Cops: Teacher Sought Student Silence Over Sex

NOVEMBER 24--A Texas high school teacher charged with having sex with a female student gave the girl a "written contract" stating that he would give her a grade of at least 85 in his English class if she kept quiet about their relationship and steered clear of his wife, a fellow teacher at a Dallas-area school, police say.

Investigators allege that James Quigley, 34, twice had sex with the girl in her bedroom earlier this year, and sent her a series of inappropriate e-mail and text messages that commented on her looks and noted that they could be “friends with benefits,” according to probable cause affidavit.

Quigley, seen at right, was arrested Thursday night on two felony counts, sexual assault and maintaining an improper relationship with a student. He remains locked up in the Dallas County jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Police began investigating Quigley last week, when the girl’s mother contacted cops to report that the teen was being harassed by the Richardson High School educator.

The teen told police that Quigley showed up at her residence earlier this year “with a hotdog for her dog.” When the girl opened the door, the teacher “hugged her and kissed her forehead” and “touched her ‘butt.’” She also recalled Quigley leaving a Starburst candy on her desk along with a note saying, “I would smash you into thin powder, mix you with water and drink it.”

As detailed in the affidavit, Quigley once asked the teen to sign a “written contract” that stipulated he “would give her an average of 85% or above in his class” and prohibited her from “telling anyone what was happening and from getting anywhere close to” his wife Carla, a Richardson High School English teacher. The girl told cops she did not sign the contract.

Quigley, who has taught at the school for five years, was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. (4 pages)