Teacher Charged With Kidnapping Student

15-Year-Old's Mother Complained To School About His Relationship With 8th Grade Teacher

(AP)  A Massachusetts schoolteacher found at a West Virginia motel with a 15-year-old boy whose parents had complained about the relationship is charged with kidnapping.

Police say 24-year-old Lisa Lavoie is being held without bond because kidnapping in West Virginia carries a possible life sentence. She faces a charge of enticing a child under 16 in Massachusetts.

The boy's mother had contacted the school earlier this month, saying she was concerned about the relationship between her son and an eighth-grade teacher. The teen was reported missing a few days later.

Officials aren't revealing where the boy has been taken, but say arrangements are being made to send him home. Police say he shows "no outward signs of physical abuse."

Lisa Lavoie, 24, appeared before a Monongalia County magistrate by videoconference from the North Central Regional Jail near Flatwoods, in central West Virginia.

Authorities in West Virginia plan to charge her as a fugitive from justice, Goodnight said. Michael Sullivan, mayor of Holyoke, Mass., said the enticement charge includes statutory rape. Lavoie will likely be released to Massachusetts authorities, but those details have not been worked out.

The boy's mother had contacted Maurice Donahue Elementary School on Feb. 13, saying she was concerned about the relationship between her son and an eighth-grade teacher. The teen was reported missing Feb. 16.

Authorities had been tracking the teacher and boy for several days through credit card and cell phone use, Sullivan said. On Monday night, state police were informed she was at the Super 8 Motel in a Morgantown shopping center just off Interstate 68.

A motel manager declined comment, but Goodnight said the staff had been in contact with Massachusetts authorities before his team arrived Tuesday morning. After confirming a vehicle in the parking lot belonged to Lavoie, troopers got a passkey and went to her room.

The door was deadbolted, and officers tried to kick it in before Lavoie and the boy opened it, Goodnight said. Lavoie surrendered quietly.

Goodnight would not reveal where the boy had been taken but said arrangements are being made to send him home. The eighth-grader will be interviewed by child welfare officials, then reunited with his family. The teen showed "no outward signs of physical abuse" when he was found, Sullivan said.

Lavoie has been a teacher in Holyoke for five months and has been placed on paid administrative leave.

"Her family and I are happy that she is safe and we'll see what develops over the next couple of days," said David Hoose, her Massachusetts attorney, before declining to comment further.

Sullivan said the city will review teacher training and student awareness programs. The Donahue principal has met with 7th and 8th grade students to advise them of counseling opportunities available, and some students are worried about their friend.

"We have to make sure students understand improper behavior and improper advances and we're going to make some changes in our professional development," he said.

[jmalone2455]

It sickens me to see older woman or man take advantage of young children. Of coarse children at this age will fall for it cause there curiosity and hormones. Plus who knows what these adults say to these kids. It sickens me to know these things happen in our community. How the heck is a 15 year old boys satisfy a woman. I remeber at 15 boys having needle weiners. I mean common . Is she that insecure and lonely. Even if she was abused or had a bad childhood. As an adult you know what u do wrong. Like GOD says you made the choice. You Chose no one makes you.

[crystalblue3]

Hey crzmeat7, I'd love for you to post a picture of yourself for the world to see. And I see that your education really held up after all these years. Good job. Your comment was almost readable!

[harbinger19]

There has to be a psychiatric condition that causes these older women to take advantage of these adolescent boys. Why do they think they can get away with it. Time after time they get caught and go to jail for this. In this case I think this very plain looking woman who probably got looked over in her teen years is now trying to re-live them. It certainly isn't the guys fault hes just going along for the ride of his life.
Posted by brainteaser2 at 4:23 PM : Feb 24, 2009


"Time after time they get caught?" Yet, this may be the tip of the iceberg. For every "caught" teacher, how do you know that there are not 10 or 20 not caught? It's like murderers, though police want you to think differently, over 20% of murder crimes go unsolved or accuse the wrong person. That is 1 in 5. So what are the odds that plenty of teachers are hitting up on students and not getting caught. It is very high. When I was in middle school onward, male teachers continuously hit on me, to the point of 3 actually putting their hands on me. One was sooo obsessed that he was continuously before the school principal explaining his actions (he would write me notes or try to follow me around the halls if he saw me) Definitely harassment. But back then, there was no name for that and he was given a talk to (many times) and I was transferred to another class. It all finally came to a head, when one day he grabbed me after a class and shook me so that I was alternately pressed very closed to him and he bounced my boobs off his chest--he told me he was in love with me--That is when they transferred me and hushed it all up. (I was too naive to realize the magnitude of what happened though I had enough sense to tell my counselor)

The fact is, I think it happens a lot. This man stayed obsessed with me until I graduated (I was 14 when it happened) much later, he got another 15 year old preggers. But to this day, if I see this man at a mall or somewhere, he actually has the nerve to come over and still tell me that he thinks he and I were meant to be. (Actually, the last time was in the early 90s) He was one--the same is true of cops, and other teachers--esp. be wary of math, science and gym teachers. LOL

[harbinger19]

"Lavoie has been a teacher in Holyoke for five months and has been placed on paid administrative leave."


I don't think a teacher that kidnapped a student for sexxx should be placed on paid anything. That does not make sense. She should be on leave without pay, after all, she is in JAIL and the boy was found in her possession. There is NO excuse for that.

Maybe it is time for those under the age of 30 to be given only conditional employment as teachers--to have to have exemplary performance until that age and not have any emotional or other blemishes on their records, and to perhaps keep them in a sort of "junior" status in their profession until they have been in it at least 10 years. Sort of like educational journeyman. Each should have a mentor, which monitors their actions and behavior as well as teaching prowess and they should have a review board. This should all be mandated by the federal gov to ensure that no state is lax in this. Our children are too important to entrust them to young girls (or men) whose libido does not allow them to hold themselves to a higher standard and stop molesting/seducing/having relationships with kids.

[dsr57]

Eh, I would have probably hit it back when I was 15. I remember sitting around with friends, we would gage teachers looks and if one was kinda ungly we decided that we'd still give it to her because she was a teacher and banging a teacher was a way to lift the bar.

[brainteaser2]

There has to be a psychiatric condition that causes these older women to take advantage of these adolescent boys. Why do they think they can get away with it. Time after time they get caught and go to jail for this. In this case I think this very plain looking woman who probably got looked over in her teen years is now trying to re-live them. It certainly isn't the guys fault hes just going along for the ride of his life.