweikert used to own the gym off of East Butler Road. She’s the teacher who confessed to having sex with her 11 year-old student.

[...]

The admission and the act, shocked Greg Force, he used to work with Schweikert at the gym. “She was in charge of our cheerleading program our All-Star Cheerleading team,” said Schweikert. The gym is known as a reputable training ground for gymnasts and at one time cheerleaders too, but Wendie Schweikert left to start her own all-star program. “That was a program that she began right when she left here,” commented Force. However, apparently this training center didn’t work out either. We’re told Schweikert shut-down the business about a month ago.

Cheerleading coaches oftentimes live in a fantasy world. I knew of a cheerleading coach near where I grew up who slept with football players. Like Schweikert she was overweight and seemed to need approval pretty badly from just about where ever she could get it. Mentally ill + cheerleading coach = crazy sleeping with students, trust me.

From the AP:

A Laurens elementary school teacher accused of criminal sexual conduct with one of her students is facing additional charges in Greenville, authorities said Monday.

Police Lt. Mike Gambrell said two warrants were issued against Wendie Schweikert: second-degree criminal sexual conduct and performing a lewd act on a child under 16.

Greenville authorities said the incident occurred in December in Schweikert’s car after the two traveled to a local amusement park.

[...]

Laurens School District 55 Superintendent Edgar Taylor said Monday that, aside from the counseling being offered to children in Schweikert’s class, things are operating as normal at the school.

“I think everyone appreciates the fact that we were forthcoming with the information,” Taylor said. “We were all shocked that it happened, and at this point we’re taking a look at everything we do and have done. Our biggest concern is for the victim and everyone else in the class.”

Several children transferred out of Schweikert’s class earlier this school year, Taylor said, adding that, while no other allegations have been made, those circumstances are being investigated.

“We aren’t leaving a stone unturned,” he said. “We want to not deal with this but at the same time get it over with so we can get back to teaching children.”

Interesting that kids were transferring out of her class, but no one apparently thought to ask why? I’m not condoning the Mary Kay Letourneaus or the Debra Lafaves of the world, but one could argue that their crimes were consensual. It certainly doesn’t seem that way with Schweikert, as the kids really seemed to dislike her. Looking at her mug shot it’s not hard to see why.

From the AP:

A former fifth-grade teacher accused of having sex with her 11-year-old student was ordered held on $100,000 bond Saturday.

Prosecutors had wanted Wendie A. Schweikert, 36, jailed without bond, saying she was a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Schweikert was arrested Friday on two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor after the boy’s mother accused the teacher of having sex with him at school at least twice, said Laurens Police Chief Robin Morse.

The former teacher admitted in a statement to having sex with the boy, Morse said.

[...]

The boy’s mother tried to tell the judge how shaken her son was, but was choked back by tears.

The boy “wanted his mother to tell the court he was scared,” prosecutor Jerry Peace said. “He is terrified that the defendant will get out on bond.”

Looking at that picture, I think we can all understand why the kid was terrified.